Our racing season has now been under way for two months and we’re now moving towards the first climax of the racing season, as our annual "Turf World Championships", the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races, will be held in just under a month's time on 11 December. Over the past fortnight, both the local and overseas racing media have been reporting more and more news on the CXHKIR, and especially on the plans of local connections for the three upcoming Cathay Pacific Jockey Club races, which serve as important prepping events for the internationals.
Other coverage has focused on the top overseas horses who are likely to come to Hong Kong for our HK$68 million showcase event. Some midweek reports have indicated that connections of Dunaden are now planning to send him to Hong Kong for the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase, as the five-year-old remains in prime form after his thrilling victory in the Melbourne Cup 11 days ago. That will be especially welcome news if it comes to fruition, as it could mean a rematch on our Sha Tin turf between Dunaden and runner-up Red Cadeaux, who fought out the closest finish in the history of this top Australian racing event. I look forward to hearing further news in the coming week or so.
I can also tell you that early next week we will announce the line-up for this year's Cathay Pacific International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley on 7 December, and I can promise you that it will be as star-studded as ever. This will be followed by the three Cathay Pacific Jockey Club races at Sha Tin on Sunday next, which will give racing fans the chance to preview some of the important home contenders before the internationals.
The supplementary entry stage of the CXHKIR will also close on Monday week (21 November), before we announce the selected runners for the four international races two days later on 23 November. So the next two weeks are going to be rather busy for many of us in the Club! You will be able to keep up-to-date on all the latest news through our Club website and other channels.
Tomorrow’s Sha Tin races will also have a new international dimension to them, as Britain-based rider Neil Callan arrived here in midweek to begin his second stint here as a visiting Club Jockey. He will be riding here until late February.
Neil's first three-month stint in Hong Kong last season was quite successful, producing five wins. He also came close to winning at top level when finishing a close second in the HKG1 Stewards Cup aboard Sunny King. After returning to the UK, he rode 97 winners in the just-ended British flat racing season. Earlier this month, he also travelled to Australia to ride in the Melbourne Cup and the US to take part in the Breeders’ Cup races at Churchill Downs, where he finished an admirable third on Farraaj in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Neil has already attracted good support from our trainers, especially from Derek Cruz, as he’s booked to ride four horses on his return debut tomorrow. I'm sure you will all give him great support, too.
Among the 10 races on tomorrow's card, the feature race is the 1400m Class 1 Panasonic Cup, which was first run in the 1984/85 season and now remains as one of our longest-standing commercially sponsored races. This year it has attracted a very strong field of very exciting horses, which some of them see as a test if they can progress to the Group or even International Group level.
The expected good to slow pace slightly favours horses in the front of the field, with Prolific Champion as well as Bould Mover going forward. I prefer Prolific Champion and I think he has a nice place chance. New Vision from Gate 5 should not be underestimated and can surprise the favourites, but I see him more like a place chance. Sweet Orange is working very well and was beaten only by Noble Alpha in his season debut, which now comes out of Gate 12 instead of 1, and I think he can beat him this time. Both horses have to face Captain Sweet and despite his outside draw of Gate 13, he’s with a run under his belt. With his very good trackwork recently, I believe he will be the horse to beat.
In the Panasonic Cooking Magic Handicap, it’s expected to be run with a good to slow pace with Public Figure and Sunny More in the lead. Sunny More is working well and he has a place chance for me. I Smell Money, which is drawn to start from Gate 1, will be positioned behind the leaders and I think he has solid place chance. My pick in this race is Scarlet Camellia who should have no problem to go from 1400m to 1600m. He’s working very well and his previous win was also very impressive. Honey Fortune has shown improvement and the extra distance should enhance his chances for a place.
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