We announced yesterday an important change in our pattern schedule for this season. The Asian Pattern Committee endorsed our request to move the G1 Champions Mile and G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize a week earlier, to the same date of the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup raceday on 29 April next year. For the first time, we will offer three world-class spring international races on the same day, making it one of the most lucrative race days of racing in the region. Accordingly, the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup, originally scheduled for 29 April, will be moved back a week to 6 May.
Along with our previously announced increases in prize money for all three G1 events this season, I believe this schedule alignment will further boost the status of our spring international events, creating a spring festival of racing here in Hong Kong. It is going to be an exciting raceday and we all are much looking forward to it.
Just three weeks into the new season and our champion jockey Joao Moreira has already ridden his second five-timer at Sha Tin. His Hong Kong winning tally now stands at 598 and another milestone could fall tonight, or soon, when Joao makes two more trips to the winner’s enclosure. The featured event is the eighth race, the Class 2 Cha Kwo Ling Handicap over 1200m of the C course, and the pace should be good. Wonderful Journey and Sea Jade should go forward with inside drawn Almababy and Lucky Dollar tracking them. Blocker Dee and Key Witness are likely to be in midpack with Convincible and Super Lifeline behind. Mr Genuine could go back early from his outside draw.
Convincible is working well and with in-form jockey Karis Teetan aboard, as he was in his last three course and distance wins, including two weeks ago, is my first choice for a win and place. Almababy was his opponent last time and I am expecting a similar good performance, especially being favourably drawn in gate one. Mr Genuine has to come from the back of the field but will have improved from his encouraging first up run and with Zac Purton as the jockey, is at least a place chance. Wonderful Journey should be well-positioned in the front of the field and with his improved fitness, should not be ignored for a placing.
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