In a season already crammed with highlights, Hong Kong racing enters one of its most exciting phases this week with the reappearance of three of the city’s premier horses – ROMANTIC WARRIOR, VOYAGE BUBBLE and KA YING RISING.
As Hong Kong’s highest-rated horse, global middle distance champion ROMANTIC WARRIOR attempts to create more history with victory in the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m) on dirt in Riyadh for Danny Shum and James McDonald.
Already the highest-earning horse in the world, ROMANTIC WARRIOR would join a select band of horses to have won Group 1s in five different racing jurisdictions with success in Riyadh and he would also set a record for the most Group 1 wins by a Hong Kong galloper with 11 victories at the elite level – one more than GOLDEN SIXTY.
Pitted against horses with proven records on dirt, this is ROMANTIC WARRIOR’s greatest challenge and the magnitude of the task of toppling decorated opposition on an unfamiliar course and surface early on Sunday morning (Hong Kong time) should not be under-estimated.
Sha Tin takes centre stage later on Sunday afternoon with the staging of a G1 double-header with the HK$13 million G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and the HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m).
KA YING RISING will attempt to win his 10th race in a row in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup as he runs over 1400m for the first time for David Hayes and Karis Teetan against a quality field including fellow Group 1 winners CALIFORNIA SPANGLE, BEAUTY ETERNAL and INVINCIBLE SAGE and also HELIOS EXPRESS and HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE.
VOYAGE BUBBLE chases his fourth Group 1 triumph in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup for Ricky Yiu and James McDonald. As one of Hong Kong’s most consistent horses, VOYAGE BUBBLE has emerged from his four-year-old season, when he landed the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) and BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m), to become a world-class galloper.
He faces a string of talented opponents this Sunday, including GALAXY PATCH, STRAIGHT ARRON, ENSUED, CHANCHENG GLORY and several others.
I am delighted Ryan Moore has agreed to become an ambassador for World Pool. Not only is Ryan a phenomenally successful jockey, he has a very impressive understanding of international racing and he is among the most articulate people in our sport.
As a four-time recipient of the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award, Ryan is the perfect person to represent World Pool since he recognises the benefits to racing all over the world of World Pool and I look forward reading his blogs ahead of major racedays.
Our extensive World Pool offering this weekend features Futurity Stakes Day from Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne on Saturday (22 February), when the Club will simulcast five races from Caulfield, followed by a further seven races from the Saudi Cup meeting.
Racing returns to Happy Valley tonight (19 February) and the Beer Garden will be transformed with a Neon Nights – Disco Nights theme with a focus on 1980s music. ABBA tribute band BABBA will entertain guests in the Beer Garden in between another quality programme of highly competitive racing.
The Class 3 Consensus Cup is carded as Race 6 at Happy Valley and run over 1800m at 9.05pm for prizemoney of HK2,050,000.
The pace will be good with FRANTANCK (Matthew Poon) likely to lead. SURE JOYFUL (Matthew Chadwick) will settle behind the leader from barrier two, with SAMARKAND (Hollie Doyle) also likely to settle close to the front. FLAMING TRILLION (Andrea Atzeni) races on the speed and will go forward from barrier nine.
CHARITY GAIN (Lyle Hewitson) has finished in the top three at five of his six runs this season with two wins over this course and distance. Last start, he was very impressive beating CAN’T GO WONG on 15 January. Despite drawing barrier 11 and rising in class, CHARITY GAIN is a win and place chance.
STAR MAC (Brenton Avdulla) broke through to post his first win in Hong Kong last start on 22 January and is a place chance from his good draw in gate four, while FLAMING TRILLION has won three races over this course and distance last season and is also place chance.
WINNING STEPS (Karis Teetan) was a winner over this course and distance in November and will appreciate returning to these conditions after finishing sixth to PERFECT TEAM on the All Weather at Sha Tin on 26 January. He is a place chance.
PERFECT TEAM (Alexis Badel), FALLON (Brent Thompson) and SURE JOYFUL (Matthew Chadwick) all have place claims while AGENDA, a four-year-old entered for the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m), makes his local debut. He was Group placed as a three-year-old in the Chester Vase in England last year, when ridden by Tom Marquand, who takes the ride tonight.
Following our successful Sha Tin meeting last Sunday (16 February), I was delighted to attend the LONGINES Hong Kong International Horse Show (LHKIHS) at AsiaWorld-Expo. It was wonderful to meet the world-class riders who took part in the event, which provided opportunities Hong Kong and Mainland equestrians to compete against acclaimed international riders.
The development of equestrian sports in the Greater Bay Area and across the Mainland is a key priority for the Club, which served at as LHKIHS Founding Partner and provided technical support on horse transportation, bio-security and veterinary matters, as well as stable management.
It was also pleasing to see six retired horses from the Club’s aftercare programme RESTART involved in The Hong Kong Jockey Club Musical Ride.
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