And so, as we prepare to bade farewell to 2024 and usher in the New Year, it is time to reflect on a truly stunning year in Hong Kong racing.
It has been a remarkable 12 months with the retirement of the magnificent GOLDEN SIXTY, whose herculean racetrack feats became a lasting symbol of Hong Kong’s winning attitude and resilience, especially during the COVID pandemic.
GOLDEN SIXTY’s departure coincided with ROMANTIC WARRIOR’s continued rise and with five Group 1 victories in 2024 – including the Yasuda Kinen (1600m) in Japan – Mr Peter Lau’s globetrotter emerged as a worthy successor to GOLDEN SIXTY.
Expertly managed by Danny Shum and ridden with precision by James McDonald, ROMANTIC WARRIOR is the ultimate endorsement of Hong Kong’s world-racing. Sold at the Hong Kong International Sale for HK$4.8 million, ROMANTIC WARRIOR has since amassed a world record HK$177,322,706 and nine Group 1 wins in becoming the world’s premier 2000m horse.
With a winning streak of seven, including a record third G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) this month, ROMANTIC WARRIOR’s next assignment is the G1 Jebel Hatta (1800m) in Dubai next month and I wish connections the very best with the campaign.
Tony Cruz understands the magnitude facing Danny’s team with ROMANTIC WARRIOR, having orchestrated CALIFORNIA SPANGLE’s record-breaking win in the G1 Al Quoz (1200m) last March, when he set a track record.
Like ROMANTIC WARRIOR, CALIFORNIA SPANGLE is a decorated graduate of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series with only a head separating the pair in the 2022 the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m). Having won a G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) with CALIFORNIA SPANGLE, it has been a remarkable training feat by Tony to transform CALIFORNIA SPANGLE into a dual Group 1-winning sprinter.
In a year crammed with history, Hong Kong was also privileged not only to witness our best horses, including VOYAGE BUBBLE, triumphing on the international stage, but also to host REBEL’S ROMANCE as the first foreign-trained horse to win the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) for Charlie Appleby and William Buick.
Excitingly, 2024 has also given us several first-time Group 1 winners, including VICTOR THE WINNER, BEAUTY ETERNAL, INVINCIBLE SAGE and, most recently, the extremely talented KA YING RISING, who has made remarkable progress across only 11 starts, breaking the long-standing Sha Tin 1200m track record before claiming victory in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m).
As well as immensely successful stagings of the FWD Champions Day and LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, we also celebrated the achievements of Zac Purton, who won the Hong Kong jockeys’ championship for a seventh time, Angus Chung’s first victory in the Tony Cruz Award as leading homegrown jockey and Francis Lui’s memorable surge to the 2023/24 Hong Kong trainers’ championship.
There can have been few more memorable closing days in Hong Kong racing history than when Francis won four of the final five races of the season to overtake Pierre Ng and win the championship by one win, 70-69.
Reflecting on the past 12 months, I am proud of the contributions of all participants and all the Club teams who work tirelessly to ensure the continued success of our world-class racing, which allows us to work continuously for the betterment of society through the Club’s integrated business model and expansive charitable donations.
I am especially grateful for the support of our owners whose efforts to secure the best possible equine talent is the bedrock of Hong Kong’s world-class racing. I wish all connections success in 2025.
The final meeting of 2024 will be held on Sunday (29 December) at Sha Tin, where the Class 3 Buffalo Bill Handicap is carded as Race 3 and run over 2000m at 2pm for prizemoney of HK$3.12 million.
The speed is expected to be good to slow with WINNING DRAGON (Alexis Badel) likely to lead from barrier four, while MONEY CATCHER (Matthew Chadwick) is also likely to press forward from barrier one to take a sit with STAR CONTACT (Lyle Hewitson) also vying for a forward position. AWESOME FLUKE (Andrea Atzeni) normally settles midfield, while THE BEST PEACH (Ben Thompson), SENOR TOBA (Hugh Bowman) and BRAVEHEARTS (Matthew Poon) are likely to settle back in the field.
BRAVEHEARTS, a Group 1 winner in Argentina over 2400m, relishes being ridden quietly and is racing in great form with two wins and a third from three starts this season. He rises to Class 2 for the first time but drops to 118lb, has drawn well in gate two and should be finishing powerfully. He is a win and place selection.
WINNING DRAGON won over this course and distance two starts ago and, if he gets a comfortable lead, could be hard to run down as a place chance, while AWESOME FLUKE has two wins over this course and distance and raced without cover from the 1200m last start and is a place chance.
ROMANTIC THOR (Alexis Pouchin) and NAVAL FORCE (Karis Teetan) are three-year-olds with good form over this distance range in Europe and are possible candidates for the BMW Hong Kong Derby.
ROMANTIC THOR, who races in the famous colours of ROMANTIC WARRIOR for Mr Lau, was placed in Group 2 races over 1600m in England and Ireland as a two-year-old. He is by JUSTIFY, the same sire as Derby winner CITY OF TROY. He won a Listed race at Chester over 2064m. He has improved from his first Hong Kong start but will still need some time to get fully fit.
NAVAL FORCE convincingly won his last start in a Stakes race over 2036m in Ireland but will likely need this start to improve further.
If they run to their best, they are place chances along with SENOR TOBA, MONEY CATCHER, ATULLIBIGEAL and STAR CONTACT.
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