With an outstanding Royal Ascot meeting coming to a close overnight, the focus returns to Hong Kong’s world-class racing with a quality Group 3 double-header at Sha Tin today (22 June) with the running of the G3 Premier Cup Handicap (1400m) and the G3 Premier Plate Handicap (1800m).
Royal Ascot has again been a wonderful celebration of international racing at its very best and, one of the most outstanding aspects of the meeting was the link between horses who performed brilliantly at the Royal meeting and Hong Kong’s flagship international meetings.
LAZZAT and DOCKLANDS finished ninth and 12th, respectively, behind Hong Kong’s Triple Crown winner VOYAGE BUBBLE in the 2024 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) in December before emerging as spectacular Group 1 winners at Royal Ascot this week.
It should be pointed out that two other subsequent international Group 1 winners finished behind VOYAGE BUBBLE last December – Soul Rush, who beat ROMANTIC WARRIOR in the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) in April and JANTAR MANTAR, who recently won the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m).
The quality of LAZZAT’s victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m) last night (21 June) was further franked by the effort of runner-up SATONO REVE, who has twice finished in the minor placings behind Hong Kong’s champion sprinter KA YING RISING in Sha Tin Group 1s, while DOCKLANDS eclipsed European Group 1 winners ROSALLION and NOTABLE SPEECH in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes (1600m) for Harry Eustace after running in Hong Kong.
Also adding further strength to the potency of Hong Kong form on the international stage last night was REBEL’S ROMANCE, who won last season’s G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater (2400m) at Sha Tin, before posting a fantastic victory overnight in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes (2392m) for Charlie Appleby and William Buick.
I would like to congratulate Ryan Moore for winning his 12th leading jockey award with seven wins for the week and he now has 92 victories overall at Royal Ascot to trail only Lester Piggott (116 wins) while John & Thady Gosden who, with three Group 1 triumphs included among five wins, took out the leading trainer award, which was the fourth time for their stable.
From a business perspective, I am delighted with the strong performance of our World Pool operation this week with turnover of HK$1,741 million, which surpassed 2023 and 2024 turnover at Royal Ascot, and is second only to the Royal Ascot record of HK$1,764.5 million, set in 2022.
These figures demonstrate the popularity of World Pool and the way in which it is helping passionate racing followers all around the world familiarise themselves with elite racehorses through the consistent showcasing of world-class racing via the Club’s World Pool simulcasting.
I would like to express the Club’s gratitude to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government’s decision to progressively grant additional simulcast meetings over the next two racing seasons starting from 2025/26.
The maximum number of simulcast races will be increased from the existing 25 to 40 from 2025/26 and to 55 from 2026/27, while the maximum number of simulcast days will be increased from 37 to 53 in 2025/26 and to 70 in 2026/27.
These additional meetings will allow the Club to not only handle growing gaming demands from our customers, but also create more contributions through betting duty to the HKSAR and employment in Hong Kong, and also significant benefits for global racing.
Crucially, it will also allow the Club to continue its fight against illegal gambling by channelling betting demand to our legal channel.
Zac Purton’s imminent inclusion in the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame is deserved recognition of his enduring professionalism, dedication and expertise. With a Hong Kong record 1,860 wins as a jockey, Zac is on the cusp of an eighth Hong Kong jockeys’ championship after having another brilliant season.
At 42, Zac holds a string of Hong Kong records, including the most wins in a season – 179 – and he continues to ride at the peak of his powers.
I congratulate Zac on his upcoming induction into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame where he will join fellow Hong Kong-based Australians, champion trainers John Size and David Hayes.
At Sha Tin on Sunday (22 June), the G3 Premier Cup Handicap is carded as Race 6 at 6.30pm and will be run over 1400m for prizemoney of HK$4.2 million.
The pace should be good with VICTOR THE WINNER (Derek Leung) leading from gate three. PATCH OF THETA (Andrea Atzeni) and COPARTNER PRANCE (Keagan De Melo) should also be prominent.
PATCH OF THETA won the G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup on 1 January and ran well when third to HELIOS EXPRESS and INVINCIBLE SAGE in the G3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m) on 31 May when he ran home strongly. PATCH OF THETA will settle closer to the lead from barrier two and is a win and place chance.
PACKING HERMOD (Matthew Poon) has an outstanding record, winning six of ten starts including his last two. Most recently, he finished powerfully to win over 1400m on 25 May. PACKING HERMOD is part of an outstanding generation of four-year-olds and was third to MY WISH in the Hong Kong Classic Mile in January. He is also a win and place selection.
INVINCIBLE SAGE (Hugh Bowman) has not won this season but has been racing well and last start made good ground to beat all but HELIOS EXPRESS in the Sha Tin Vase on 31 May. That followed a solid fourth to KA YING RISING in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) on 27 April. He is also a place chance along with BEAUTY ETERNAL (Zac Purton) and MUGEN (Karis Teetan).
The G3 Premier Plate Handicap is carded as Race 8 at 7.35pm and is run over 1800m for prizemoney of HK$4.2 million.
The pace will be good with PRAYER FOR MIR (Matthew Chadwick) likely to lead. SWORD POINT (Derek Leung) will be prominent from gate seven, with CAP FERRAT (Hugh Bowman), CALIFORNIATOTALITY (Alexis Badel), WINNING DRAGON (Harry Bentley) and CHANCHENG GLORY (Luke Ferraris) all settling close to lead.
CAP FERRAT won the BMW Hong Kong Derby in March and then ran well in the G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) behind TASTIERA. He then finished third to VOYAGE BUBBLE in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) on 25 May. CAP FERRAT is a win and place chance.
PRAY FOR MIR continued the excellent form of this season’s four-year-old crop when he led throughout to beat CHANCHENG GLORY in the G3 Lion Rock Trophy (1600m) on 31 May. PRAY FOR MIR will lead again here and the additional distance should not be a concern for him. He is a place chance.
CHANCHENG GLORY has drawn wide again but is racing well and, if he can get into a good position early, he is a place chance again along with ENSUED (Zac Purton) who won the G3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse over this course and distance and has been consistent at G1 level since including a second to VOYAGE BUBBLE in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) in February.
Four-year-olds BUNDLE AWARD (Andrea Atzeni) and CALIFORNIATOTALITY will both be competitive with their light weights.
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