These are exhilarating times for Hong Kong racing. Only five days after the incredible success of the Chinese New Year meeting on Tuesday (24 January), we are about to be treated to what shapes as a race of the ages with the G1 Stewards’ Cup this Sunday.
The recent release of the 2022 LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings adequately captures the outstanding quality of the headline horses involved this weekend with Golden Sixty and Romantic Warrior sharing joint eighth place with international ratings of 124 – just one point higher than California Spangle (123).
I cannot recall a race which has drawn together three outstanding horses so evenly matched in terms of ratings, quality and form and I am confident the Stewards’ Cup will be keenly monitored around the world.
When it is also considered last year’s winner Waikuku, Russian Emperor and Panfield are also multiple Group 1 winners, while Beauty Joy ran well in last month’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, this race is of the highest significance.
Continual improvement of the quality of Hong Kong’s horse population is an abiding objective of the Club and we are delighted that we can showcase our racing to the world with such an incredible talent on a day when the Four-Year-Old Classic Series starts with the Hong Kong Classic Mile – a race also synonymous with the advance of Golden Sixty (2020 winner), Romantic Warrior (2022 winner) and California Spangle (2022 runner-up).
The Stewards’ Cup clash between Hong Kong’s “Three Titans” has been on the horizon ever since LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and now that it is finally here, the excitement and anticipation is peaking.
Last Tuesday, we witnessed the enduring appeal of Hong Kong racing with attendance of 84,394 at the Chinese New Year race meeting, while turnover of HK$2,060 million underscored customer enthusiasm for racing.
The first of this year’s simulcast races comes from Kenilworth in South Africa with the G1 Cape Town Met, run at WFA over 2000m at 11.10pm on Saturday night. The “Met” is one of South Africa’s best races and highlights the Cape racing season.
It has drawn together the country’s leading older horses, including the first three home in last year’s race, Kommetdieding, Jet Dark and Linebacker, all of whom are multiple G1 winners.
Do It Again, who has been one of South Africa’s top performers for many years, does just that, lining up for his fifth attempt at victory in the Met having finished second in 2019 and top five in the last two years. The three-year-old challenge is led by brilliant filly Make It Snappy, who is the likely leader from gate two and G1 Champion Stakes winner Cousin Casey.
The other leading chances are last start King’s Plate winner Al Muthana and Sparkling Water, who won the Durban July last year.
In a race of many chances, I make Jet Dark a win and place chance, ahead of Kommetdieding, Make It Snappy and Al Muthana.
At Sha Tin on Sunday, the Stewards’ Cup is carded as Race 7 and run over 1600m at 4.05pm, with prizemoney of HK$12 million.
Small fields can lead to slowly run, tactical affairs but with California Spangle drawn ideally in gate three, Zac Purton is likely to take the lead and set a solid pace in the first part of the race. Last year’s winner Waikuku will sit on the speed and it will be interesting to see if he can get the rails position behind the leader ahead of Beauty Joy, who has drawn the rails for Hugh Bowman. If Waikuku finds the back of the leader as he did last year, then it is likely Romantic Warrior will sit on his outside, with Golden Sixty, Russian Emperor and Panfield in the back half of the field.
California Spangle was brilliant in winning the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile last start and that victory propelled him to a career-high international rating of 123. If Zac can get an easy lead through the middle stages of the race and kick clear in the straight, he will prove hard to beat again.
Romantic Warrior confirmed his status as an international star when trouncing a world-class field in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and was given a career-high rating of 124 for the win. He comes back in distance to the mile but a year ago proved California Spangle’s master when taking the Hong Kong Classic Mile. Karis Teetan reunites with Romantic Warrior and he is a real chance of defeating California Spangle and Golden Sixty.
Golden Sixty won this race in 2021, before Waikuku ended his incredible 16-run winning streak in the race in 2022. He showed all his brilliance in giving California Spangle 5lb in weight and a beating in the BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile in November before chasing hard but failing to reel in California Spangle in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.
Golden Sixty concedes age to his younger rivals but nothing on the score of ability or bravery. Vincent Ho will have the champion in the back half of the field, storming home and he could easily emerge victorious in the clash between three stars of world racing that will be remembered for decades by all those who witness it.
The race is the “Battle of the Big Three” and victory will go to the champion who delivers best on the day, but my win selection is Golden Sixty.
The Hong Kong Classic Mile is Race 9 at 5.15pm for prizemoney of HK$12 million and is an outstanding renewal of the first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, which culminates in the BMW Hong Kong Derby on 19 March. The quality field is testament to the investment and commitment to world class racing being made by our owners and trainers with horses in the race that have won or been placed in G1 races in Europe, Australia and South America as well as PPGs of the quality of Cordyceps Six, Packing Treadmill, Sweet Encounter and Tuchel.
The pace in the race will be crucial to the chances of many of the runners with several leading fancies having a racing pattern that sees them get back and run on. Jamie Kah will play an important part in the outcome of the race as she takes the ride on Voyage Bubble who, from gate five, is the likely leader and should set a good pace. Keefy and Packing Treadmill will both be near the speed from their middle gates and Sweet Encounter will be on the leaders’ back from gate two, with Sword Point from gate four also in a forward position.
Cordyceps Six is the wildcard having not raced beyond 1200m before and, while he gets back in his sprint races, Alex Badel may try and sit closer to the speed, but is more likely to go back from his wide gate and ride for luck to see out the 1600m.
Packing Treadmill has won six of his eight starts and is undefeated this season. He sat behind the leader last start, beating Fantastic Treasure and Keefy over this trip on 24 December. Zac Purton goes back aboard and while Packing Treadmill now meets Keefy at set weights, rather than under handicap conditions, he is a win and place chance.
Keefy beat Beluga over this trip to win the Chevalier Cup on 27 November before sitting behind the leader and finding the front in the straight but was beaten into third place by Packing Treadmill on 24 December. Keefy is better suited at the set weights and is a place chance for Silvestre de Sousa.
Sweet Encounter is another leading chance who was beaten at his last start when carrying topweight and could not quite reel in Drombeg Banner over 1600m on 8 January. Sweet Encounter has drawn perfectly in gate two and should get the run of the race under Ryan Moore and I make him a place chance.
Tuchel showed he had overcome an injury setback when resuming off a break of more than three months to power home and beat Galaxy Witness over 1400m on 15 January. He has won four of his eight starts and is a place chance for Luke Currie.
Flagship Warrior is one horse that will go back from the outside gate and will be running home as he did when scoring a remarkable last to first victory making his Hong Kong debut over 1200m for Karis Teetan on 24 December. He steps to 1600m here but is a Listed winner over 1800m in Australia and G3 placed at 2000m and is a place chance.
The Classic Mile is an intriguing contest where virtually every runner can win the race without surprising. Romantic Warrior and California Spangle ran first and second in the race last year and this year’s renewal is another brilliant highlight on a day that will live on as one of the most memorable in the history of Hong Kong racing.
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