Racing offers plenty of excitement to its fans and there are few moments in sport as thrilling as a tight finish in a horse race. There were two important races last week that were only decided in the final few strides. Our Executive Director of Racing, Bill Nader, has just returned from the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita in California. I know he thoroughly enjoyed the exciting climax to this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, which saw Mucho Macho Man hold off the late lunge of Will Take Charge and Declaration Of War to give 50-year-old riding legend Gary Stevens a first win in America’s most valuable race.
Meanwhile, here in Hong Kong over 60,000 racing fans who came out to enjoy Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse Day on Sunday also witnessed a thrilling battle – this one between Endowing and Blazing Speed in the HKG3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse. It was Endowing who edged past the front-running Blazing Speed after making a ground-saving journey along the rail. These two horses have both shown significant progress early in the season and their improvement has resulted in them both being entered for the Jockey Club Races on Sunday week. If they run in these races, they will face some formidable rivals, so we will definitely learn much more about them if they are tested at G2 level on 17 November.
The handle of HK$1.45 billion from our Ladies’ Purse day last Sunday was an impressive figure and the highest turnover for a meeting so far this season. More pleasing than that though was the spectacle of so many people dressed up in their finery and clearly having a great time at Hong Kong’s most glamorous race day. It’s always fun for racegoers to show off their favourite fashions, topped off with a hat, and we saw that too in Australia this week, as many racegoers wore morning suits (gentlemen!) and fabulous hats (ladies!) for Melbourne Cup day at Flemington yesterday.
I was lucky enough to be at Flemington for Australia’s largest racing occasion. Dubbed as “the race that stops the nation”, in addition to the 100,000-plus crowd on course, a huge number of people around the country stop work for a while and find a TV to watch the race. On course, the crowd roar was deafening as local favourite Fiorente scored a hugely popular victory. Winning trainer Gai Waterhouse was achieving a lifetime ambition after several near-misses in the past, and I’m sure she will savour this first Melbourne Cup win for a long time to come. In fact that completed a remarkable month for female trainers in three of the biggest races in the world, coming after Criquette Head-Maarek won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Treve and Kathy Ritvo’s Mucho Macho Man took the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
I’m sure those of you who saw our live simulcast will have saved some cheers for the runner-up Red Cadeaux. Owned by our former Club Chairman Ronald Arculli, this horse again ran a cracking race despite an awkward draw. The game gelding surged to the front in the straight but the winner was too good for him and he had to settle for another brave second in the race. I’m sure many of you recall his narrow runner-up performance back in 2011 when he was defeated by Dunaden. He gained handsome recompense last year when winning the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase, which he could contest again in December. I heard that the Vase is also on the radar for the Cup’s third-place runner Mount Athos, who was a bit unlucky in yesterday’s race, as well as this year’s Canadian International winner Joshua Tree. We’ll see how that pans out in the coming weeks.
Talking about fashion and racing, tonight’s races at the Valley again promises to be a sparkling evening as we host the Fashion Styles the Valley themed meeting. You will be able to enjoy catwalk shows and live band action so I hope you will come along and make the most of the entertainment programme and the highly competitive racing.
The last race of today’s card, the Yew Handicap, is a Class 3 over 1200m and a very competitive race. The pace is expected to be good which should give every horse a fair chance to compete at its bests. General Iron led in a recent trial and is likely to share the lead with Regency Champion. Pretty One, who is in good form, is likely to be caught wide and may have to go forward more than he would prefer. Super Plus is working very well. He and Genuine Leader should be racing close in a good position, with Good Good View and Formula Won in midfield.
Sunny Fay who ran well last time before he was struck across the head is expected to settle behind midfield, but with a strong finish he should have a place chance. I like Formula Won most, especially in his last run being the first start of the season he was checked and held up but finished well. He has improved and is working well. Super Plus and Good Good View are my other choices for place finish.
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