Hong Kong’s weather has been less than ideal over the past few days as preparations for FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on Sunday (28 April) intensify but, due to the dedication of our tracks and facilities teams, the build-up to flagship spring meeting has continued in the safest possible manner.
Since Sunday (21 April), Sha Tin has received 178mm of rain and, while lightning briefly delayed trackwork on Tuesday morning, all international horses and riders completed their work safely with CHAMPAGNE COLOR and OBAMBURUMAI exercising on the course proper, while the rest of the visiting contingent including DUBAI HONOUR, PROGNOSIS, MAD COOL, BELIEVING and NORTH BRIDGE worked on the All Weather Track.
We are naturally hopeful the rain will abate to allow the 33 runners engaged in Sunday’s three Group 1 features – the HK$22 million Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), HK$22 million FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and HK$28 million FWD QEII Cup (2000m) – to enjoy the best possible conditions.
Sha Tin has long been renowned for its incredible draining capacities and, as we have seen in the past, the track is capable of absorbing and dispersing a tremendous amount of moisture because of its profile and base. It is estimated the track can drain at a rate of 100mm per hour, which is exceptional.
Nonetheless, we hope the weather will brighten as we prepare to host a glittering staging of FWD Champions Day.
GOLDEN SIXTY heads an impressive band of Group 1 winners, including ROMANTIC WARRIOR, CALIFORNIA SPANGLE, DUBAI HONOUR, CHAMPAGNE COLOUR, VOYAGE BUBBLE, VICTOR THE WINNER, MAD COOL and LITTLE BROSE.
Francis Lui and Vincent Ho will combine with GOLDEN SIXTY in search of a Hong Kong record 11th Group 1 and record-extending fourth FWD Champions Mile success, while ROMANTIC WARRIOR – under the care of Danny Shum and James McDonald – bids for an unprecedented third straight win in the G1 QEII Cup against horses of the calibre of DUBAI HONOUR, a dual Group 1 winner with strong form on rain-affected tracks.
CALIFORNIA SPANGLE, for Tony Cruz and Brenton Avdulla, faces strong opposition from Japan, Great Britain and Hong Kong as he chases a third successive Group 1 in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize on a day which shapes as another highlight of the Hong Kong racing season.
At Happy Valley on Wednesday night, the Class 2 Korea Racing Authority Trophy is carded as Race 5 at 8.40pm and run over 1000m with prizemoney of HK$2,840,000.
The pace in the race will be good with NERVOUS WITNESS likely to go forward from the outside gate to lead for Lyle Hewitson. MAJESTIC KNIGHT will settle on the speed for Hugh Bowman from gate seven, with HARMONY N BLESSED (Andrea Atzeni) and WHIZZ KID (Harry Bentley) also in the leading group.
WHIZZ KID has won six races over this distance, four of them at Happy Valley. At his latest run, WHIZZ KID was trapped wide early before going forward to sit outside the leader, finding the front at the 400m before fading to sixth to LUCKY SWEYNESSE in the G2 Sprint Cup (1200m) on 7 April. WHIZZ KID will appreciate a return to this course and distance and is a win and place chance for Harry Bentley.
MAJESTIC KNIGHT has spent time in Conghua since his last run on 13 March, when he worked hard to find the lead and was run down only late in the race, finishing fifth to BEAUTY CHARGE over 1200m. Hugh Bowman takes the ride for the first time on MAJESTIC KNIGHT, having ridden him in a recent trial at Conghua and he is a place chance.
HARMONY N BLESSED led, before kicking clear coming to the home turn, opening up a big lead and safely holding BEAUTY INFINITY in the run to the line to win comfortably over 1200m here on 27 March. Andrea Atzeni takes the ride on HARMONY N BLESSED again and from an ideal draw in gate three is a place chance despite going up in class.
SEASONS WIT has run six times over this course and distance for four wins and two second placings, each time ridden by Zac Purton – who goes back aboard SEASONS WIT here. SEASONS WIT has drawn well in gate two and can improve on his recent form and is a place chance.
HUMBLE STAR is an interesting runner for Pierre Ng returning from injury. HUMBLE STAR ran five times over this course and distance earlier in the season, finishing in the top three each time and winning his last two starts back in November. HUMBLE STAR has had two trials in preparation for his return and will be ridden by Karis Teetan.
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