The German national football team delivered a brilliant performance last Sunday as they defeated England 4-1 in the Round of 16 of World Cup 2010. I watched the match live on TV and was impressed by the high energy level of this young German squad. Besides showing great determination and motivation, the players demonstrated some incredible speed during counter-attacks.
Young players Thomas Müller and Mesut Ozil have shown that they can handle the immense pressure when facing more experienced opponents. My special praise also goes to Miroslav Klose as the veteran striker gave a tireless display up front. As for England, they enjoyed a good spell themselves after trailing 2-0 midway in the first half, and it was unfortunate that the referee made a wrong judgment on Frank Lampard’s shot before half-time. Had that “goal” been allowed and England equalised, I believe it would definitely have tilted the momentum and made the match more exciting. Anyway, I hope Germany can maintain their top form when playing Diego Maradona’s Argentina in the quarter-finals on Saturday night.
It is not only the German footballers who have been flying the flag for young talent recently. Earlier last Sunday, another young gun created a new chapter of history at Sha Tin, when John Size’s Entrapment won the Juvenile Sprint Trophy to become the first horse to achieve seven wins in a single season in Hong Kong. Moreover, he has done it inside just five months, having only made his debut in February, and so far remains unbeaten. Still only a three-year-old, Entrapment is undoubtedly a very exciting prospect for the future. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain the same progress when he competes at Group level next season.
Entrapment's Owner, Benson Lo, made a special trip back from Tokyo to see the race and you could see how proud and excited he was. It's every Owner's dream to discover a top young horse like this. We're delighted that so many Owners are continuing to import quality new blood to Hong Kong for training, which will not only help more people fulfil their dreams in future, but will also contribute to the long-term development and success of our sport.
Just as we need a continuous supply of new young horses coming into the ranks, we also hope the new generations of Club Members and racing fans engaging in the sport, so as to ensure its continued sustainability.
Since the 2005/06 racing season, we've been hosting an annual Members’ Day at Sha Tin Racecourse to strengthen our bonds with Club Members. It has proved very popular, and many Members have brought along their younger generations to attend this special meeting. Today, we shall be hosting this season’s Members’ Day at Sha Tin, and a variety of special on-course activities and merchandise offers have been arranged for them. So I hope our Members and their families will enjoy our races and have lots of fun and entertainment on this special occasion.
Adding to the excitement for everybody will be the continued fierce battle for this seasons jockeys’ championship. It looked as though Brett Prebble might have put the title out of reach of perennial champion Douglas Whyte, but then last Sunday Douglas showed his never-say-die fighting spirit magnificently by achieving a five-timer at Sha Tin without reply. This has put him right back in the frame, as he now trails Brett by just four winners, with five meetings and 48 races to go. So let’s see if it will be Douglas who continues to edge closer, or whether Brett will respond by stretching his lead again this afternoon. And personally, I think Douglas would have a good chance to pull one or two wins back on Prebble today.
Among the 10 races on the card, I will be interested to see how Athenium performs in the Members Cup. In fact, I’m a little bit hesitant in supporting this horse as I’m always skeptical about the second run of horses after a long break, especially this horse was forced to take one due to a bleeding attack. However, this young horse has shown his potential in his victory last time. I’ll see how he performs with Olivier Doleuze on board today. Among other contestants, Glory Of India, who has performed nicely in a 1800m race back in February, and Majestic Heart, who has found a resurging form in last previous run, are also capable to stage a challenge.
In the Beas River Country Club Handicap, Roma Thunder ran a terrific race last start after joining the Tony Cruz stable. Let’s see if this three-year-old gets one step further in this 1400m event today. His main opponent should be Ejimeric Te Spesco who returns from a slight injury with his last start in January. Having drawn Gate 13 and an expected good to fast pace, he has to do some work to come across the field. Farm Legend made an eye-catching debut back in May and I would not be too surprised if he can give an even better run. Toy Story, who should get the ideal trip from Gate 2, can also run close in this race.
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