Hi, I've already returned from my Japan Cup trip earlier this week. I think those of you who watched our simulcast last Sunday would echo my views that this year's race was absolutely breathtaking. Most fans at Tokyo Racecourse were cheering for Vodka, hoping she would become the first Japanese mare to win the Cup. With Christophe Lemaire on board, she didn't disappoint her supporters as she broke clear from the rest of the field on the home straight. Even though she was flat-footed in the final 100 metres, she still managed to maintain her lead to defeat Oken Bruce Lee – by a margin of just two centimetres – to achieve this historic feat and win the richest Group One event in Japan.
I think it was an incredibly brave display as it's apparent that Vodka can barely stay for the distance of a mile and a half, but she's a horse with such a big heart. I learnt later that she was found to have bled during the race, but that didn't stop her from bagging a record seventh Group One win. I hope she will recover from this setback soon and have an equally impressive career as a broodmare in the future.
At the same time, I would rate runner-up Oken Bruce Lee as equally impressive, as he was the last horse to enter the straight, and came through from the wide side of the pack with a stunning burst of finishing speed. I chatted with my Japanese friends about this horse, as his name is very interesting. They told me that the horse's owner is a karate school owner who is a staunch fan of the late Hong Kong kung fu superstar Bruce Lee and therefore dedicated the horse to his idol. Compared with his 5th place finish in last year's Japan Cup, Oken Bruce Lee showed a lot more maturity this time, and I would expect him to be a key contender for the major races in Japan next year.
Talking of increasing maturity, it's great to see how many of our apprentice jockeys are showing ever-growing form and confidence this season, with Matthew Chadwick, Keith Yeung and Derek Leung all currently ranked in the top 10 of the jockey's premiership. Although I couldn't be at Sha Tin myself last Sunday, I was delighted to see that Kevin Leung became our latest apprentice to score his maiden winner in Hong Kong. I know that many of our apprentices work relentlessly in training and at morning trackwork, as well as in their races, so it's good to see their dedication paying off. I hope they can keep it up, as this attitude will definitely be a good foundation for future success.
To give our younger riding talents the opportunity to have more exposure at international level, and compete with other top jockeys in front of local racing fans, we've decided to invite our Champion Apprentice Jockey to take part in the Cathay Pacific International Jockeys' Championship starting from this season. Matthew Chadwick, our reigning champion apprentice, will be the first to get the nod and will feature in this championship next week. So all of you please come to Happy Valley Racecourse and give your support to Matthew, and the other two Hong Kong representatives namely Douglas Whyte and Howard Cheng that evening.
In the lead-up to the International Jockeys' Championship, this week's Happy Valley meeting has been designated a "Championship Wednesday" and there will be a number of special events and promotions at the racecourse. Among the eight races on the card, I shall be watching the performance of Healthy Blueberry in the Pak Tin Handicap. This three-year-old runner made an emphatic run in his last time out, secured a wire-to-wire victory at the mile distance at Happy Valley. He will again be partnered by Howard Cheng to compete in the same course and distance and I hope he can produce another good performance tonight. Alex Wong-trained Lucky Money, who won impressively in his last start, and Keep Me, who has shown nice progress in his season debut in September, will be the two other runners able to challenge Healthy Blueberry in this mile event.
In the Hoi Lai Handicap, I expect there will be lacking of pace and I think it may favour Me Tsui's frontrunner Strawberry, who ran second in his last start at 1800m. For other runners, I think it won't be too surprised if Prince Kalamoun and Billion – who both had nice performances at the distance of 2200m last season – can repeat their good results tonight.
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