The early days of any new season are always exciting as we watch with optimism and keen anticipation for the emergence of new stars while, eagerly anticipating the return of our favourite heroes. Three local race meetings have gone already and hundreds of racehorses have made their season’s debuts in races. Certainly there are even more that are geared up in preparation for their first starts of the season in upcoming meetings. Among them are two fans favourites who will, quite unusually, make their first seasonal start not in Hong Kong but in Japan at the end of this month.
I’m talking about two of our top sprinters – Lucky Nine and Little Bridge – who will both be contesting the G1 Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse on 30 September. Lucky Nine was trialled at Sha Tin Racecourse yesterday morning. Having shaken off the slight hoof problem that saw him put in a flat trial performance earlier this month, the horse looked comparatively sharper on the jump and showed good early speed this time. Brett Prebble just let him stride out in the home straight and he drew away from the other runners before the jockey kept him to his task to the line to win his trial with ease.
It appears that the condition of last year’s Hong Kong Sprint winner is improving. It will be his third trip to Japan, and he has acclimatised well there in the past. Although he was perhaps feeling the effects of a tough season in the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo in June, he performed to his usual standards in Japan twice last year, including when fifth in last year’s Sprinters Stakes, which he encountered interference from other runners in the home straight. Hopefully he will enjoy a smooth journey when he departs for Japan early hours Thursday.
As for Little Bridge, I learnt that the horse has been very relaxed since arriving in Japan last week. He has a normal appetite, is taking regular workouts, and has settled into the environment there quite well. And on Monday he was transferred from the JRA Horseracing School to Nakayama Racecourse.
His success in the King’s Stand Stakes in June means that Little Bridge has the chance to win the US$1 million Global Sprint Challenge special bonus if he also wins the Sprinters Stakes and the Longines Hong Kong Sprint in December. His trainer Danny Shum, who notched a double in Sunday’s races at Sha Tin, proceeded to Japan on Monday for his horse’s pre-race preparation. I shall continue to closely follow any news about the preparations of these two Hong Kong heroes leading up to the race on Sunday week.
When Lucky Nine and Little Bridge were emerging contenders two seasons ago, both were named among the top two nominees in our inaugural Rising Star campaign. Since then, they have developed into two of Hong Kong’s top sprinters. This season’s Rising Star voting campaign just commenced on Sunday; so if you have any favourite young up-and-coming horses and you expect them to have the credentials to become the next to perform at international level, please do remember to vote through different Club channels to offer your voting support to them.
It’s another Happy Wednesday race night at the Valley this evening. Meanwhile, tonight’s Triple Trio pool again offers a jackpot of HK$27.3 million and the first leg – Wah Fu Handicap – is a Class 5 event over 1650m. The expected good to slow pace tends to favour horses in the front of the field with Ekraar Emperor and Young Supreme to go for the lead. Ekraar Emperor is not going well. Young Supreme must improve significantly from his first start of the season, but his improved fitness makes him a place chance at best. Full Version should get a good place in midfield and has improved in fitness coming from an encouraging first start as he made up some ground in that race. He is for me a good chance to win or be placed in this race. Scent Of Osmanthus has to go forward from Gate 12 and after his change of stables to Caspar Fownes, he is working well and is another win and place chance in this event. Lucky Army has to overcome the disadvantage of coming from the back of the field. But with his fitness further improving from his 4th place finish in his last start, he is a place chance, too!
The Community Chest Cup – as the second leg of Triple Trio – is a Class 3 race over 1000m with an expected fast pace. To get the lead is important over this course and distance and six horses out of the 10 are natural leaders. Ride On The Fire, Hawthorne and Ever Beauty are the most likely leaders, with Ever Beauty being for me the best chance to be in the finish at the end, especially due to his fitness from his last start. Gamekeepers is drawn in Gate 10 which is a disadvantage but it is difficult to leave him out of the calculations.
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