With just over seven weeks until the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (LONGINES HKIR), I am delighted with the calibre of entries for our flagship meeting at Sha Tin on 11 December.
International racing is an integral part of the Club’s operation and a key cornerstone of the Club’s brand as a global racing organisation.
I am extremely grateful for the support the Club has received from the Hong Kong Government and also that of our overseas friends in sending horses to Hong Kong for the past two editions of LONGINES HKIR, when we operated under a closed loop system because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Hong Kong reopens in a safe and orderly fashion to the world and, as we prepare to welcome back more overseas owners, trainers and jockeys, we could barely have hoped for better in terms of entry.
In conjunction with LONGINES HKIR, the Club will also host executive meetings of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities and the Asian Racing Federation as well as meetings of the General Assembly and Expert Committee of International Horse Sports Confederation.
Entries for the four Group 1 races – the HK$34 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), HK$30 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), HK$24 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and HK$22 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) – have attracted 43 individual Group 1 winners and, of the 127 nominations from abroad, 63 are from Japan.
The Japanese, of course, have had wonderful results at Sha Tin over the years and more recently the deeds of Loves Only You, Danon Smash and Glory Vase – who is returning in search of a third LONGINES Hong Kong Vase – are part of the reason LONGINES HKIR remains among the key global meetings.
The Japanese entry – highlighted by Glory Vase, Salios, Songline, Panthalassa, Resistencia, Cafe Pharoah, Shahryar, Gendarme, Schnell Meister and Naran Huleg – is incredible.
The support from other nations, too, is remarkable with 15 entries from Australia, including The Everest winner Giga Kick and Nature Strip, the top-ranked sprinter in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, while Aidan O’Brien has eight entries, including G1 Epsom Oaks winner Tuesday, Order Of Australia and Broome.
Great Britain’s Pyledriver has moved on from his second place in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase last season to subsequently win the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and his connections want to return to Hong Kong to capture the race this time.
We have received entries from eight different regions – Japan, Ireland, Australia, Singapore, France, Germany, the United States and Great Britain – which is testament to the ambitions of our overseas friends and also the hard work of our team in helping attract the best possible talent.
By this time next week, we will have an even better picture after the close of entry for Hong Kong-trained horses and, naturally, we are already excited at the prospect of watching Golden Sixty, California Spangle, Romantic Warrior, Wellington and Russian Emperor taking on world-class visitors at Sha Tin.
At Happy Valley on Wednesday night, the feature race of the evening is the Class 3 LONGINES Cup, carded as the sixth race over 1200 metres.
Last Wednesday night, Jamie Richards recorded his first win as a trainer in Hong Kong with Handsome Rebel and he has the opportunity to capture his first feature race victory here with newcomer Starfire Gems.
The four-year-old son of Maurice was trained in Australia by Chris Waller and won his Maiden narrowly at Sandown back in March at his fourth career start.
Starfire Gems has trialled impressively twice for champion rider Zac Purton. He cruised to the line in a trial over 1000m at Happy Valley on 17 September and then wore blinkers when over-racing early before finishing fifth at a subsequent trial at Sha Tin on 27 September, again without being asked for an effort. The blinkers have been removed for his debut run here and from an ideal draw in barrier four is a win and place chance.
Much of the early speed in the race will come from Decisive Twelve and Beauty Glory likes to race on pace and may go forward from an outside draw after being posted three-wide and midfield from a similar draw at his last start and can improve on that effort.
Excellent Peers should be able to take up a forward position from his inside draw for Matthew Chadwick and continued his excellent form from last season for Frankie Lor when second to Yo Beauty over this course and trip on 28 September at his seasonal reappearance and is a place chance.
Igniting has been placed at both his starts this season and is a place chance again here. He has an inside draw and Matthew Poon may try and hold a position closer to the lead than he has in recent starts.
Stormtrouper did not have a lot of luck in the home straight and made good ground late for Ruan Maia and Dennis Yip when second to Winning Icey this course and trip three weeks ago and has a place chance.
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