We are back to Happy Valley tonight with an eight race card after a full weekend of our local racing at Sha Tin, the simulcast of the Derby meeting from England, Sunday night’s exciting Prix du Jockey Club and of course, the Yasuda Kinen. While I missed Sunday’s racing at home, I was in Tokyo supporting our two Hong Kong chances and then chaired Monday’s Asian Racing Federation Executive Council session.
Beauty Only ran a courageous sixth in the Yasuda Kinen, beaten less than two lengths, while Contentment was 10th after being close to the early pace and beaten five lengths. These performances were solid, with Beauty Only, our LONGINES Hong Kong Mile winner, running a particularly strong race. He was a bit unaccustomed to the left turn and that might have impacted his changing legs in the home stretch, which can certainly happen going left-handed at Tokyo instead of right-handed at Sha Tin. Regardless, he still finished incredibly well.
It was also good to see that the first three finishers, Satono Aladdin, Logotype and Red Falx all visited Hong Kong in December and have returned to top form. While Beauty Only won here on home turf in the Mile, Satono Aladdin was seventh, 2 ¼ lengths behind, while Logotype was fifth, just 1 ¼ lengths behind him. The home course advantage shifted in Japan with the top two Yasuda Kinen finishers marginally ahead of Beauty Only in their home jurisdiction. It has been a remarkably consistent season for Beauty Only, who won both the G2 Jockey Club Mile then the G1 Hong Kong Mile before two close seconds in both the Chairman’s Trophy and Champions Mile.
Of course, in Japan, the pre-race procedures can be very taxing for overseas horses unaccustomed to them. The horses walk for about 30 minutes in the pre-parade ring before going to the main parade ring and walk around for another 15 minutes, then go under the track via tunnel onto the course and then to a walking shed before being loaded. All together, this means horses “parade” for nearly an hour and it can be very taxing.
Contentment, in my view, showed he is probably best over 1400m but can handle 1600m at Sha Tin whereas the demanding 1600m in Tokyo, with a significant rise in the home straight, is probably beyond his stamina. Beauty Only was sweating upon his arrival to the parade ring and was wound up even more at the gates – under all of these circumstances, he performed quite well.
I watched the English Derby with great interest late on Saturday evening and it was quite exciting to see Wings Of Eagles land the win. Last August, the Club purchased his half-brother, by Holy Roman Emperor, at the Arqana Deauville Yearling Sale, for just 130,000 euros. He is being prepared in England now and if all goes well, will be offered to our permit holders at next year’s Hong Kong International Sale.
I will also keep an eye on the results from America on Saturday morning as my eight-year-old gelding Now We Can was invited for a second consecutive year to contest the Belmont Gold Cup over two miles. Second a year ago, he will seek to improve on that performance and carries just 115 pounds. Julien Leparoux will ride.
Tonight at Happy Valley, the feature is the Class 2 Wong Nai Chung Gap Handicap, which goes as the eighth race over 1200m. The pace is likely to be good-to-fast with several speed options in the race, including Molly’s Jade Star, Happy Meteor, Victory Marvel and even Dalradian, who from his wide draw, might be pushed on for early speed. Victory Marvel with apprentice Jack Wong aboard could give him pressure from the start while the other two might sit behind the speed. Convincible and Dragon General are likely next in midfield with Verbinsky and My Little Friend behind. Romantic Cash is at risk of being caught wide. Golden Harvest, Mr Genuine and Archippus will probably settle at the rear.
There are many chances in this balanced race and I will give a slight edge to Mr Genuine, who should get a good pace to run into. He is back at Happy Valley where he has done his best running, with three wins and seconds from eight tries at this course and distance. I will make him my main win and place chance. Dragon General has a good draw in gate two and should get a good trip to close from off the pace, but has never been in the quinella from six Happy Valley starts. He is a place chance for me, along with Victory Marvel, who is seeking a sixth win for the season. Verbinsky improved in his second start following a mid-season break and the pace should suit him here, making him another win and place hope.
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