Confirmation this week that ROMANTIC WARRIOR will join VOYAGE BUBBLE in the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) in Tokyo on 2 June has created tremendous excitement and anticipation, again underlining the importance of the Club’s simulcast programme.
Hong Kong racing fans closely follow the performances of our best horses and, with two of the city’s premier performers travelling to Japan for one of the world’s most famous 1600m races, interest is certain to be extremely high.
It is clear from turnover figures on our World Pool and simulcast races that Hong Kong horse racing enthusiasts have a growing interest in the sport on the international stage. Total simulcast turnover this season has grown to HK$9,003.1 million from HK$8,848.7 million last season, while the average number of account customers betting on each race is 105,263.
World Pool was created not only as platform to accommodate the growing interest of customers around the world with pools that offer greater liquidity and certainty around odds, but also as a way to combat illegal gambling.
The scourge of illegal gambling cannot be underestimated and we pleased that season we have taken 263 simulcast races so far from 48 meetings, compared to last season when we took 226 races from 42 meetings, ensuring that our customers are able to enjoy the finest racing from around the world.
I wish the connections of ROMANTIC WARRIOR and VOYAGE BUBBLE the very best of luck in the Yasuda Kinen and I would like to congratulate Ricky Yiu on his achievement of training his 1,000th Hong Kong winner with HAYDAY at Sha Tin on Saturday (11 May).
Ricky has long been one of our finest trainers, and it was a tremendous feat to saddle 1,000 winners – and to celebrate the achievement in style with a treble yesterday – as well as to train horses of the calibre of SACRED KINGDOM, FAIRY KING PRAWN, AMBER SKY and VOYAGE BUBBLE.
Our simulcast programme continues today from Tokyo Racecourse with the first seven races at 11.55am. The feature race is the G1 Victoria Mile (1600m), which is carded as S1-6 and will be run at 2.40pm.
The pace will be good with CONCH SHELL, who has drawn gate four, the likely leader. FEEL SYMPATHY races on the pace and will go forward from her outside gate with STUNNING ROSE and SOUND VIVACE also in the leading group.
NAMUR ran seventh in this race last year before winning the Group 1 Mile Championship in November beating a top-class field. NAMUR ran third to GOLDEN SIXTY in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile in December and at her only run since was narrowly beaten by FACTEUR CHEVAL in the Dubai Turf (1800m) at Meydan in March. NAMUR will be partnered by Yutake Take and is my win and place selection.
MASKED DIVA is an emerging talent who was runner up to LIBERTY ISLAND in the Group 1 Shuko Sho (2000m) last year. Last start, MASKED DIVA stalked the pace before making her run in the straight for an impressive win over UMBRAIL and MORYANA in the Group 2 Hanshin Himba on 6 April. MASKED DIVA is well drawn in gate six and is a place chance for Joao Moreira.
UMBRAIL and MORYANA both ran well at Hanshin and are place chances along with CONCH SHELL, who led throughout to take the Group 3 Nakayama Himba last start, and STUNNING ROSE who will take improvement from her run in the Group 1 Osaka Hai, where she led and faded to eighth after a 10-month break from racing.
Our focus turns to ParisLongchamp tonight for the first of five races from 8.33pm with the feature race being the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (1600m), which is carded as S2-3 and will be run at 9.50pm.
ROMANTIC STYLE won the last two races of her two-year-old season impressively and then made a winning return on 9 April in the Prix Imprudence (1400m) at Chantilly. ROMANTIC STYLE beat RAMATUELLE in that race who was brave in defeat when a close third in the English 1000 Guineas at Newmarket last weekend. ROMANTIC STYLE is a win and place chance for William Buick.
FOLGARIA was unbeaten at five starts in Italy for Stefano Botti before transferring to the Newmarket yard of Marco Botti. On debut in England, FOLGARIA won a Group 3 contest at Newbury over 1400m. Hollie Doyle takes the ride again and FOLGARIA is a place chance.
LOUISE PROCTER is also undefeated and is trained by Jean-Claude Rouget who has won this race five times previously. This is a big rise in class but LOUISE PROCTER is a place chance for Cristian Demuro. VESPERTILIO and CONTENT are high-class fillies who will be very competitive.
The G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (1600m) for three-year-old colts is carded as S2-4 at 22:30pm.
HENRY LONGFELLOW is unbeaten for master trainer Aidan O’Brien, finishing his two-year-old season with victory in the Group 1 National Stakes (1400m) at the Curragh in September. HENRY LONGFELLOW is a class colt with place claims.
Ryan Moore rides HENRY LONGFELLOW while Christophe Soumillon takes the mount on Aidan’s other representative DIEGO VELZAQUEZ.
RAMADAN won both his starts this year. At his most recent outing, he led throughout to win the Prix de Fontainebleau over this course and distance on 14 April. RAMADAN has drawn well and Aurelian Lemaitre will look to dictate terms again here and is a win and place chance.
This is an open race and John and Thady Gosden have two runners and their best chance is EBEN SHADDAD who ran well in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket on 18 April and is a place chance. Trained by Andre Fabre, SUPER COOLED is promising and stepping up in class and also has place claims.
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