There’s no doubt that in Hong Kong we can see some of the best jockeys in the world riding our local racetracks day in and day out. But just as notably, we also have many world-class trainers earning their living here, several of whom had already established a high international reputation before moving their bases to Hong Kong.
For example, John Size and David Hall were very dominant in Sydney and Melbourne prior to coming here, while Paul O’Sullivan was champion trainer in New Zealand in 11 occasions and David Ferraris and Andreas Schutz were four-time champion trainers in South Africa and Germany respectively.
At the end of this season we will have a further new face from Europe joining us, as the Club’s Licensing Committee decided earlier this week to issue a trainer’s licence to Chantilly-based Richard Gibson. There has, in fact, been a vacancy in the trainers' ranks since David Oughton decided to retire four seasons ago.
Like Oughton, Gibson is English by birth, although it's in France where has steadily carved out his high reputation. Since being licensed as a trainer there in 1997, he has won at least six Group One races. In his stable at Chantilly there are currently more than 50 racehorses in training. He has also been active on the international front, notably with his back-to-back successes here in Hong Kong with Doctor Dino, in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase in 2007 and 2008.
His current flag-bearer Mores Wells won him the Stockholm Cup in Sweden last September, then finished second in the Canadian International. We are glad to have Gibson joining us in Hong Kong and I hope he will settle very well when he commences his stable operations here this summer.
On the subject of newcomers, though in a different sport, I'm sure that many of you will have noticed some great news recently on the local football front, as two star players from Europe have decided to take up a new challenge by playing in the Hong Kong First Division with leading local football club South China. They are ex-Manchester United and England midfielder Nicky Butt, and former Chelsea and Serbian international striker Mateja Kezman.
Both players, together with South China’s football convenor Steven Lo, came along to enjoy our night racing at Happy Valley on Wednesday, which gave me a chance to meet and have a chat with them. We had some great discussions on both football and racing, and I found Nicky and Mateja to be very enjoyable company. Nicky in particular showed great interest in Hong Kong racing as he owns some racehorses himself in England.
While Steven and I sharing the same hobbies with football and horse racing, he is now one of our distinguished Owners with three horses currently in training, including Xtension who ran an impressive second in the Hong Kong Classic Mile last week. May I offer him my congratulations not only for this horse's promising performance, but also for his hard work in securing the services of these two world-famous footballers, who are the most high-profile recruits to play in the Hong Kong league for quite a few years now.
I see the signing of these two big names as a very positive and encouraging development for Hong Kong football, as the involvement of star players will undoubtedly raise the profile and attractiveness of the local game. As well as drawing bigger gates for local matches, it will attract more commercial sponsors and individuals to invest in football development. And if it also helps South China to get some decent results in the AFC Cup starting in March, which is one of the major objectives of these signings, that will in turn generate further excitement among local football fans.
Tomorrow at Sha Tin we will be hosting the last race meeting of the Year of the Tiger, with the Hong Kong Group 1 Stewards’ Cup being the highlight of the 10 races on our card.
This prestigious mile event is the first leg of the Triple Crown Series and its previous winners have included such famous names as Fairy King Prawn, Bullish Luck and Good Ba Ba. With reigning champion miler Able One absent from the 12-strong field, I believe many racing fans will turn their attention to Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile winner Beauty Flash, or perhaps this year’s Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup runner-up Irian. Let’s see how these horses fight it out in this HK$8 million event.
This race is almost for me a highlight in the Year. The expected good to slow pace should enable Beauty Flash to take a forward position. This five-year-old is currently in the form of his life and I think he will be the horse to beat. For Irian, even he’s coming back from the Cup distance of 2000m, he’s still in a prime condition as shown in recent gallops. He will be a main opponent to Beauty Flash in this race. For other runners, Sight Winner is coming back to form but Douglas Whyte has chosen Chater Way instead. Young Elite has chance to get a close finish, and I think it’s very exiting for the Racing Club members to have a horse running in a race like the Stewards’ Cup.
The Fairy King Prawn Handicap is a very competitive Class 2 event. The expected good to fast pace will ensure a fair running and will give a slight advantage for horses, such as Good Strike and Elegance Desire, coming from the back of the field. The race is very open with Supreme Win being the top-rated runner in the field. He’s working well recently but the draw of 13 makes it difficult for him. Although he could possibly be trapped wide, I think he still has a chance to finish in the money. The same applies to Rich Unicorn, who scored two impressive victories on the all-weather track in recent weeks. Flying Colours is my top selection in this 1200m race, as from Gate 4 he should be well positioned. Elegance Desire, as well as Tony Millard-trained Mr Celerity, who was drawn Gate 1 and with Maxime Guyon on board, also have the chance to get a close finish in the race.
Last but not least, may I wish you all enjoyable gatherings with your families and friends as we move into a new year. See you all in the Year of the Rabbit!
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