Earlier this week, the annual Cartier Racing Awards were held in London and unsurprisingly the all-time great Frankel was again crowned Europe’s Horse of the Year. This racing ambassador therefore became the first horse to win this coveted title successively in the event’s 22-year history. It was certainly a well-deserved compliment for Frankel who has triumphed impressively in five G1 events this year.
The racing industry will hold high hopes for this superstar as he commences his stud career early next year. His owner Prince Khalid Abdulla and his Juddmonte team have already decided that Frankel’s first year stud fee is to be set at 125,000 pounds. Although it is a huge amount for an unproven stallion and would rank him as the third most expensive sire in the world, these things are relative, and some might say that it’s not a very high figure considering the outstanding achievements and paramount status he attained over the past three seasons. But I am certain that monetary return is not the sole consideration for Frankel’s connections and they will be very selective in choosing high quality mares to be covered by this great horse, so as to give a better chance of success for his first crop.
Frankel held most of the spotlight in Europe this season. But the racing world will soon turn its attention to the international racing action in Hong Kong, as we are just three weeks away from the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races. This week we announced the line-up of jockeys who will feature in the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley racecourse on 5 December – an event that is always a crowd favourite and an exciting lead-in to the big race day. Again we have invited an elite group of world-renowned jockeys to this event, in keeping with its deserved billing as one of the world’s best international jockey challenge competitions.
This year’s LONGINES IJC will include two debutants, namely Frankel’s ever-present jockey Tom Queally and Australian Craig Williams who won the Caulfield Cup for the past two years and added the Longines MacKinnon Stakes earlier this month. Our King’s Stand Stakes winning jockey Zac Purton, who is currently the leading jockey in Hong Kong this season, also has a very good chance of making the cut to feature in this event for the first time. Four LONGINES IJC past champions are also named among this year’s stellar line-up and I believe these top jockeys will definitely provide us all with thrilling entertainment at our unique city racetrack that evening.
As for the local contingent, racing fans can review the latest condition and form of some of our local horses ahead of next month’s international races, in the three G2 Jockey Club Races at Sha Tin Racecourse tomorrow. Our very own two-time Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon looks the standout in the Jockey Club Mile, but it appears to me that the LONGINES Jockey Club Cup will be the most evenly contested event as the field includes great talents like Hong Kong Cup defending champion California Memory, Champions and Chater Cup winner Liberator, and the fast improving Packing Whiz.
In the LONGINES Jockey Club Cup the pace is expected to be good to slow, with Mighty High and Liberator leading, Zaidan and Fay Fay in the box seat. Mr Medici and Scarlet Camellia can both be well placed, while Autumn Gold, Packing Whiz and Helene Spirit may be eased towards the rear to join California Memory. I expect a good run from Zaidan and also Packing Whiz despite having to go back as of its draw. California Memory is still the best horse for me in this race but he will need some luck to come through the field.
For the Jockey Club Mile, it will be run at a good to slow pace too, with Pure Champion in the lead and Glorious Days and Ambitious Dragon in midfield. Xtension will have to compete for a good spot and will need the run before the major event next month. Glorious Days and Ambitious Dragon are both working very well and are the two horses to follow with Ambitious Dragon being my pick!
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