With only 22 days until LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), Bank Of China (Hong Kong) Race Day at Sha Tin on Sunday (20 November) shapes as a critical dress rehearsal for our top Hong Kong horses, trainers and jockeys.
On the same afternoon when some of Japan’s leading LONGINES HKIR contenders contest the G1 Mile Championship at Hanshin Racecourse, Bank Of China (Hong Kong) Race Day will feature a string of G1 winners across three G2 features – Sprint (1200m), Mile (1600m) and Cup (2000m).
Reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty is the main drawcard as he again confronts potential heir apparent California Spangle in the BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile and there is also much to be excited about as our champion sprinter Wellington tackles the BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint against fellow G1 winners Sky Field and Stronger and also other talented young rivals.
Included in a select group of eight G1 winners to appear at Sha Tin on Sunday, Romantic Warrior, Panfield and Russian Emperor do battle in the BOCHK Jockey Club Cup in key lead-up runs to LONGINES HKIR on 11 December.
Sunday’s Sha Tin also marks an important milestone with the resumption of walk-in admission for both public and Members’ enclosures. Eating and drinking will be allowed in the outdoor areas of the racecourse.
While customers no longer need to present their Vaccine Pass QR Code for scanning upon entry, all entrants must still scan the LeaveHomeSafe Venue QR Code and comply with vaccination requirements under the Vaccine Pass to enter the premises. Mask wearing is required except when consuming food or drinks.
In the first of the G2 features, the reappearance of Wellington and a return bout with Lucky Sweynesse is just one of several strands surrounding the BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint. Wellington made a brilliant return to racing for Richard Gibson and Alexis Badel coming off the back of Lucky Sweynesse to win the Premier Bowl on 23 October. He meets all his rivals better at the weights going from handicap to terms conditions and is my win and place selection.
Lucky Sweynesse has a wide draw again but will go forward in a race that will be run at a good speed to sit outside the likely leader Kurpany and is a place chance for Zac Purton. Sky Field ran third in this race last year to Lucky Patch on his way to victory in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint. He closed strongly when third in the Premier Bowl and is reunited here with Blake Shinn. I make him a place chance.
Cordyceps Six, with Silvestre de Sousa, is working very well and had an awkward start last time and he is also a place chance.
The seasonal return of Golden Sixty highlights the G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Mile. No horse has been a three-time winner of a Jockey Club Cup race since they were introduced in 2002. Golden Sixty chases another piece of racing history if he wins the Mile for the third time. He has had two trials leading to his return to racing but he has not raced for 210 days since winning the FWD Champions Mile in April. This race will bring him to his top for LONGINES HKIR and I make him a place chance.
California Spangle has the advantage of recent racing and has been brilliant in his two wins this season achieving a career-high international rating of 121, taking the Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy on 16 October. He is fully race fit and doesn’t have to carry the extra five pounds for winning a Group 1. He will hold the lead from Kings Shield from gate three and if Zac Purton can dictate the speed of the race, I make him a win and place chance.
Waikuku drew wide and was taken back in the field when he resumed in the Sha Tin Trophy and can improve dramatically here and is a place chance having won the race in 2019 and second last year to Golden Sixty.
The final of our G2s is the BOCHK Hong Kong Cup and sets up as an intriguing contest featuring the return to racing of our star four-year-old Romantic Warrior. He also hasn’t raced for 210 days since his G1 FWD QEII Cup victory and has had a little setback. He has a challenge first up over 2000m but James McDonald will want to take a forward position one off the fence from the outside gate and, while he is working well, I rate him a place chance.
Tourbillon Diamond was very good beating all but California Spangle in the Sha Tin Trophy at his first run this season. He was second to Romantic Warrior in the FWD QE II Cup and stepping back to the 2000m is a win and place chance racing just behind the speed from his rails draw.
The pace in the race will be set by Money Catcher and Hugh Bowman will try and get away with steady sectionals on the last-start winner of the Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse.
Beauty Joy gave Money Catcher 20lb in weight under the handicap conditions of that race to finish second and has the draw to strike in the closing stages for Zac Purton and I rate him a place chance. Russian Emperor will have benefitted from his first-up effort and is a place chance with Blake Shinn aboard.
Senor Toba, for Vincent Ho, ran very well last start and is also a place chance.
I would like to wish the connections of Ka Ying Star all the best as the seven-year-old lines up in for the fourth year in a row at this meeting. It is a wonderful achievement by trainer Tony Cruz with Ka Ying Star finishing second in the Mile to Waikuku in 2019 and Golden Sixty in 2020 before being runner-up to Reliable Team in the Cup last year.
The G1 Mile Championship (1600m) from Hanshin Racecourse is another Sunday feature with LONGINES HKIR connotations. Run between races four and five on the Sha Tin programme, the Mile Championship, will feature several contenders who will look to challenge Golden Sixty and our home team in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile on 11 December.
It draws together a class field of Japan’s best milers and these races are always run at a good speed from the outset.
Champion filly Gran Alegria farewelled the race track with a brilliant victory in the race last year with Schnell Meister flashing late after being held up in the straight to take second place. He was runner-up again in the Yasuda Kinen in June to Songline and comes back to the mile off a good effort in the Sprinters Stakes over 1200m at his last run. Schnell Meister has drawn perfectly in gate four and with Christophe Lemaire aboard I make him a win and place chance.
Salios was third in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile in 2021 to Golden Sixty and third in the Yasuda Kinen. He comes to the race off an easy win in the G2 Mainichi Okan over 1800m and is a place chance with Ryan Moore aboard.
The three-year-old division is led by Danon Scorpion and Serifos. Danon Scorpion won the NHK Mile Cup in May before finishing third to Serifos in the G2 Fuji Stakes on 22 October and both are place chances.
The remarkable filly Sodashi is immensely popular with racing fans around the world with her distinctive colouring and is a three-time G1 winner at a mile but not yet against the male division and is a place chance drawn six.
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