The welfare of our horses and racing participants is of the utmost importance at all times and, as summer approaches, the Club has taken the proactive step of introducing Twilight Race Meetings as an additional measure to mitigate the effects of extreme heat.
We are acutely aware of the issues posed by climate change and, based on detailed data from the Hong Kong Observatory which shows summer temperatures have gradually increased in recent years, the Club feels it is prudent to conduct Twilight Race Meetings across June and July until the end of the season.
The Hong Kong Weather Observatory’s statistics demonstrate that, compared to a decade ago, the frequency of very hot days – when the daily maximum temperature reaches 33 degrees Celsius or higher – has almost tripled in Hong Kong.
Additionally, records from June and July last season showed that temperatures peaked in the early afternoon before steadily declining in the latter part of the part.
Bearing this in mind, we will start our Sha Tin race meetings at 4pm on June 4, 10, 18 and 25 June and 1, 9 and 16 July. 10-race programmes are scheduled to finish at 8.50pm, while an 11-race card would finish at 9.30pm.
We believe taking such a measure will directly benefit the health and welfare of our horses, jockeys, track staff, owners, members and customers. The delayed start to meetings is an additional element in the Club’s extensive heat mitigation measures, which already include industrial-size misting fans, shortened pre-race and post-race horse parades, hydration protocols, cooling down methods and close monitoring by health and veterinary professionals.
The Club is committed to providing the best possible conditions for our horses and participants, as well as our customers, and we will continue to monitor the situation before considering applying the Twilight measures on a longer-term basis in June and July.
Happy Valley’s world-renowned beer garden is happily back in full swing as a destination of choice for our customers and the ambience created last Wednesday with the first of our French-themed evenings was fantastic.
In addition to the customary ‘Happy Wednesday’ delights on offer, the month of May at Happy Valley is a celebration of French food, culture and fashion and I would recommend those yet to experience this taste of France to do so.
The G1 2000 Guineas run down the famous Rowley Mile at Newmarket, was first run in 1809 and has been held every year since. It has been won by such champions as Nijinsky, Dancing Brave, Sea The Stars, Frankel and Camelot. It is run over a testing straight course where the three-year-olds meet rising ground in the final furlong of the race in the run to the finish.
On Saturday night, the race is carded as S1-6 and will be run at 11:40pm as part of our World Pool service. With the barrier draw for the Guineas, gate one is on the far side and gate 14 nearest to the stand side with the usual pattern for the leaders and chasing peloton to track down the middle of the course.
The pace in the race should be good from the outset with Dubai Mile in the leading division from gate six and horses like Chaldean, Little Big Bear and Indestructible all racing close to the speed.
The overwhelming favourite for the race is Auguste Rodin. Named after the famous French sculptor who completed his masterpiece “The Thinker” in 1904, Auguste Rodin is one of two runners for champion trainer Aidan O’Brien who has won the race ten times.
Auguste Rodin was defeated on debut but then won the remaining three races of his two-year-old season, including the G1 Futurity Stakes at Doncaster where he was impressive in beating Epictetus. Ryan Moore takes the ride in pursuit of his third win in the race and Auguste Rodin is a win and place chance from his near side draw where Ryan should have him nicely placed just off the leaders.
Aidan’s other runner Little Big Bear was clearly the highest-rated European two-year-old of last season with a figure of 124 from his seven-length romp in the G1 Phoenix Stakes when ridden by Ryan Moore. Wayne Lordan takes the mount on Little Big Bear here as he steps out for the first time as a three-year-old and is a place chance.
Frankie Dettori rides one of the main chances in Chaldean for Andrew Balding. Chaldean was undefeated in four runs as a two-year-old and was a narrow but impressive winner of the G1 Dewhurst Stakes in October.
Chaldean made his long-awaited reappearance in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on 22 April but unfortunately dislodged Frankie coming out of the gates and galloped on at the head of the field riderless. Chaldean has come through that incident without harm and should be in the leading division throughout and is a place chance.
Charlie Appleby sent out two runners in the race last year finishing first and second with Coroebus and Native Trail respectively, with the latter winning the Irish 2000 Guineas at his next start. Charlie has Noble Style and Silver Knott in the race this year. William Buick rides Silver Knott, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at his last run in November and he is a place chance at good odds.
The 2000 Guineas is the first G1 of the English flat season and can be a career-defining race. It has produced champion racehorses and stallions in the past and is an exciting contest again this year for our racing fans.
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