Once again last Sunday we enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of racing at Sha Tin, highlighted by the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup. Although there were only 10 runners in this final leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series, it was no less competitive for that, with Beauty Flash outgunning Sunny King and Lucky Nine to take victory by just half a length.
I'm sure many of you would agree that it was a very impressive performance by Beauty Flash after being drawn in a wide start. Jockey Gerald Mosse settled him into a handy position but he was still forced to race three-wide without cover as they rounded the home turn. But Beauty Flash was able to produce a strong kick on the home straight, showing great fighting spirit in this HK$6 million event to score his third consecutive Group One victory.
Beauty Flash will be heading to Dubai next week for the Dubai Duty Free on 26 March and I think this lead-up run was really the perfect preparation. It showed that when raced handy, he can still be just as powerful and competitive as when being among the leaders in some of his previous starts. This is important as it gives his connections more flexibility to map out a suitable racing plan for Dubai, according to the draw and expected pace of the race.
Of course, it's not going to be an easy task as he will be facing the likes of Presvis and Wigmore Hall, whom you might have seen in our Super Thursday simulcasts last week. But Beauty Flash has shown great progress this season and I feel he is well ready for this challenge. I will be in Dubai myself on the big day, looking forward to seeing whether he can achieve a second international Group One success to follow his victory in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile in December.
As regards Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup runner-up Sunny King, John Moore said after the race that he would consider entering him for the Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup day. This eight-year-old veteran has shown sizzling form in his latest outings. Apart from winning a Class 1 event, he finished second to Beauty Flash by a short margin in both the G1 Stewards’ Cup and Sunday’s race. Given such impressive performances, I agree with John that it’s well worth a try.
I learnt from my colleagues earlier this morning that this veteran runner has been officially invited by the Dubai Racing Club to take part in the race, and he will be heading to Dubai together with his stablemate and another Golden Shaheen runner Dim Sum on 18 March. Adding to Ricky Yiu-trained Al Shindagha Sprint winner Dynamic Blitz, Hong Kong will now have three representatives in this 1200m race on the Tapeta surface. Hopefully the trio can get some decent results and I shall be following closely on their news and preparations ahead of this Group 1 event later this month.
Meanwhile, I think John Moore and Ricky Yiu would have known about the weekend results from Singapore, where another key Golden Shaheen contender, Singapore speed machine Rocket Man, also had a sound step-up before jetting to Dubai. The five-year-old won a stakes race by more than five lengths on Kranji’s all-weather track for the 13th victory of his illustrious career. But he has yet to secure his first international Group One success, having four times finished second at this level. Could this be the race that changes his luck?
For our midweek meeting at Happy Valley tonight, you won’t need to ride any luck to enjoy our special Wines in the Valley programmes, as a great range of selected wines and food treats will be all laid on for you to enjoy while watching the races. So I hope you have another great evening soaking up the wonderful racecourse atmosphere.
By the way, we have already announced at Happy Valley the 14 runners who are selected to take part in the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby on 20 March. In my view, some of the selected runners have produced very good performances in their latest runs and they all have shown great form ahead of this big race. You all can check the Club’s website and see if some of your favourite runners are among the names on the list.
We still have to wait for ten more days before this most prestigious local race being held at Sha Tin, but tonight’s eight-race card at Happy Valley also looks to be quite interesting. In the Gloucester Handicap, the expected pace is good, which favours All The Winners to take up a good position in the front of the field. With his good form and good performances in the track work, I think he has a chance to finish in the top 3. Surfer Boy should probably race along the fence in midfield without much effort. He’s my favourite in this race. Good Smile with Zac Purton on board should be well positioned, too. Along with Track Lightning who may go forward with Douglas Whyte on the mount, they will be two other main opponents in this race.
In the Police Cup (Handicap), it is expected to be run at a good to fast pace, with New Glory and Strawberry going for the lead. This should help other horses to make ground from the back of the field. I like Joyful Winner II the most as though he was drawn to start from Gate 10, he has shown some nice preparation in trackwork and the pace should help him coming from the back of the field. I believe he has improved from his last run and I’m interested to see how he performs tonight. It wouldn’t be too difficult for Happy Guys to take up a good position on the fence from Gate 3. Despite taking what will be his debut appearance at the Valley, I think he has a nice chance for a close finish. Nordic Star with Douglas Whyte in the saddle from Gate 4 is in a good position to upset the favourites and he can also finish in the money.
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