After months of planning and preparation, the first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series arrives at Sha Tin on Sunday (4 February) with the running of the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) as the journey continues towards HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) next month.
The Classic Mile was upgraded to a local Group 1 in the 1999/20 season and has since seen many Hong Kong Champions win this race. When looking at the honour roll, it has stand-outs such as OLYMPIC EXPRESS, LUCKY NINE, GOLD-FUN, ABLE FRIEND, GOLDEN SIXTY and ROMANTIC WARRIOR.
VOYAGE BUBBLE, as last year’s winner, shows the potential to step up to become one of the all-time greats with his recent win in the G1 Stewards’ Cup. When looking at this list it is interesting to note that some horses go back in distance to 1400m or even 1200m, while others step up to the 2000m after the Classic Mile.
When describing the characteristics of a top-class miler, he requires speed and a certain degree of stamina to carry their speed over this distance. The 1600m in Sha Tin is a very fair, but not as demanding on stamina like races over the straight mile in Newmarket, where the 2000 Guineas is run, or the NHK Mile Cup in Tokyo, which is around a bend but has a long 600m uphill straight.
When looking at the winners of the top mile races in Hong Kong, and especially the Classic Mile, these races are run at a slow to good pace with slower middle sectionals. To win, a horse has to have the ability to quicken, especially in the last 400m. This the reason why horses like Gold-Fun or Lucky Nine could win this race, being exceptional sprinters.
Other horses go up in distance and become world-class 2000m horses, but they won due to their superior class and ability to quicken.
Time will tell how many of Sunday’s runners venture onto the BMW Hong Kong Derby on 24 March, which is the ultimate target for many owners and trainers, but not all horses will go all the way because they are better suited at 1600m.
Evidencing the commitment of Hong Kong owners to source the best available horses from around the world, seven out of the nine starters are Privately Purchased horses. Among them, two are from Australia, three from Ireland while HELENE FEELING ran under the name of Indian Dream in England, there is a Group 1 winner from Chile, MOMENTS IN TIME, and another PP horse from New Zealand, while the two Privately Purchased Griffins come from Australia and the US, showing the unique global character of Hong Kong racing.
Adding to the international flavour of the race, we have two of the world’s best jockeys in Mickael Barzalona and James McDonald flying into Hong Kong to ride in the Classic Mile. Having been stood down from riding at Rosehill in Sydney today with a left foot injury, James will be further assessed by our Chief Medical Officer tomorrow when he arrives in Hong Kong.
The 2024 Classic Mile 2024 is carded at Race 7 at 4.05 and is expected to be run at a good to slow pace. This year’s field is headed by HELIOS EXPRESS, who arrived in Hong Kong on a rating of 64 and has quickly progressed to 102 for John Size to shape as a quality future prospect, along with stablemate HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE, last season’s Hong Kong Champion Griffin.
The pace in the race will be good to moderate with CHANCHENG GLORY the likely leader. HELENE FEELING has drawn well and will be on the speed with MOMENTS IN TIME settling on the pace from his wide gate.
HELIOS EXPRESS went back from a wide draw and ran home strongly when third to TAJ DRAGON over 1400m. He then stretched out to 1600m and sprinted brilliantly when getting clear running at the 200m to easily beat SPIRITED EXPRESS on 7 January. HELIOS EXPRESS has trialled well since and is the highest-rated horse in the field. He is my win and place selection for Hugh Bowman.
HELENE FEELING will settle in the leading division from gate five for Zac Purton. He beat BUTTERFIELD over 1800m at Happy Valley and then settled behind the leader and stayed on in the straight for third to HAPPY TOGETHER in the January Cup over the same course and distance. HELENE FEELING comes back to 1600m, which might be a on the short side for him but he is working well and is a place chance.
Since having blinkers applied, FALLON is a different horse and has been incredibly impressive winning his past two starts over this trip with Keith Yeung aboard. He was near last at the 200m mark and sprinted brilliantly to beat SIMPLE HEDGE and GOLDEN ARTIE on 13 January. He is expected to stay further than 1600m, having already won as a two-year-old in Ireland over 1600m. This represents a big rise in class but FALLON can run very fast last sectional times at the end of the race and he is the X-factor in the race and is a place chance.
BEAUTY CRESCENT is an improving horse who needed to acclimatise. He was a Listed winner over 1200m in Ireland and was seen as having a lot of potential. In his last start when finishing second over 1400m, he did not get a clear run until the 200m mark and finished very strongly to be beaten by a head only. He can stay the extra distance.
The field is laden with talent and a number of other runners can be placed without surprising.
The Group 3 Centenary Vase, run under handicap conditions over 1800m for prizemoney of HK $4,200,000, is carded as Race 8 at 4.40pm.
The race should be run at a good speed with MONEY CATCHER likely to set the pace, with NIMBLE NIMBUS on the speed from gate five and CHAMPION DRAGON following his usual race pattern also pushing forward as well.
HAPPY TOGETHER has won four of his five runs this season and at his last start posted his first victory at Group level, taking the G3 January Cup at Happy Valley. Alexis Badel gave HAPPY TOGETHER a perfect run on the rails before angling out coming to the corner and sprinting quickly down the middle of the course to win comfortably from LA CITY BLANCHE. HAPPY TOGETHER should enjoy a good run again from his inside draw and is a win and place chance.
STRAIGHT ARRON on face value was disappointing in the Stewards’ Cup two weeks ago. In that race, he settled in the front half of the field and presented to make his run early in the straight but didn’t finish off. STRAIGHT ARRON was unlucky at his previous run when fourth to ROMANTIC WARRIOR in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup. He extends back out to 1800m and is a place chance for Hugh Bowman, despite giving weight to all his rivals.
SWORD POINT also ran well in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup when sixth to ROMANTIC WARRIOR and then was less effective when well beaten in the January Cup at Happy Valley when he didn’t have a lot of luck in running. SWORD POINT is capable of much better and Lyle Hewitson should get him into a good position from gate four and is a place chance.
NIMBLE NIMBUS has been racing well without winning and is a place chance at good odds for Andrea Atzeni. NIMBLE NIMBUS ran well in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and followed up with a good fourth to HAPPY TOGETHER in the January Cup over this trip at Happy Valley, when he settled on the speed and stayed on in the straight.
This is a very competitive Handicap with a number of other runners having place claims, including ENCOUNTERED, SUPER SUNNY SING, FANTASTIC TREASURE and last year’s winner SENOR TOBA.
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