As we prepare to farewell 2023 and usher in the New Year, it is difficult to recall a more momentous year in Hong Kong racing as we reflect on the stellar performances of GOLDEN SIXTY, ROMANTIC WARRIOR and LUCKY SWEYNESSE as well as the history-making deeds of John Size, Zac Purton and Vincent Ho.
Hong Kong’s finest horses showed their class on the international stage – in Hong Kong, Melbourne and Doha – to once again demonstrate the quality of our horse population with GOLDEN SIXTY, ROMANTIC WARRIOR and LUCKY SWEYNESSE repeatedly achieving at the highest level against world-class opposition.
It is only a matter of weeks since more than 65,000 passionate racing fans, including many visitors from around the world, flocked to Sha Tin for the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and witnessed truly extraordinary performances.
On a day the sport’s purists will never forget, GOLDEN SIXTY secured his 10th Group 1 with victory in the Mile (1600m) with an outstanding win, ROMANTIC WARRIOR landed his fifth Group 1 in the Cup (2000m) only weeks after his landmark W.S. Cox Plate triumph, LUCKY SWEYNESSE confirmed his rating as the world’s premier sprinter in the Sprint (1200m) and France’s JUNKO showed his class by winning the Vase (2400m) for Andre Fabre.
While GOLDEN SIXTY, ROMANTIC WARRIOR and LUCKY SWEYNESSE dominated with Group 1 triumphs on FWD Champions Day, Hong Kong also celebrated two famous wins on foreign soil in 2023.
History was made when ROMANTIC WARRIOR became the first Hong Kong horse to land the W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) for Danny Shum and James McDonald, while RUSSIAN EMPEROR became the first Hong Kong galloper to win in Qatar with his success for Douglas Whyte and Alberto Sanna in the QAT G1 H.H. The Amir Trophy (2400m) in Doha.
More history was created at home when John Size continued his remarkable career with a record-breaking 12th trainers’ championship. At 69, John’s expert horsemanship is not only measured in the horses he moulds into top-liners, but also the people he has shaped during his incredible stint in Hong Kong.
Zac Purton not only notched a sixth Hong Kong jockeys’ championship but rode an unprecedented 179 wins to secure the title by a massive 83 wins last season. Similar to John, Zac – at 40 – is performing at the highest levels and leads this season’s championship race by 14 wins after 31 meetings.
Given his association with GOLDEN SIXTY and as a four-time winner of the Tony Cruz award as the leading homegrown rider it seems fitting Vincent Ho would become the first homegrown jockey to win the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship. Like John and Zac, Vincent has an insatiable hunger to learn and improve and he continues to excel.
As we celebrate these phenomenal achievements, I would like to thank everyone involved in Hong Kong racing – owners, trainers, jockeys, our customers and the Club’s dedicated teams across all areas of the operation – for their wonderful contributions in 2023 and wish them all the best for 2024.
The final meeting of 2023 will be held at tonight (Friday, 29 December) at Happy Valley where the feature on the card is the Pak Tam Au Handicap, which is carded as Race 8 at 10.50pm for Class 3 horses over 1650m with prizemoney of HK$2,050,000
The speed in the race should be moderate to good with TOURBILLON PRINCE likely to go forward from gate nine in search of the front. SILVER SONIC and EIGHTEEN PALMS will be in the leading group from their inside gates. STAR CONTACT may press on from his draw with RED ACLAIM handy to the speed from gate one.
QUANTUM PATCH was an impressive winner here two starts back and then came from the rear of the field to be widest on the home turn and ran home strongly down the centre of the track to finish second behind SILVER SONIC on LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship night on 6 December. Both those runs were over this course and distance. Jerry Chau should have QUANTUM PATCH in a stalking position from gate three and he is my win and place selection.
SILVER SONIC settled one off the fence in the front half of the field and sprinted quickly in the straight to win from QAUNTUM PATCH and ALL BEAUTY. Zac Purton rode SILVER SONIC for the first time in that race and retains the ride again for Francis Lui. SILVER SONIC has been at Conghua since that run and Zac should have him in a perfect position from gate two. SILVER SONIC is also a win and place chance.
ALL BEAUTY was midfield on the rails in the same race and ran on well when getting clear running in the closing stages. ALL BEAUTY has been in consistent form over this course and distance at his three runs this season and with James McDonald riding for the first time is a place chance.
TOURBILLON PRINCE has also been in good form and fought on strongly last start to lead throughout and hold off GALLANT WAKING and MALDIVES in the run to the line over this course and distance on 13 December. If Luke Ferraris on TOURBILLON PRINCE can find the front relatively easily from gate nine, he is a place chance.
I would like to wish everyone all the best for the New Year and I hope you can join us at Sha Tin on Monday (1 January) for a Lucky Start at 12 Noon with a performance from the popular girl group COLLAR and many other off-track activities as well as world-class racing with the G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1400m).
Comment
