With only 22 days until LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) on 8 December, the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Race Day at Sha Tin tomorrow (Sunday, 17 November) shapes as one of the most important meetings of the season with a string of elite horses, trainers and jockeys involved.
The three Bank of China (Hong Kong) Race Day features are all run at Group 2 level with prizemoney of HK$5.35 million per race and, of the 32 horses entered this weekend, 30 of them are also nominated for LONGINES HKIR.
In terms of world-class quality, eight-time Group 1 winner ROMANTIC WARRIOR heads the billing along with CALIFORNIA SPANGLE, INVINCIBLE SAGE, VICTOR THE WINNER, VOYAGE BUBBLE and BEAUTY ETERNAL, while the presence of exciting horses such as KA YING RISING and GALAXY PATCH adds even more excitement to the meeting.
Bank of China (Hong Kong) has been a wonderful supporter of Hong Kong racing and it is fitting that, with the exception of LUCKY SWEYNESSE who is recovering from injury, 15 of Hong Kong’s 17 top-rated horses are running this weekend.
The first of the feature races is the G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m), which is carded as Race 7 and will be run at 3.30pm. The pace should be good with CALIFORNIA SPANGLE and VICTOR THE WINNER pushing forward to share the lead. CALIFORNIA SPANGLE should press on and lead with VICTOR THE WINNER sitting behind the leader. Zac Purton will go forward and should have KA YING RISING outside VICTOR THE WINNER with INVINCIBLE SAGE, BEAUTY WAVES and COPARTNER PRANCE also prominent.
KA YING RISING was this week assigned an international rating of 120 in the latest LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. That came from his brilliant G2 Premier Bowl Handicap win when he stalked the speed and showed brilliant acceleration to win easily from HELIOS EXPRESS and CALIFORNIA SPANGLE. He has drawn a little wide in barrier 10, but KA YING RISING is well suited under the race conditions and is my win and place selection.
CALIFORNIA SPANGLE started quickly and led last start and fought on well in the straight to hold third under 135lb behind KA YING RISING. CALIFORNIA SPANGLE would have benefitted from that run and looked good in a recent trial. CALIFORNIA SPANGLE has drawn well and is a place chance for Brenton Avdulla.
VICTOR THE WINNER was runner-up in this race last year and then had a breakthrough victory at G1 in the Centenary Sprint Cup, leading throughout to beat LUCKY SWEYNESSE. VICTOR THE WINNER ran well in the G1 Sprinters Stakes in Japan on 29 September when he finished sixth to LUGAL. Derek Leung will have VICTOR THE WINNER on the speed from his rails draw and he is a place chance.
HELIOS EXPRESS had an excellent four-year-old season, winning the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup and resumed with an excellent second to KA YING RISING in the Premier Bowl, running home strongly from near last on the home turn. HELIOS EXPRESS is not as well suited under the weight conditions here but is an exceptional talent and is a place chance with Hugh Bowman back aboard.
The BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) is carded as Race 8 at 4.05pm and the speed in the race will be good with BEAUTY ETERNAL the likely leader and CHANCHENG GLORY and RED LION settling close to the speed. VOYAGE BUBBLE will also try to settle close to the speed.
GALAXY PATCH resumed with a brilliant victory in the G2 Sha Tin Trophy over this trip on 13 October when he settled in the back in the field and sprinted quickly in the straight to win easily from VOYAGE BUBBLE. GALAXY PATCH trialled well recently and is my win and place selection for Vincent Ho.
VOYAGE BUBBLE won the G1 Stewards’ Cup over this trip in January and ran well when resuming with a fighting second to GALAXY PATCH in the Sha Tin Trophy. James McDonald takes the ride here and, if he can get cover from barrier nine, VOYAGE BUBBLE is the main danger to GALAXY PATCH.
BEAUTY ETERNAL led when resuming in the Sha Tin Trophy and faded in the last 100m to finish sixth to GALAXY PATCH. His fitness should have improved and he has had two trials since. BEAUTY ETERNAL will improve dramatically and is a place chance for Zac Purton.
CHANCHENG GLORY (Karis Teetan) ran well in the Sha Tin Trophy when third to GALAXY PATCH and then was third again behind ENSUED over 1800m in the G3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse on 3 November. CHANCHENG GLORY is not as well suited under the set weight conditions of this race but will be competitive. STRAIGHT ARRON also caught the eye when resuming with his fourth placing and is a place chance for Brenton Avdulla and BEAUTY JOY (Matthew Chadwick) ran much better than the fifth placing looks behind GALAXY PATCH and has the ability to be a place chance.
The G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m) is carded as Race 9 at 4.40pm and the speed will be good with KA YING GENERATION the likely leader and MONEY CATCHER also settling near the front. ROMANTIC WARRIOR has good tactical speed and will be in the leading division with NIMBLE NIMBUS and SWORD POINT settling close to the speed.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR had an incredible season winning the G1 W. S. Cox Plate (2040m) in Australia and the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) in Japan, as well as winning all three runs all at Group 1 level in Hong Kong. His looked outstanding winning a recent trial from CALIFORNIA SPANGLE and he is my win selection for James McDonald.
ENSUED is a talented stayer who went forward from a wide gate to settle just behind the speed and scored an impressive win over LA CITY BLANCHE in the Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse last start. ENSUED is a place chance for Karis Teetan.
LA CITY BLANCHE was second-up and improved sharply when second to ENSUED last start and is a place chance for Matthew Chadwick. NIMBLE NIMBUS was fifth in the same race and made steady progress in the closing stages. He has a good record in feature races over a middle distance and is a place chance for Jerry Chau.
SWORD POINT was impressive winning on the All Weather by a big margin on 6 October and then settled on the speed and held on reasonably well in the straight to finish fourth to ENSUED last start. Derek Leung will go forward from gate ten and he is a place chance.
ENCOUNTERED will be at long odds but made good ground behind ENSUED and he can be placed with Hugh Bowman riding.
The CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team is a shining example of the Club’s long-standing commitment to serving the community and it was a pleasure to attend the annual Appreciation Dinner on Friday night (15 November).
Established in 2011, the CARE volunteer team co-operates with local organisations and participates in activities that meet the special needs of local target groups.
Over the past year, the CARE Team set a new record of 27,000 service hours, contributing to more than 600 service programmes, welcoming 270 new members and boosting total membership to almost 1,600 dedicated volunteers.
The CARE Team contributes to mega sports events and community sports programmes, as well as undertaking elderly home visits and gatherings, festive parties, visits to educational venues such as riding schools and heritage trails and many other new activities.
I congratulate the CARE Team for the real difference it is making to our community by bringing pleasure to people’s lives, helping the disadvantaged and bringing friendship and dignity to those who need it most.
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