With just under three weeks until FWD Champions Day, the high quality of the 46 selected runners announced for Hong Kong’s elite spring meeting sets the tone perfectly for what shapes as a wonderful day of international competition at Sha Tin on 27 April.
With the support of our local and international owners and trainers, 20 individual Group 1 winners – headed by Hong Kong’s KA YING RISING and VOYAGE BUBBLE along with visiting stars such as GOLIATH, MR BRIGHTSIDE, LIBERTY ISLAND, SATONO REVE and EL VENCEDOR – will feature at the meeting.
With a record HK$74 million in prize money spread across the HK$28 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m), HK$24 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and HK$22 million G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), FWD Champions Day is one of the pinnacles of the international racing calendar and this season shapes as no exception with 16 runners from overseas.
As we reflect on the Dubai World Cup night and the heroics of ROMANTIC WARRIOR with his fighting effort to finish second in the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m), we now look forward with tremendous excitement to what might unfold at Sha Tin in 18 days with the appearance of some of the world’s best horses, trainers and jockeys.
Having travelled to Dubai last weekend, the interest shown by the international racing community in FWD Champions Day – and especially Hong Kong’s outstanding new sprinter KA YING RISING, who runs next in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize – is very strong.
With presence of KA YING RISING, HELIOS EXPRESS and Group 1 winners CALIFORNIA SPANGLE, INVINCIBLE SAGE, VICTOR THE WINNER and LUCKY SWEYNESSE, who appeared to trial well at Sha Tin on Tuesday (8 April), Hong Kong’s sprint squad is indeed very formidable.
But the visiting Japanese horses – SATONO REVE, LUGAL, DANON MCKINLEY and A SHIN FENCER – will provide a stern test.
VOYAGE BUBBLE has excelled this season for Ricky Yiu and James McDonald and he will attempt to provide Hong Kong with a ninth consecutive win in the FWD Champions Mile when he faces last year’s winner BEAUTY ETERNAL, emerging Hong Kong star MY WISH, GALAXY PATCH and RED LION and a string of fellow Hong Kong gallopers.
The international brigade in the FWD Champions Mile is a fascinating blend of established and rising stars, notably Australia’s Group 1-winning pair MR BRIGHTSIDE and ROYAL PATRONAGE, Japan’s GAIA FORCE, Great Britain’s LAKE FOREST and Bahrain’s GOEMON.
The strength of the international contingent is laid bare in the FWD QEII Cup with six of the seven visiting stayers – GOLIATH, DUBAI HONOUR, TASTIERA, EL VENCEDOR, LIBERTY ISLAND and CALIF – having already achieved Group 1 success, while PROGNOSIS, who has twice finished second in the FWD QEII Cup to Hong Kong’s global champion ROMANTIC WARRIOR, will seek his first win at the highest level on 27 April.
Hong Kong’s team is led by BMW Hong Kong Derby winner CAP FERRAT, Hong Kong Classic Cup victor RUBYLOT, Group 1 winners MOMENTS IN TIME, LA CITY BLANCHE and WINNING DRAGON, along with ENSUED, STRAIGHT ARRON and FIVE G PATCH.
With some of the world’s best jockeys – including James McDonald, Joao Moreira, Craig Williams, Tom Marquand, Christophe Soumillon, Yuga Kawada, Damian Lane and Tim Clark – bound for Sha Tin on 27 April to vie with Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman, Andrea Atzeni, Karis Teetan and Brenton Avdulla, the scene is set for a superb meeting.
At Happy Valley on Wednesday night (9 April), the popular Neon Nights – Japan Nights theme continues with customed food, beverages and music in celebration of Japanese culture.
Visitors to the Beer Garden can sample Japanese delicacies, Kirin beer and music while watching world-class racing at one of the most iconic racing venues in the world where one of the features on the track is the Class 3 Hong Kong China Rugby Cup, which is carded as Race 5 and will be run over 1000m at 8.40pm with prizemoney of HK$1,860,000.
The pace will be good with YOUTHFUL SPIRITS (Luke Ferraris) likely to lead from gate eight. HARMONY N BLESSED (Ellis Wong) has drawn barrier two and will be prominent. COLOURFUL KING (Andrea Atzeni) and newcomer CASA OF HONOUR (Matthew Poon) also have good early speed and should settle in the leading group.
COLOURFUL KING made a promising debut in Hong Kong when fifth to HORSEPOWER down the straight 1000m at Sha Tin. He then jumped well and settled third on the fence, before chasing hard in the straight to beat YOUTHFUL SPIRITS in the very last stride over this course and distance on 19 March. COLOURFUL KING has drawn well again in gate four and he is a win and place chance.
YOUTHFUL SPIRITS has lightning-fast early speed and deserves to win a race after leading everywhere but on the line last start behind COLOURFUL KING. YOUTHFUL SPIRITS has drawn awkwardly in barrier eight but is racing well and is a place chance again.
WATCH THIS ONE (Karis Teetan) made his local debut in the same race and settled fourth, one off the fence, staying on strongly in the straight to be beaten just over two lengths. WATCH THIS ONE won a trial last week by an extended margin and, with natural improvement, is a place chance.
CASA OF HONOUR was a five-time winner from eight starts in Australia and makes his local debut here. He has looked good winning two trials including one over this course and distance in March. CASA HONOUR led and wasn’t placed under pressure in both those trials and he is a place chance, although his task is made a little more difficult from barrier 10.
Of the other runners, HARMONY N BLESSED and ETERNAL FORTUNE (Dylan Mo) have been racing well and are worth consideration as place chances.
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