The school summer holidays are always a welcome break for students to relax from the pressures of schoolwork. Still, I hope they will use the long holiday profitably for some personal self-development.
Being a passionate follower of football, I would like to suggest the Summer Scheme of the Jockey Club Youth Football Development Programme 2016, whose launch ceremony I officiated at yesterday. Organised in collaboration with the Hong Kong Football Association, it is open to boys and girls aged 4 to 17. Each year, it gives over 10,000 young players the chance to benefit from basic football training and, if they show talent, to move on to other opportunities. It’s also a great chance for young people develop the values of sportsmanship, teamwork and leadership.
On racing, Makahiki was crowned at the head of the three-year-olds in Japan with his win in the Tokyo Yushun last Sunday, while at Sha Tin we had another three-year-old in Rapper Dragon who took the inaugural Lion Rock Trophy in a terrific manner.
This young sensation gave much delight to his connections and I believe they all are looking forward to next season with great fervor when their horse is set on a path towards the BMW Hong Kong Derby, as reported by trainer John Moore. There was also much joy for his winning jockey Joao Moreira as the reigning champion jockey clinched his 146th win of the season in this race, breaking the all-time record he set last year.
It’s not uncommon for a leading jockey overseas to ride 140-plus winners in a season, but with less than 800 races in Hong Kong and incredibly full fields, this is an incredible feat. The fact Joao has repeated his massive number from a year ago is both very believable knowing his skill, but amazing at the same time.
Joao has set his aim at 160 wins and could even go higher, and we have learned he will plan a short-term stint in Japan during the summer, which, as he said, will enable him to sharpen his skills. As with any elite athlete, including our many jockeys who take up riding stints during the summer, it’s that bit of extra desire and motivation, and to strive to do better, that leads to success.
Joao is fully booked for the eight races at Happy Valley tonight and I will see if he will edge closer to his win number target. My attention will also go to the 5th race this evening, the Cricket Club Valley Stakes, a Class 3 handicap over 1,200 metres of the C+3 course.
The Valley Stakes is one of the oldest races run in Hong Kong, and the winning dish given to connections tonight originated in 1889. The pace should be good in this contest as Looks Like The Cat drops back to a sprinting distance and should be one of the leaders, while Happy Cooperation and Great Charm are likely to be racing handy, along with Hit The Bid. Excel Oneself could be caught wide and might need to be pushed forward to secure some position. Big Bang Bong, heavily supported on debut, should be midfield as well over an extended trip. There seem to be many chances in this race with no real standout.
Hit The Bid is an interesting chance for me getting back to Happy Valley, where he has three placings from five starts in previous season. While his rating has increased through, mostly, his races on the Sha Tin all-weather, he should get a nice position under Jack Wong and appreciate a return to sprinting distances. Big Bang Bong still attracts Moreira for his second local start, looks like he has improvement to come and is a placing chance to go better this time. Bolshoi Ballet, making his third start in Hong Kong, has been improved in trackwork and will race with a tongue tie for the first time. He could be an outside placing chance.
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