Every year the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races offers an opportunity for local racehorses and horsemen to meet their overseas counterparts in exciting competition. Our flagship event is also an occasion for horsemen and racing executives from all around the world to meet in Hong Kong and casually share latest information and bounce ideas off one another.
Racing is an increasingly global sport and this exchanging of ideas and innovations across borders is becoming more important. Yesterday the Club announced that we have entered a reciprocal agreement with Racing Victoria in Australia, in which the Chief Stewards from both organisations will now be able to travel to each other’s major race meetings and participate as members of the Stewards’ Panels. To kick off this agreement, the Chief Steward from Racing Victoria, Terry Bailey, will come to Hong Kong as a co-opted voting member of the Racing Stewards’ Panel at our two meetings next week, the International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley and the HKIR day next Sunday. Reciprocally, our Chief Stipendiary Steward Kim Kelly will do the same and co-opt onto Racing Victoria’s steward panel during the Melbourne Cup Carnival in November next year.
As far as I’m aware, this is a unique and unprecedented arrangement and serves as an example that new avenues can be opened to further the efforts proposed by the Asian Racing Federation as part of racing achieving global harmonisation. In that regard, it’s fitting that this initiative is being rolled out during Hong Kong’s showcase international event, and will continue at Australia’s biggest international event, and it’s most historic. We believe it can facilitate a sharing of information between Racing Stewards of both clubs and enhance their knowledge and experience. I look forward to meeting the executives from Racing Victoria when they are in town next week.
Along with the visiting international horsemen, more than half of the HKIR’s overseas runners will have arrived in Hong Kong between yesterday and tomorrow (Friday and Sunday), and by early Sunday all horses will have checked in. It will be a busy weekend for our colleagues who are working in the transportation team and quarantine stables. Many overseas horsemen have praised our quarantine facilities as being first class. It's pleasing for us to hear that and I hope our facilities and the support we provide will help all horses settle into their new environment so that they can perform to their best in the big races next week.
Of course, while all this is going on, our local horses are also gearing up their preparation ahead of this first international assignment of the season. With most of them already race fit only Glorious Days turned out at the barrier trials staged yesterday morning. The Hong Kong Mile defending champion has taken the same route as last year. He was spelled after running in the Yasuda Kinen in Japan in June and heads into next Sunday without a prep run. I think John Size’s idea was to sharpen him up in the trial yesterday morning and bring him into the Mile a fresh horse again. I’ve recapped the trial footage and I think he has done pretty well. He travelled very smoothly and cruised across the winning line under a tight rein. He looks ready to run a big race again on Sunday week when he will face world-class opposition including Able Friend, 2012 Hong Kong Mile winner Ambitious Dragon and some tough overseas contenders.
Before we get to that exciting international racing action, we can enjoy another regular meeting at Sha Tin tomorrow. We have arranged 11 races on the card, with four on turf and seven on the all-weather surface, and the first race will start half an hour earlier at 12.30pm.
The sixth race is the Peninsula Golden Jubilee Challenge Cup, a Class 3 at 1400m, with Pikachu looking like a strong each way chance. He has run well in each of his four races this season and should get a nice run from midfield. In his last start, Pikachu finished well when taken back from a wide draw over this same course and distance.
Big Four has a good record at this distance and this is clearly his best trip. He is a place chance along with Chancellor and Let Me Do. Chancellor will likely benefit from a slow pace as he is expected to lead while dropping back in distance from 1600m.
The eighth race is the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Cup at 1200m on the dirt track and Able Warrior moves up a grade to this Class 3 event off a solid front-running win on the surface last month. He will face more pace pressure this time around as Ambitious King and the widely drawn Hearts Keeper will go forward.
Able Warrior is still a win and place chance for me as he has had a good trial since his last win and seems to enjoy the surface. Hidden Value is drawn wide but has been going well this season and is a place chance as he makes the switch from turf to dirt. Heroic Guru and Hearts Keeper are also place chances.
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