With only eight days now until FWD Champions Day on 27 April, a sense of occasion has gripped Sha Tin with the appearance this week of a string of international Group 1 winners in preparation for our flagship spring meeting.
Over the past few days, there has been a perceptible lift in intensity with the trial performances of the world’s top-rated sprinter KA YING RISING along with MY WISH, HELIOS EXPRESS, GALAXY PATCH, STRAIGHT ARRON and BEAUTY ETERNAL.
As Hong Kong’s leading horses, including VOYAGE BUBBLE, LUCKY SWEYNESSE and INVINCIBLE SAGE, prepare to peak for one of horse racing’s leading international meetings, a formidable armada of visiting Group 1 winners quickly made its presence felt at Sha Tin trackwork.
LIBERTY ISLAND, in particular, looked fit and strong in a sparkling gallop on Thursday morning (17 April), while MR BRIGHTSIDE, CALIF, LUGAL, A SHIN FENCER and DANON MCKINLEY all looked fresh and eager.
While it is disappointing LAKE FOREST cannot take his place in the G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) for William Haggas due to injury, the arrival of bona fide stars such as GOLIATH, PROGNOSIS, TASTIERA, ROYAL PATRONAGE and EL VENCEDOR adds to the anticipation ahead of three highly prized Group 1 races offering a total of HK$74 million in prizemoney.
The next week will be vital for all runners and I look forward to watching final preparations at Sha Tin, where we welcome our international owners, trainers and jockeys to compete with Hong Kong’s elite.
Our simulcast coverage continues on Sunday (20 April) with the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), which is carded as S1-1 and will be run over 2000m at 2.40pm at Nakayama Racecourse.
With a capacity field of 18, the speed is expected to be strong. G T ADAMANT has successfully led in races over longer distances, while FAUSTEN RASEN has drawn gate 17 and will go forward.
CROIX DU NORD (Yuichi Kitamura) was Japan’s champion two-year-old last season and was unbeaten in three runs, culminating in easy win in the Hopeful Stakes (2000m) in December as a short-priced favourite. CROIX DU NORD is a win and place chance.
The Spring Stakes (1800m) is a good pointer to this race and PIKO CHAN BLACK (Shu Ishibashi) went to an early lead in that race and held off FUKUNO BLUE LAKE in a driving finish. Like CROIX DU NORD, PIKO CHAN BLACK is by KITASAN BLACK and is a place chance.
ERI KING (Yuga Kawada) started odds-on and was an impressive winner of the G3 Kyoto Nisai Stakes (1800m) in November when he beat the consistent GIOVANNI. ERI KING has drawn well in gate two and is a place chance.
FAUST RASEN (Makoto Sugihara) beat VINCENTIO (Christophe Lemaire) in the Deep Impact Kinen on 9 March over this course and distance with only a neck separating them. Both have drawn out a little here but have place chances.
At Sha Tin this Sunday, the Class 2 Hong Kong Lions Cup Handicap is carded as Race 6 and run over 1800m is Race 6 at 3.40pm with prizemoney of HK$3,120,000.
The race features three starters from the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) starters in BUNDLE AWARD, STEPS AHEAD and CALIFORNIATOTALITY and one other upcoming four-year-old in PRAY FOR MIR taking on proven Class 2 horses.
The speed will be good with VOYAGE SAMURAI (Derek Leung) leading from gate four. PRAY FOR MIR (Matthew Chadwick) generally races on the speed and will go forward from the gate 11. CALIFORNIATOTALITY (Alexis Badel) will settle in the leading group and WINNING DRAGON (Brenton Avdulla) has drawn barrier one and should be prominent.
BUNDLE AWARD (Zac Purton) was an impressive winner over this class and distance on 9 March, when he beat MARKWIN and HELENE FEELING, coming from near last at the home turn. In the BMW Hong Kong Derby(2000m), he settled in the back half of the field and was held up slightly into the straight and made good ground late to finish a close up seventh to CAP FERRAT. BUNDLE AWARD is my win and place selection.
VOYAGE SAMURAI steps beyond 1600m for the first time in his career. Last start, he comfortably held off HELENE FEELING in the run to the line and is a place chance.
HELENE FEELING (Harry Bentley) has been closer to the front in recent starts and sat just behind the leaders and ran home well last start but could not reel in VOYAGE SAMURAI over 1600m. He is a multiple winner at this distance at Happy Valley and is a place chance again.
STEPS AHEAD (Lyle Hewitson) ran well in both the Hong Kong Classic Cup (fifth) and BMW Hong Kong Derby (ninth) and is also a place chance.
BRAVEHEARTS (Matthew Poon) was in great form early this season, winning three of his first four runs before a slightly disappointing last-start fifth on 19 January. BRAVEHEARTS spent time at Conghua since and has been impressive in two trials leading into this race. BRAVEHEARTS should run well and is a place chance.
WINNING DRAGON is a place chance, too. In his last run over 1600m, he ran to third place finishing strongly after being blocked for a run at the 430m.
BRAVEHEARTS, along with other runners in this race such as FIVE G PATCH (James Orman) are all heading to the Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2400m) on 4 May, as is last year’s winner LA CITY BLANCHE (Karis Teetan).
Finally, I would like to wish everyone a happy and peaceful Easter.
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