And so, after farewelling the Year of the Tiger with considerable momentum and renewed optimism, we welcome the Year of the Rabbit.
Reflecting on the past 12 months, we have much to be proud of in Hong Kong where horse racing has again provided tremendous entertainment and engagement – both locally and abroad – for our customers and fans.
Looking back, the clear highlight was the resounding success of the 2022 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) in December on a world-class race day crammed with outstanding performances from Japan’s Win Marilyn and the celebrated Hong Kong trio of Wellington, California Spangle and Romantic Warrior.
The success of LONGINES HKIR was not by any means restricted to the track. The entire week – which also contained another wonderful staging of the immensely popular LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship – was an opportunity to hold important racing-related meetings and to help relaunch Hong Kong as a city.
With the gradual relaxation of COVID-related restrictions, we have started to relaunch the famous Beer Garden concept at Happy Valley and we see some positive results in attracting our leisure and fun-seekers back to the racecourse.
In terms of performance standards – on and off the track – our focus is always directed towards the future and, from that perspective, I only can say we are optimistic that the planning and resources committed by the Club to a number of important projects will ensure Hong Kong maintains its position at the forefront of world racing.
Our core business is racing and, and from a performance viewpoint, the objective is to continually improve and the current jockey roster led by Zac Purton, Vincent Ho and Silvestre de Sousa is strong. Regarding the jockeys’ roster, we are delighted that Hugh Bowman, who is a winner of the LONGINES Worlds’ Best Jockey award, has committed to stay until at least the end of this season, which further strengthens our riding ranks.
We also have a quality trainer cohort headed by Frankie Lor, John Size and Tony Cruz and, with a horse pool crowned by Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior and California Spangle, we are well placed for both the present and future.
With that mind, anticipation and excitement continue to grow ahead of the G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) this Sunday when our three highest-rated horses clash in the same race for the first time against several other G1 winners, including Waikuku and Panfield. It truly shapes as a race of a generation and will no doubt attract significant international attention.
Before we reach the weekend meeting, which also features the Hong Kong Classic Mile, we celebrate the Chinese New Year in customary fashion at Sha Tin today. The opening race is the Kung Hei Handicap at 12.30pm for Class 4 horses over 1200m – a race that every owner, trainer and jockey will want to win to make an auspicious start to the Year of the Rabbit, while all of our customers and fans will also want to make a winning start.
John Size and Zac Purton combine with Baby Crystal, who has been runner-up at three of his four starts and will be looking to opening his winning account from gate seven. He will face opposition from last-start placegetters Brilliant Life and Lucky Ruby, as well as hopeful newcomers Call Me Dandy and M Unicorn, who are both Hong Kong International Sale graduates making race track debuts.
The feature race at Sha Tin on Tuesday is the Chinese New Year Cup Handicap, which is carded as Race 8 at 4:05pm for horses rated 110-85 and run over 1400m for prizemoney of $3,465,000.
The pace in the race will be set by Healthy Happy who will go forward from gate nine and the speed should be good as he is a horse who is comfortable free-running in front. Circuit Stellar can also lead or race handy and from the rails draw will sit behind the leader. Beluga also has an inside draw and will take up a forward position stalking the speed.
Healthy Happy, The Golden Scenery, Blaze Warrior and Fantastic Treasure all ran in the Chinese Club Challenge Cup over this distance on 1 January, when the brilliant sprinter Lucky Sweynesse proved a class above his opposition.
Healthy Happy led that race, posting solid sectionals and fought strongly to the line to finish runner-up to Lucky Sweynesse, having finished second to California Spangle in the Celebration Cup on 25 September. Zac Purton takes the ride for the first time and although Healthy Happy has drawn out and is giving weight to all his rivals, he is a win and place chance.
The Golden Scenery ran well behind Lucky Sweynesse and Healthy Happy, settling last and running home down the centre of the track to finish third. The five-year-old has been a model of consistency for his trainer Tony Cruz this season without winning and, drawn well for Luke Ferraris, I make him a place chance.
The Irishman, who was unlucky in his last start, is also a place chance.
Beluga’s form has been excellent in his three runs this season winning the Panasonic Cup over this course and distance on 12 November, beating most of the rivals he meets in this race before stepping up in distance to 1600m at his most recent run, beating all but Keefy who is a leading chance in Sunday’s Hong Kong Classic Mile. Beluga will have benefitted from time spent at Conghua since then, has an ideal draw coming back to the 1400m and, despite a significant increase in his body weight, is a place selection with Matthew Poon taking the ride for the first time.
Blaze Warrior won the last race at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races on 11 December beating Beauty Live, coming from well back in the field with Ryan Moore aboard. Karis Teetan rode the John Size-trained five-year-old at his last start when he was fifth to Lucky Sweynesse on 1 January. Blaze Warrior looked good in a trial on the All Weather Track last week where he sat wide throughout and stayed on in a field that included California Spangle and Golden Sixty and he is a place chance.
Most other runners in the race have genuine chances, including two on the limit weight of 115lb – Mr Ascendency and Circuit Stellar. They are in receipt of significant weight from the rest of their rivals in an intriguing Cup race under the handicap conditions.
In closing, all that remains is to wish all our friends, colleagues and customers a peaceful family holiday and every success and good fortune throughout the Year of the Rabbit.
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