It is always important to reflect on what has been accomplished in the racing world as the old year ends and 2018 has clearly had so many highlights.
America had another Triple Crown winner in Justify. The remarkable mare Winx continued her amazing domination of Australia’s top races, while the Japan Cup heroine Almond Eye and the dual Arc winner Enable made this an equally memorable year for fillies both in Japan and Europe.
But, for me, there is no question that 2018 will also go down as a very special one for Hong Kong racing.
Slowly but surely under the expert guidance of John Moore, Beauty Generation has developed into one of the best horses Hong Kong has ever seen.
He was already the highest rated miler in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings going into the Hong Kong Mile three weeks ago and that runaway victory proves beyond doubt that he belongs firmly in the world’s elite.
It will be fascinating to see what Hong Kong’s latest superstar can achieve in the new year but there was so much more to celebrate in 2018, including an epic duel for the jockeys’ championship between Zac Purton and Joao Moreira which went right down to the last day of the season and the historic opening of the Club’s amazing new facility at Conghua.
John Size showed yet again what an exceptional trainer he is by landing his tenth championship, but his former assistant Frankie Lor showed that he is emerging as a star in his own right by winning two G1 contests with Mr Stunning and Glorious Forever on a day when Hong Kong horses swept all four LONGINES HKIR contests for the first time in history.
Last weekend gave us the chance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sha Tin racecourse, which has been so vital in helping promote Hong Kong racing as a world-class sporting attraction.
However, the end of the year is also a time to reflect on those who have endured difficulty and our thoughts continue to be with Tye Angland, who is now back in Sydney with his family after his tragic fall here in November.
We wish Tye and his family the very best and to everyone in Hong Kong racing – from the owners, trainers and riders to our many staff and everyone who supports the sport here in so many different ways – we wish you a very happy and healthy 2019.
The Group 3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup at 1400 metres is the featured ninth race tomorrow, with Conte likely to be an odds-on favourite in a field of 12.
The pace could be good and the likely speed here has drawn wide, with Conte drawn in 11 and Morethanlucky even wider in 12. Their cards have already been dealt and it looks like they will have to roll forward in tandem. California Whip and Taking Aim seem likely to stay in prominent positions in the early stages but then probably defer to the two horses pushing on from out wider. Romantic Touch has been mixing it up in terms of pace profile but clearly has the capacity to take a position in the front half of the field. Pingwu Spark was scratched on HKIR day for refusing to load into the stalls but he’s been back to the trials twice and earned his ticket to return to the races. If he gets away cleanly here, he will probably be wide.
Conte has won six of eight races, is working very well and enters this race in top form after a very impressive course and distance win last time. He is a win and place chance, though Moreira has to be avoid being trapped wide and making too much use of him in the run to the turn.
Rattan handed Conte one of his two defeats and is in favourably at the weights in this Group 3. He figures to get a good run from midfield and is a solid place chance over his preferred trip.
Nothingilikemore began his career winning six of his first seven before finishing out of the first three in each of his last five races. In his last start, however, he finished sixth between the strong Japanese duo of Persian Knight and Mozu Ascot in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.
It was a good effort and he is a place chance along with Beauty Only. The latter must shoulder top weight at a shorter distance than he might prefer, but the newly-turned eight-year-old continues to perform at a high level.
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