Despite having been back from England to Hong Kong for two days, part of my mind was still somewhat in Ascot, as it’s always an exciting and a pleasant experience to be part of the royal meeting. The races were definitely great, and it’s even more enjoyable to feel the ambience and atmosphere.
It was very good to catch up with some of the key figures in world racing and see great performances from Solow, and especially Gleneagles, but what spoiled the day was the disappointing performance of Able Friend who ran far below his best. Able Friend looked light to me in the paddock and I was concerned when he started to sweat up in the preliminaries before the race. It got worse after he arrived at the starting gates, which was a canter down the whole length of 1600m straight course. At the 800m he was already not travelling as well as he did, and afterwards his run was flat. With it being the end of the season, having himself on its own for nearly two weeks in a different training environment and to travel to the racecourse before the race, facing completely different surroundings at the racecourse plus having to run first time on a straight undulating course, there are many reasons to explain his disappointing performance.
I firmly believe it was not the Able Friend we know we saw at Ascot and I am optimistic he will bounce back. It is a major advantage for the home team and the European contingent, as Solow’s trainer Freddy Head emphasized it is a brave decision for Able Friend and his connections to come all the way. This applies when stars from around the world come to Hong Kong for our international races, too.
Coming back to the races with our Members’ Day on Sunday it is very rare for us to see, such as those gentlemen at the Royal Enclosure of Royal Ascot, tuxedos strolling about at the races in Hong Kong. Having said that, racing remains a sport that possesses distinguished history in the city. During the Ladies’ Purse day and several other major race days, it is easy to find many smartly attired ladies and gentlemen in attendance. Few could deny our racecourses are two very popular and important social venues, as well as for those who want to seek racing entertainment, too. No matter if you are a Club Member or ordinary racing fan, all of you can get fun, satisfaction from our races and services, and as a whole, pleasant racing experiences.
Without doubt, our Club Members have always been a key component for the Club’s development. Their staunch support, their huge enthusiasm for racing, and the substantial investments made by those Club Members cum Owners in purchasing high quality horses that help us achieve the lofty status we are now enjoying in world racing.
As a continuation of our efforts last season to offer a better experience for our Members on raceday, this season we provided more renovated venues at the racecourse for our Members, including the Paddock Box and the Young Members Box at Sha Tin. These venues have been well received by our Members since they are in operation earlier this season.
The Club always treasures the close ties and bonds with its 20,000 plus Club Members. That’s why in recent years we have introduced Members’ Day, with this special occasion providing us an opportunity to dedicate the great support as given by our Members. Tomorrow’s Members’ Day coincidentally falls on the same day as Father’s Day. I believe it will be something even more special and offer something extra for those Members who themselves are also dads. We have arranged some surprises for our Members including offers and special events in our racecourse boxes and clubhouses tomorrow. So I hope those Members who come tomorrow enjoy your time and our various arrangements.
Whether you are a Club Member or not, or you will or will not be at the racecourse tomorrow, I wish you all have a great Father’s Day together with your family.
The race highlight tomorrow is definitely the Members Cup (Handicap), which is run as a Class 3 over 1400m as Race 8. The pace in the race should be good to slow with Multimax able to use his low draw to lead again, probably with Wonderful Couples sharing the lead or taking the box seat inside of Kiram or Packing Go Go. Shining Champion, Ultimate Glory and Lucky Scepter can be well placed on or near the rails. To avoid racing wide without cover, Modern Tsar, Always Win and Berlini may be eased to the rear.
Multimax is working well and getting a lead without pushing too much should be helpful to his chance. He’s my win and top three choice here. Shining Champion with 10-pound claimer Jack Wong is my other pick, as the weight allowance really gave him a major advantage. Lucky Scepter is in good form and is another win and top three chance here too. Last but not least, I like Modern Tsar for a place.
After you may have enjoyed today’s Dragon Boat Festival, we are presenting more exciting competition and racing action later today, as we will simulcast six races from the final day of the Royal Ascot meeting tonight. The highlight will go to the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, with the field including raiders Brazen Beau from Australia and Undrafted from the US. I look forward to seeing which top sprinter will win this hot 1200m contest.
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