Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, and I’m sure many of us will be gathering with our families to celebrate. I highly recommend a visit to our open day at Tuen Mun Public Riding School. It’s a great chance to get up close and personal with horses, to introduce your kids to our cute Russian ponies, and of course to take some great family photos. One of the highlights will be a riding display by members of the Club’s Junior Equestrian Training Squad. The JETS, as they are known, are talented young riders whom the Club is supporting. Our aim, building on the Club’s racing experience, is to develop the quality of equestrian sport in Hong Kong and we hope that JET riders will one day be representing Hong Kong at the highest international level. Judging from their performances so far they will put on a fantastic show tomorrow. So don’t miss it!
We have been very fortunate to have a series of competitive and exciting big international days of racing this season in Hong Kong. There is just one more day looming on our calendar headlined by an international Group 1, the Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup, due on 22 May. Early Sunday morning, Hong Kong time, our friends in America will pause for a great racing tradition in the Kentucky Derby.
Last year, you might recall that American Pharoah was successful in this race before going onto remarkable success the remaining legs of the Triple Crown, becoming the first horse to win all three in the last 37 years. American Pharoah would add two more big wins to his ledger, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and is now retired and already standing duty as a stallion for Coolmore in America. He will surely be among the list of runners in the Most Admired Overseas Horse voting for our upcoming Champion Awards, but more on that in the coming weeks.
When he was in Hong Kong earlier in the year, Ryan Moore was interviewed and suggested a win in the Kentucky Derby was at the top of his list – a race which routinely draws attendance in excess of 150,000 in the Kentucky city of Louisville, completely consumed by racing. I had the pleasure of being at Churchill Downs for the race about 20 years ago and vividly recall all in attendance singing “My Old Kentucky Home” as the horses filed onto the course. We will have several Derbies forthcoming in our simulcasts in the coming weeks with the Japanese, English and French Derbies all being offered in the two weekends in late May and early June.
This week sees the first of two consecutive Saturday meetings at Sha Tin and today’s ten race Chairmen’s Day card takes centre stage, celebrating the Club’s recent former Chairmen. The first Chairman I served under in the Club was Alan Li who fully endorsed the vision of World Class Racing and firmly believed in Hong Kong Racing would become a global recognised player. It is great to see that we have grown to that point and Alan’s vision today.
Today’s tenth race is the Stevenson Cup (Handicap) run over the 1,600 metres of the C course. Grand Harbour is one who regularly goes forward and would expect no different today under Kei Chiong, giving this likely leader a gap of seven pounds on the rest of the field. As we have seen in recent weeks, Kei’s mounts have responded well to her riding and Grand Harbour could get quite the advantage. Leading Horse has speed to obtain a good early position.
Beyond those two, no other chances in this race really want to be forwardly placed, and as such, the pace is likely to be good to slow. Athena Baby has been close in some past Class 3 starts over this trip and should be at greater fitness in this second start following a mid-season spell. Moreira will likely need to keep him close to the potential slower pace. My main win and place chance, however, will be Grand Harbour, in what is Kei Chiong’s first ride for trainer John Moore. The weight break and pace advantage over this trip might be the difference. Athena Baby is a strong hope today as well and is at least a placing chance for me. Glenealy Prize will have to negotiate a trip from gate 14 but has kept on well in recent starts and could enjoy the step to 1,600.
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