The importance to Hong Kong of international sport was starkly underlined at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when many of the great events that defined this city were unable to be staged because of the virus.
Hong Kong horseracing was able to continue, due to the stringent health and safety measures employed to protect all participants, and we are proud of the fact that not a single meeting was lost to COVID-19 as our sport helped showcase Hong Kong to the world.
None of this would have been possible without the support of the HKSAR Government, the sacrifices of our participants and the dedication of Club staff. Overcoming challenges and riding high together are at the heart of Club operations.
Now, with the removal of COVID-related restrictions and the return to normality, Hong Kong’s world-renowned vibe has been restored – and, as usual, sport has played a key role.
Over the past two weeks, the city has celebrated home-grown golfer Taichi Kho’s victory in the World City Championship against elite rivals, while this weekend has seen the staging of the Hong Kong Sevens.
The connection between athletes of all sports is strong and we were pleased to host Sweden’s Open Championship-winning golfer Henrik Stenson at Sha Tin last Sunday, while last Wednesday I had the pleasure of meeting the French rugby sevens team at Sha Tin.
As we approach FWD Champions Day on 30 April, the excitement and anticipation will continue to build around Hong Kong’s next world-class chapter of international competition as we prepare to stage our three G1s – the HK$20 million Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), HK$20 million FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and HK$25 million FWD QEII Cup (2000m).
One of the potentially important lead-up races to FWD Champions Day is the G1 Osaka Hai (2000m) from Hanshin Racecourse in Japan, which is carded as S1-1 at 2.40pm on Sunday afternoon.
There are six horses engaged who are entered for G1 FWD QEII Cup on 30 April – Danon The Kid, Geraldina, Hindu Times, Hishi Iguazu, Killer Ability and Wonderful Town. The performance of those horses in the race provides additional interest to an outstanding renewal of the race.
The race should be run at a solid tempo throughout. Jack d’Or led the race last year and will be on speed again with North Bridge also disputing the lead from gate four and North The World likely to go forward from his outside gate.
Geraldina, the daughter of champion mare Gentildonna, finished last year with a third in the G1 Arima Kinen (2500m) to superstar Equinox, winner of last week’s Dubai Sheema Classic. Her first G1 victory came at her previous run when beating Win Marilyn against the mares. Geraldina resumes today and should get a good run from gate one. I make her a place chance.
Stars On Earth will be ridden by Christophe Lemaire and has not run since finishing a close third to Stunning Rose in the G1 Shuka Sho on 16 October. She was a winner of the Thousand Guineas and Oaks at her two previous starts. Stars On Earth is a place chance making her debut against the male division in this race.
Hishi Iguazu was narrowly beaten by Loves Only You in the 2021 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and has only run three times since. He was fourth in the Osaka Hai last year, behind Potager and at his other run in 2022 was second to Titleholder in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen over 2200m, also at Hanshin.
Hishi Iguazu resumed with an impressive victory in the G2 Nakayama Kinen on 26 February. He was held up for a run early in the straight but finished strongly once he got clear to win comfortably. Hishi Iguazu has an awkward draw in gate 14 but he is a win and place chance.
Weltreisende ran third in the Japan Cup in November and at his only run since won a G2 race over 2200m at Chukyo on 15 January, giving weight to all his rivals. Weltreisende has an ideal draw here with Yuga Kawada riding for the first time and is also a win and place chance.
Danon The Kid ran second to Romantic Warrior in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup in December and resumed with an unplaced run behind Hishi Iguazu in the Nakayama Kinen. Jack d’Or was seventh behind Romantic Warrior in December and resumes here.
Both Danon The Kid and Jack d’Or have the class to be competitive in this field as does last year’s winner Potager, who is seeking to become the first horse in the history of the race to record successive victories.
At Sha Tin on Sunday, the meeting concludes with the Tan Shan River Handicap carded as Race 10 at 5.50pm. The race is for Class 3 horses over 1800m and carries prizemoney of HK$1,900,000.
There is a long run down the sweeping back straight and the speed should be steady through the first half of the race as riders sort their positions out. Satirical Glory and Young Brilliant both led at their last starts and will push forward again with Enjoying holding a position on speed from gate two.
Alacrity was a G1 winner in Chile over 2000m last year. In his two runs here in Hong Kong he has gone back from wide gates and has looked impressive in finishing strongly in the straight to be just behind the placings. He has drawn wide again here and Jamie Richards has engaged Zac Purton to ride for the first time. If Zac can find a position for Alacrity midfield with cover, I make him my win and place selection.
Satirical Glory led from an inside gate and fought on well when narrowly beaten by Pegasus General over this distance at Happy Valley on 8 March. Karis Teetan will have Satirical Glory on speed again here and is a place chance.
Smiling Time has been a model of consistency this season and was rewarded with another win at his last start, beating Eighteen Palms over 1650m at Happy Valley on 15 February. Before that he finished strongly from the back to be runner-up to Nicholson Returns over this course and distance when he didn’t have a lot of clear room in the straight. Smiling Time goes up in grade but drops significantly in weight and is a place chance for Luke Ferraris.
Escape Route had a perfect run when fourth on the rail before getting clear running early in the straight and coming away for an impressive win over 2000m on 19 March. Escape Route has had a short break at Conghua since that win and is a place chance.
Nicholson Returns was impressive winning two on the bounce in Class 4 over this course and distance and then stayed on in the concluding stages to finish fourth to Straight Arron stepping up in grade on 26 February. Vincent Ho rode Nicholson Returns in a recent trial and takes the ride for trainer David Hall and is a place chance.
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