With only eight days until the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) on 14 December, anticipation is quickly building and preparations are well advanced for our flagship meeting with world-class horses, trainers and jockeys at Sha Tin.
LONGINES Hong Kong International Races week is one of the global highlights in the world’s racing calendar, and showcases Hong Kong’s unique position and its opportunities since 1997 to become an international hub and super connector.
We, as a Club, have become a global leader in the sport of horseracing and LONGINES HKIR is a global sports event with live coverage in 28 countries.
While LONGINES HKIR is the crown jewel of an incredible week, I am also looking forward immensely to the LONGINES Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley on Wednesday (10 December), when 12 of the finest jockeys in the world vie for overall glory.
With seven previous LONGINES IJC winners in attendance – Ryan Moore, Vincent Ho, Zac Purton, Mickael Barzalona, Christophe Lemaire, Hugh Bowman and Joao Moreira – this season’s line-up will also showcase the incredible skills of James McDonald, Hollie Doyle, Rachel King, William Buick and Umberto Rispoli.
With overall prizemoney of HK$1 million with HK$600,000 to the winner, the LONGINES IJC is the most lucrative and most famous competition of its type and the assembled line-up is incredible, drawing together the winners of the world’s most prestigious races, including Breeders Cups, the l’Arc de Triomphe, the Melbourne Cup and Hong Kong’s greatest races, among many others.
On Thursday (4 December), James McDonald was announced as the winner of the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award for the third time – which is an incredible achievement – by the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities and we are honoured to be entrusted to have the Official Ceremony as a highlight of our Gala Dinner next Friday night (12 December).
In what promises to be a highlight of the week, there will be 800 attendees comprising horse owners, trainers and jockeys, representatives of global and regional horse racing authorities from all around the globe as well as our sponsor, LONGINES, coming together in anticipation of the LONGINES HKIR to honour our champions.
At 33, James is riding at the peak of his powers, and we are fortunate to have such a gifted jockey here for his short-term stint, which has already delivered six wins and nine placings from 46 rides and I am very much looking forward to watching James compete against his peers over the next eight days.
With 14 individual Group 1 winners, including GIAVELLOTTO, EMBROIDERY and SOSIE, assembling to challenge our local elite led by ROMANTIC WARRIOR, KA YING RISING and VOYAGE BUBBLE on Sunday week (14 December), the stage is almost set for a truly world-class meeting at Sha Tin.
In a season where there is no shortage of storylines at LONGINES HKIR, history beckons on several fronts with ROMANTIC WARRIOR bidding for a record-extending fourth G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and KA YING RISING attempting to match GOLDEN SIXTY’s streak of 16 wins in a row with victory in the G1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) – to then be only one win shy of SILENT WITNESS’s all-time record.
Remarkably, this season’s LONGINES HKIR will feature the return of all four winners from the 2024 LONGINES HKIR with ROMANTIC WARRIOR and KA YING RISING being joined by GIAVELLOTTO in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) and VOYAGE BUBBLE in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m).
In all, LONGINES HKIR will showcase the talents of 20 individual Group 1 winners, as well as champion trainers and jockeys from all over the world, who will be supported by local and visiting owners at the ‘Turf World Championships’, which carry HK$130 million across the four lucrative Group 1 races.
LONGINES HKIR week is not only about sporting competition, but also includes a host of important meetings and conferences designed to address important racing issues.
Experts from a variety of fields – including veterinary and equine welfare, jockey health and welfare, stewarding and integrity, and handicapping – will gather to exchange ideas and experiences which hopefully will shape positive outcomes in our sport.
At Sha Tin this Sunday (7 December), the Class 2 Chatham Handicap is carded as Race 8 and will be run over 1200m on the All Weather course at 4.40pm with prizemoney of HK$2,840,000.
The pace will be good with a lot of the early speed in the race drawn wide, including BOTTOMUPTOGETHER (Zac Purton), who is likely to drive forward from gate 11 to lead. HARMONY N BLESSED (Maxime Guyon) has drawn gate nine and will also look to settle in a forward spot and CALL ME GLORIOUS (Keith Yeung), who has gate 12, will be ridden to take up a position on speed.
Mark Newnham’s runners have a good record on the All Weather track and the last time they raced on the surface, SING DRAGON (Karis Teetan) and TALENTS AMBITION (Lyle Hewitson) ran the quinella over 1650m on 4 October.
Since that run, SING DRAGON finished midfield on turf over 1650m at Happy Valley behind HUGE WAVE on 12 November. Back to his favourite surface, and over 1200m, SING DRAGON is a win and place chance.
INVINCIBLE SHIELD (Vincent Ho) was second-up this season when he settled midfield and ran home well to finish second to PATCH OF STARS over 1200m on turf on 15 November. INVINCIBLE SHIELD is having his first race start on the All Weather but is a talented sprinter and has always trialled well on the surface. He has drawn gate one and is a place chance.
SELF IMPROVEMENT (Jerry Chau) won the G3 Korea Sprint (1200m) impressively in Seoul in September when he was prominent throughout and fought on bravely to win on the deep sand surface. All SELF IMPROVEMENT’s four wins in Hong Kong have been on this surface and distance and he is a place chance again.
BOTTOMUPTOGETHER led throughout to beat SING DRAGON at this class and distance back in April in a dominating front-running performance under Zac. That was BOTTOMUPTOGETHER’s only run on the All Weather and last two runs have been against top-class sprinters in Group races. He will welcome the class drop, as well as the return to this surface, and BOTTOMUPTOGETHER is a place chance.
TALENTS AMBITION was runner-up to BOTTOMUPTOGETHER in a recent trial on this surface and he has a good record in 1650m races on the All Weather. While this is race is over 1200m, TALENTS AMBITION will be running on late and he is a place chance.
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