I think many of us, including our racing fans, are still basking in our memories from a superb edition of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races. We had five out of the top 11 from the 2016 World’s Best Jockeys standings riding at our big meeting – the top three being Ryan Moore, Christophe Soumillon and Hugh Bowman, along with our own Champion Joao Moreira and Yutaka Take, probably the best known sports person in Japan. Of course Hong Kong-based Zac Purton managed two wins and a second at the meeting and is the early leader of the 2017 World’s Best Jockey competition.
Hong Kong’s performance in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint and Hong Kong Mile were superb – a tremendous haul taking the first four placings in both races. The Sprint brought together some of the world’s top sprinters in the richest 1,200-metre turf race on the planet, including Group 1 winners from Australia, France, Hong Kong and Japan, and I think it could be one of the top three sprint races in the world. Aerovelocity’s second win in the race puts him in elite company, and is a phenomenal comeback story following his health issues in March. Beauty Only led home the first four for Hong Kong in the Mile, and is as consistent a horse as we have running here in recent years. He really deserved getting an international Group 1 on his CV. I’m looking forward to the year-end rankings due in January to put even greater perspective on a record day of racing.
We will be hosting some of the world’s finest equestrians in two months when the LONGINES Masters of Hong Kong takes place from 9-12 February.
As a Founding Partner the Club has sponsored the Masters of Hong Kong for years, not just giving Hong Kong people the chance to see one of the world’s leading show jumping events in Hong Kong but also for them to experience the unique partnership between top horses and horsemen. Last year, Joao Moreira showed his versatility when he partnered with German equestrian rider Daniel Deusser to win the HKJC Race of the Riders contest. Joao will try to defend his title and this time he has a new partner – our Club-sponsored rider Jacqueline Lai. Neil Callan, Vincent Ho and Derek Leung will also feature in the competition and we shall see who will become the final champion.
Back to racing, a top horse that Joao partnered for major successes in the past bowed out from the local racing scene earlier this week, 2012/13 Hong Kong Horse of the Year Military Attack. This Caspar Fownes-trained horse reached the pinnacle of his career when he notched four consecutive victories in 2013, culminating with his sensational Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranji. Joao partnered Military Attack for his second Hong Kong Gold Cup success the following year, and he was also the one in the saddle when this great horse made his final career start, running a respectable third behind subsequent Hong Kong Cup runner-up Secret Weapon in the G2 LONGINES Jockey Club Cup last month.
Unfortunately Military Attack was found lame after the race and couldn’t make his 5th HKIR appearance last Sunday. Having said that he has amassed a total career earning of over HK$63.5 million, ranking him third highest in Hong Kong all time behind Viva Pataca and Vengeance Of Rain. This racing hero has etched his name in the history of Hong Kong racing and I believe many fans will miss his terrific performances on our home turf.
Today at Sha Tin we will host the Lukfook Jewellery Raceday. Among the 10 races on the card, the Lukfook Jewellery Cup’s run as race 8 and is a Class 2 Handicap over the straight 1000m course. One interesting Northern Hemisphere three-year-old with the name of Sangria makes his debut while some very talented Southern Hemisphere four-year-olds are in this race. One of the contenders Bad Boy is co-owned by our BMW Hong Kong Derby Ambassador Donnie Yen. I look forward to seeing him starring as Chirrut Imwe in the Hollywood blockbuster “Rogue One”. His role has been described by The Telegraph as “A Star Wars Story’s coolest new character.”
His horse Bad Boy can be the star in today’s race too and the good draw of gate 12 should help him over his favourite distance. Adventurer will join Bad Boy on the front end. Most Beautiful should be close with his solid natural speed and he should be close with Triumphant Jewel and Sangria. My Little Friend, So Fast and Archippus will be well back from the early speed.
Bad Boy is working very well as is Adventurer and both are clear favourites and should be fighting it out as long as they don’t go too fast, which seems unlikely given their experienced jockeys. My first choice is Bad Boy, who should have a slight advantage with the swing of weights in his favour since they last met, but it is a very close call.
As a place chance, I like My Little Friend and Most Beautiful, who despite his long absence of almost a year since his last start in Australia, has shown some potential in track work. He will also be suited more by longer distance beyond today’s race. So Fast is another place chance, coming back to a distance where he was successful in his only attempt.
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