The quest for overall honours in the 2023/24 Hong Kong trainers’ championship is poised to stretch into the final day of the season after Francis Lui edged to within one win of Pierre Ng at Sha Tin yesterday (6 July).
Francis now trails 66 to 67 after KING MILES’ victory and it might have been an even better day for Francis but for KARATE EXPRESS’ short-head second as well as the runner-up performance of HASTEN DELIGHT.
With exactly 20 races left in the season at our final two meetings – Happy Valley on Wednesday night (10 July) and Sha Tin on Sunday (14 July) – the stage is set for a fascinating tussle between these two fine trainers into the very last day.
I congratulate Pierre and Francis on their excellent seasons and wish them all the best over the remaining two meetings.
With the season finale rapidly approaching, it is to time to reflect on the spectacular deeds of our most outstanding horses, trainers and jockeys across the 2023/24 season.
Formal recognition will take place next Friday night (12 July) at the Champion Awards when we will officially acknowledge and fete our star equine and human performers for their wonderful deeds.
With the trainers’ championship still undecided and Angus Chung holding a six-win lead over Vincent Ho in the tussle for the Tony Cruz Award for the city’s best-performed home-grown jockey, Zac Purton has already secured a seventh jockeys’ championship.
Zac, at 41, embodies the values of Hong Kong racing with his incessant drive for excellence, professionalism and discipline. Apart from being incredibly competitive in his approach to achieving the very best outcomes, Zac is to be commended for the unheralded mentoring work he does with some of Hong Kong’s young riders.
Angus has been one of the beneficiaries of Zac’s advice this season and is it more coincidence that he is currently the leading home-grown rider with 46 wins as he continues to develop his craft under other influences such as Tony Cruz and Felix Coetzee.
Zac has 124 wins this season – 41 more than nearest pursuer Karis Teetan (83) – and he needs a further 79 wins to equal Douglas Whyte’s Hong Kong record of 1,813.
On a personal note, I was honoured to be elected as Chairman of the Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA) on Friday (5 July). The HKMA is a non-profit-making organisation which aims to be the leading professional organisation advancing management excellence in Hong Kong and the region.
Founded in 1960, the HKMA aims to produce best practices in management; to nurture human capital through management education and training at all levels; and to provide members with a platform for exchange of ideas, networking and personal development.
I look forward to working with talented and inspired colleagues to achieve the best for Hong Kong.
Our World Pool coverage continues on Sunday night with four races from Hamburg Racecourse, starting from 7.23pm. The feature race is the G1 Deutsches Derby (2400m), which is carded as S3-4 at 9.45pm. The going is likely to be soft.
NARRATIVO was impressive winning the G2 Union-Rennen (2200m) at Koln on 16 June. NARRATIVO is by 2007 Derby winner ADLERFLUG and his trainer Peter Schiergen has won this race six times previously. NARRATIVO is lightly-raced but is my win and place selection for Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, who won this race two years ago with SAMMARCO.
Markus Klug is a three-time winner of this race and has three runners. BORNA is his best chance, scoring a dominant win in the Derby Italiano (2200m) in Rome on 19 May. Andrasch Starke takes the ride again and is chasing his ninth victory in the race. BORNA is a win and place chance.
Andreas Wohler is chasing his fifth win in the Derby and he combines with Eduardo Pedroza with QUEIMADOS, last-start winner of the Gran Premio d’iItalia (2400m) in Milan on 17 June. QUEIMADOS looks a genuine stayer and is a place chance at good odds despite his wide draw.
Oisin Murphy rides WINTERTRAUM for Waldemar Hickst. WINTERTRAUM suffered his first defeat in the Bavarian Classic on 1 May when he went left-handed for the first time on good ground. He bounced back to his best form easily winning the Derby Trial at Dusseldorf on soft ground on 26 May and is a place chance.
The Deutsches Derby is rarely won by internationally-trained runners. This year Stephanie Nigge represents France with MISTER GATZ and Andrew Balding has MINA RASHID for Great Britain. MISTER GATZ looks the best of the visitors with a good record in lesser company in France but their form doesn’t look strong enough to threaten the home team.
Our simulcast coverage also includes seven races from Deauville, starting from 8.33pm. The feature is the G1 Prix Jean Prat (1400m), which is carded as S4-3 at 10.07pm.
The race is expected to be run on good ground and the pace should be good.
KIKKULI is a half-brother to champion Frankel and won his maiden at Newbury in April at his second race start. Most recently, he travelled well and finished off strongly to be a closing second to HAATEM in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot. Ryan Moore rode him to his maiden victory and takes the ride again today. KIKKULI is a win and place chance for trainer Harry Charlton.
KATHMANDU is one of five fillies in the race and comes off an excellent second in the French Thousand Guineas when she led, had a good kick in the last 400m, but was narrowly beaten by ROUHIYA. Coming back in distance, KATHMANDU is a place chance for Sean Levey and Brian Meehan.
VESPERTILLO is an Irish-trained filly who ran well in the French Thousand Guineas finishing third, but then was disappointing in the Irish Guineas behind FALLEN ANGEL. VESPERTILLO can improve significantly on that effort and is a place chance for Billy Lee.
Master trainer Andre Fabre is represented by SAJIR who won his first start for the year at Chantilly on 15 April before staying on well in the Prix de Moussac at ParisLonchamp on 9 June. SAJIR is a progressive colt and is a place chance with Mickael Barzalona riding.
HAVANA CIGAR was good in the Prix de Moussac, finishing ahead of SAJIR and Christophe Soumillon and Jean-Claude Rouget are a formidable combination. HAVANA CIGAR is also a place chance.
DEVIL’S POINT and ROMANTIC STYLE, who steps up in distance for Charlie Appleby and William Buick, are also worthy of consideration.
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