One of horse racing’s greatest attributes is its international nature and its ability to generate tremendous interest and entertainment on the global stage.
With just over a month until the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), our focus turns today to Flemington Racecourse for Melbourne Cup Day and the running of Australia’s most famous 3200m handicap and the cosmopolitan nature of the field is immediately apparent.
The first of seven races to be simulcast today from Flemington is carded as S3-1 at 9.40am while the highlight of the meeting is the G1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), which is carded as S3-4 at 12 noon.
Of the 23 Melbourne Cup starters, 15 were bred in the northern hemisphere with Great Britain (five runners), Ireland (five), France (three) Japan (one) and the United States of America (one) all represented, while the Australia (four) and New Zealand (four) provide the southern hemisphere presence.
With a race record four female jockeys riding – Jamie Kah, Hollie Doyle, Rachel King and Winona Costin – Hong Kong is also strongly represented by Zac Purton (LAND LEGEND), Andrea Atzeni (ZARDOZI) and Karis Teetan (MOSTLY CLOUDY).
I wish all three of our Hong Kong jockeys the very best of luck and also express my best wishes to Mr Boniface Ho, who races LAND LEGEND.
JUST FINE (Jye McNeil) Is the likely leader. OKITA SOUSHI (Jamie Kah) and POSITIVITY (Winona Costin) should also settle in the leading division and, with riders coming across from wide gates looking for positions in the field before the turn out of the straight, the pace will be strong early.
BUCKAROO had excellent weight-for-age form leading to the Caulfield Cup where he raced without luck and ran home strongly in the straight for second, eating into the margin of the winner DUKE DE SESSA in the last 200m. That indicated BUCKAROO will stay the trip and, despite having a wide gate for Joao Moreira to overcome, he is my win and place selection to give Chris Waller his second Cup win. Chris also has LAND LEGEND, KOVALICA, VALIANT KING and MANZOICE in the race.
VAUBAN ran favourite in the Cup last year but disappointed Willie Mullins, finishing 14th. They are back again for another attempt and William Buick takes the ride, after partnering him to victory in the Londsdale Cup at York in August and then finishing second to KYPRIOS in the Irish St Leger on 15 September. Mullins is on a mission to win this race having had four runners finish in the top four without victory previously and VAUBAN is a win and place chance.
LAND LEGEND became agitated in the gates before the Caulfield Cup and raced keenly in running. He loomed up for Zac on the home turn and was unable to finish off as well as hoped but ran gamely for third. With luck in running, LAND LEGEND is a place chance.
ZARDOZI has an inside draw and Andrea should have last year’s Victoria Oaks winner in a position where she can relax during the middle stages of the race. In the Caulfield Cup she got a slight check at the halfway mark and tended to race keenly after that. She stayed on well in the straight to run fourth but was well beaten behind by BUCKAROO and LAND LEGEND. With another run under her belt and a good draw, ZARDOZI is a place chance.
There are other chances including VAUBAN’s stablemate ABSURDE, who was seventh last year and English-trained runners ONESMOOTHOPERATOR and SEA KING, who have both had one run since arriving in Australia for big-margin wins in the Geelong and Bendigo Cups, respectively. All three have place chances.
Ciaron Maher, who won the race with GOLD TRIP in 2022, has four runners and his best chances are INTERPRETATION, who was sixth last year, and OKITA SOUSHI who won the Moonee Valley Cup last start.
Reflecting on last Sunday’s (3 November) meeting at Sha Tin, I congratulate everyone involved for the successful staging of Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse Raceday, which was a wonderful success.
The atmosphere was excellent and the Raceday certainly lived up to its billing as one of Hong Kong’s most stylish events, while the racing was of world-class quality throughout a wonderful card, underlining horse racing’s ability to fuse sport, style and fashion.
It was also encouraging to host another large group of Mainland visitors, further proof of Hong Kong racing’s allure.
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