World-class international racing is a key priority for the Hong Kong Jockey Club and, as LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (LONGINES HKIR) on 11 December rapidly approaches, this weekend shapes as one of the most important on the global racing landscape.
It is just over eight weeks until some of the world’s premier horses and jockeys compete for a record combined HK$110 million in prizemoney at Sha Tin in four Group 1s – the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m).
Few things in sport rival the sense of excitement of elite international racing and, as the Club simulcasts top-line events from Randwick, Caulfield and Ascot this Saturday, the anticipation of what awaits us at Sha Tin in December is already building with some of the horses competing overseas today potentially among the LONGINES HKIR entries.
The Everest will be run at 1.15pm (Hong Kong time) as race seven at Randwick on a soft track. Defending champion Nature Strip displayed his dominance of world sprinting ranks with a devastating win in the King’s Stand Stakes (1006m) at Royal Ascot in June with a performance that gave him a career peak of 126 in the LONGINES World Best Racehorse Rankings. He is the highest-rated sprinter in the world so far in 2022.
Trainer Chris Waller has him back in Australia and in winning form after a dominant victory in The Shorts over 1100m on 17 September. Jockey James McDonald will use Nature Strip’s abundant early speed from the outside gate (12) to sit outside the leader and he is a win and place chance.
Eduardo is the likely leader along with Joyful Fortune who has drawn the rails. Eduardo is the last horse to beat Nature Strip and he ran third in this race in 2021. To be ridden by Nash Rawiller, the Joseph Pride-trained sprinter is a place chance.
Private Eye was devastating in winning the G2 Gilgai Stakes when resuming down the straight 1200m course at Flemington two weeks ago and will finish strongly off a frenetic pace. He is also a place chance.
The appearance of Joyful Fortune will generate a lot of interest for Hong Kong fans. He showed great natural speed in winning down the Sha Tin straight 1000m course in brilliant time on two occasions from seven career starts here. Joyful Fortune won at his Australian debut and I wish HKJC owner Derek Tam and his trainer Mark Newnham the very best of luck in the race.
The G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) will be run at 2.15pm (Hong Kong) as race nine at Caulfield where rain this week means the 145th edition of the famous handicap will be contested on heavy ground going with the expectation riders will be coming well off the rail as they make their bid for victory in the home straight.
Sydney Cup winner Knights Order, to be ridden by Tim Clark for training partners Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will go forward from his wide draw (18) and take up his usual role as pacemaker, ensuring a solid speed and a genuine staying affair in the going. Knights Order fought on strongly at his last run in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and is a place chance.
Turnbull Stakes winner Smokin’ Romans drops to 51.5kg here, has drawn perfectly in gate five and handles the going. Champion jockey Jamie Kah takes the ride and I rate him a win and place chance with the opportunity to make Jamie the first female rider to win a Caulfield Cup.
Horses at the top of the handicap have a very good record in the Cup’s recent history and Gold Trip was beaten just over two lengths when fourth in the 2020 Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) behind Sottsass on heavy ground. He is ready to peak after two strong runs over 2000m leading to the Cup and is a place chance.
Nonconformist ran second in this race last year behind Incentivise and his run behind Anamoe in the G1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) last week at weight-for-age was very encouraging and he is a place chance again back to handicap conditions for trainer Grahame Begg and rider Jordan Childs, whose father Greg won the Caulfield Cup on the champion galloper Northerly, 20 years ago, in 2002.
The race is wide open with a myriad of chances and one in which mares have a great record. Inspirational Girl, Duais and Montefilia all have strong claims as do the four-year-olds Alegron and Benaud.
The G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes (1993m) will be run as race five at 11pm (Hong Kong time) on good to soft ground at Ascot and this year’s edition features an absolute Champion, Baaeed, who made it a perfect ten out of ten when recording brilliant closing sectionals to sweep past Mishriff and race away to win the Juddmonte International (2234m) at York by an ever widening 6.5 lengths on 17 August.
That performance delivered Baaeed an interim rating of 135 in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, just one shy of the figure of 136 assigned to his sire Sea The Stars in his brilliant unbeaten three-year-old season in 2009.
It is hard to see any of his rivals testing him here, but racing fans will be able to rejoice in witnessing a true star continue his stellar year for trainer William Haggas and rider Jim Crowley.
Adayar, who won the Epsom Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2021 made his seasonal reappearance in a three-horse conditions race at Doncaster on 8 September and his progress from that race will be of huge interest as he partners with William Buick.
The pace in the race is likely to be generated by three-year-olds Stone Age and My Prospero which should ensure a reasonable tempo in the middle stages of the race.
Bay Bridge will race just off the speed and can improve off his unplaced effort as favourite in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown at his latest run July 2 and is a place chance, as is Dubai Honour, who ran fourth behind Loves Only You in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup over 2000m at Sha Tin last December and has been racing well without winning so far this year.
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