Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore have long been synonymous with success in some of Hong Kong’s most important races and it was wonderful to watch these fantastic horsemen combine to win the Derby Stakes with Auguste Rodin at Epsom on Saturday night.
Aidan has now trained a record nine Derby winners at Epsom, while Ryan has ridden three – and their records speak for themselves. Over many years, we have been privileged to host Aidan and Ryan in Hong Kong and I look forward to welcoming them back again soon.
Superbly bred by Deep Impact out of top Galileo mare Rhododendron, Auguste Rodin is clearly a very exciting horse and I congratulate his connections on a fantastic win. The effort of runner-up King Of Steel was excellent, while Hong Kong-owned Waipiro did a good job to finish sixth after dwelling at the start.
Our simulcast programme continues on Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse with the running of the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m), which is carded as S1-1 at 2.40pm. The pace in this race is always fast and a maximum field of 18 runners will ensure plenty of speed from the start.
Star mare Songline won the race last year when the first eight were all within two lengths of the winner. Songline returns this year off a brilliant G1 Victoria Mile win against her own sex, beating Sodashi in a thrilling finish. Songline has drawn the widest gate but is a place chance.
Sodashi was gallant in defeat in that race and has drawn ideally in gate five with speed on her inside and she should get a perfect run for Yuga Kawada and is also a place chance.
Damian Lane stays with Serifos in preference to Sodashi. Damian won the Mile Championship on Serifos in November and at his only run since was fifth to Lord North in the Dubai Turf over 1800m on 25 March. Serifos has drawn well in gate four and Damian is coming off a career-defining Japanese Derby win last week. Serifos is my win and place selection.
In a race full of top-class milers, there are several other chances including Schell Meister, Gaia Force and Soul Rush, who provided the trifecta in the G2 Yomuri Milers Cup at Kyoto on 23 April.
Sha Tin’s Sunday meeting marks the start of our twilight fixtures. Following in-depth assessment and with the approval of the HKSAR Government, the Club has scheduled seven twilight meetings, starting at 4pm, as an additional welfare measure for our racehorses and racing participants, including jockeys, stable and tracks staff, members, owners and customers.
With increasingly high temperatures in June and July, we believe twilight meetings could enhance the welfare and safety of all participants and further strengthen the Club’s comprehensive heat mitigation measures currently in operation. These include industrial-size misting fans, shortened pre- and post-race procedures for horses, hydration protocols, cooling down methods and close monitoring by health and veterinary professionals.
The first of the Sha Tin feature races is the G3 Lion Rock Trophy Handicap (1600m) for prizemoney of HK$3.9 million and carded as Race 3 at 5pm.
The pace in the race will be moderate with Circuit Stellar the only leader, drawn gate four with Matthew Chadwick aboard. Circuit Stellar led and was only just beaten by Beauty Eternal on 30 April and was again on speed when third to Red Lion and Beauty Eternal over 1400m on 13 May. Circuit Stellar should get an easy lead here and is a place chance.
Beauty Eternal ran third in the BMW Hong Kong Derby before winning on 30 April and was then runner-up to Red Lion, both over 1400m. Zac Purton will give Beauty Eternal the run of the race from gate three and he is my win selection for trainer John Size.
Tony Cruz is represented by Beauty Joy who has been very consistent at the highest level without winning, finishing third to California Spangle in the G2 Chairman’s Mile and then runner up to Golden Sixty in the G1 FWD Champions Mile on 30 April. Beauty Joy will be very hard to beat on that form despite having to concede weight to all his rivals and is also a win and place chance.
The G3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m) is carded as Race 7 at 7.05pm for prizemoney of HK$3.9 million.
The pace in the race will be very strong with Victor The Winner and Master Eight going forward from inside draws with Lucky Sweynesse and Sight Success dropping in behind the leaders.
Lucky Sweynesse is the highest-rated sprinter in the world and was afforded a mark of 124 following his last start win in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize. In that race he sat on the speed and extended brilliantly for Zac Purton to win eased down on the line by a big margin. Lucky Sweynesse has an ideal draw and while he returns to handicap conditions, he is my win selection.
Courier Wonder was excellent when runner-up to Lucky Sweynesse last start and is a place chance if reproducing that effort. John Size’s other representative Sight Success was fourth in the same race. Sight Success has been to Conghua since and can improve sharply. With Hugh Bowman taking the ride, Sight Success is a place chance.
Perhaps the biggest threat to Lucky Sweynesse is Victor The Winner, who is 9lb out of the handicap, but has been in brilliant form, winning his last three starts while recording slick times over this trip. Victor The Winner is an emerging star and with his light weight and rails draw for Karis Teetan, he should hold the lead from Master Eight and is a place chance.
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