The European football season might be drawing to a close, but I'm pleased to say that here in Hong Kong the Club is still putting its best foot forward with another football initiative. Community Soccer for Hope, which is being supported by the Club, is targeted at underprivileged people. Through a series of 5-a-side soccer tournaments the aim is to engage their interest and steer them towards new life and vocational opportunities. Yet another example of how football really can make a difference to people's lives.
If you want to see the players in action for yourself you can do so on 28-29 May at Macpherson Playground in Mongkok, where the Club is supporting a fundraising tournament for the Homeless World Cup. This pioneering social movement brings together socially disadvantaged people from all over the world to play for their own world cup. This year it will be held in Glasgow in the UK, and Hong Kong will be sending its own team. The Mongkok tournament will see the final squad being selected. Staff from the Club are also taking part. So if you have time why not drop by and lend your support to some of Hong Kong's most deserving young people.
I enjoyed watching the Kentucky Derby from last weekend which saw Nyquist continue his dominance of the American 3-year-olds and remained unbeaten in eight lifetime starts. He was close to the strong early pace and stayed-on well. This will make the next two legs of the Triple Crown particularly interesting to follow for racing fans across the world.
Tonight's meeting at Happy Valley is the second of our themed meetings during Hong Kong's Le France May celebrations, and particularly tonight, we welcome a series of French racing officials and industry representatives with the featured event, the France Galop Cup (Handicap) going as our seventh race. We often play host to many French connections for our international races, their most frequent tallies coming in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase. Horses trained in France have won the Vase on ten occasions from the race's 22 renewals, a remarkable run of success.
Horses bred in France represent the fifth-highest number of horses based in Hong Kong at the moment. In the not too distant past, 2011 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup winner Mighty High was bred in France and owned there by the Aga Khan before being purchased to race here. Multiple Group-level winner Bubble Chic was second in the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) before his successes in Hong Kong, which include the HKG3 Premier Plate and HKG3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup.
I have had the pleasure of having many of my horses based in France over the years. Among them currently is Now We Can prepared by trainer Nicolas Clement in Chantilly. There are few places on this planet more suited to the training of the mighty thoroughbred than Chantilly, with its seemingly endless gallops, tree-lined paths and grand stables which provide any horse lover and racing fan a remarkable backdrop. Chantilly, always the site of the French Derby, will actually host this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe meeting as Longchamp is under reconstruction, and it will surely provide a stunning landscape for the meeting. Soon enough, the French summer racing scene shifts to Deauville and I always look forward to my annual visit for their Hong Kong Jockey Club Cup meeting.
We offer a warm welcome to all those joining us tonight and hope you will take part in all the festivities around the course. There are two trophy races tonight, the first being the Le French May Trophy (Handicap) which goes as race five and the aforementioned France Galop Cup (Handicap) in race seven.
The Le French May Trophy is a Class 3 handicap over 1,200 metres of the A course. The pace is expected to be good, which should ensure a fair chance for all. Wah May Baby will likely go forward under lightweight with Kei Chiong aboard and Happy Yeah Yeah should take a prominent position too. Generous Bobo and Happy Bao Bei are likely to obtain handy spots behind while the likesof Lang Tai Sing and Lamarosa are at risk of wide trips.
Both Generous Bobo and Wah May Baby are working well and while Wah May Baby will have a significant weight-break on the field, the trip Generous Bobo should get could make the difference and he is my main win chance with Chad Schofield aboard. Wah May Baby is a placing chance for me along with Lamarosa, who will require a great Joao Moreira ride and is saddled with a wide draw for the third consecutive race.
The France Galop Cup is also a Class 3 handicap and run over 1,800 metres of the A course. Little Island will likely run forward with Po Ching Treasure the probable early leader in a pace that might be good to slow. Jolly Gene and Ten Flames should occupy trailing positions behind the lead with Lotus Strikes Back likely to be in a prime spot three back in midfield.
Lotus Strikes Back is unplaced in five starts at Happy Valley but has improved in his last few and goes back to the Valley and back into Class 3 where the light weight, Joao Moreira back aboard and another advantageous draw make him the likeliest winner. Ten Flames has four wins at Happy Valley this season and successfully stretched from 1,200 to 1,650. He was closing against last time and now will have the opportunity to get 1,800m. He has been a model of consistency and is a placing chance. Towering Storm is another placing chance who might need farther for his best, but does have two placings over this trip at the Valley.
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