The Year of the Pig got under way in style on Thursday and now it is time to prepare to say goodbye to one of the true greats of Hong Kong racing.
Once again, the people of Hong Kong showed how important our sport is to the city by turning out in force for Chinese New Year Raceday.
The atmosphere on track was one of the best we have ever had and, with over 100,000 people enjoying a card with seven winning favourites plus a dead heat and some superb finishes, it all added up to a terrific spectacle.
I hope many who enjoyed it will return to Sha Tin on Sunday. A lot of thought has gone into planning Douglas Whyte’s final day in the saddle and, when you look at his remarkable record, it is clear this is a career well worth celebrating.
The facts are well known, of course. Douglas has had over 1,800 winners from more than 12,000 rides since arriving here in 1996.
More than 1,200 of those winners have come at Sha Tin and they include some of the great names of Hong Kong racing such as Ambitious Dragon, Glorious Days, Oriental Express, Akeed Mofeed and Indigenous.
But, beyond those bare facts and figures, Douglas has embodied so many of the positive changes that racing here has made over the last three decades.
Douglas has always been incredibly driven and he brought with him an intensely competitive attitude that meant others had to raise their game to compete both on the track and off it when competing for the best rides.
Some world-class riders tried to dethrone him during his run of 13 consecutive championships but time and again his discipline, his ability to overcome adversity and his ability to reinvent himself when change was necessary saw him through.
It not often in any sport that you can say that someone has set records that may never be broken but that is certainly the case with Douglas Whyte.
Watching him help raise the bar for everyone in Hong Kong racing has been one of the great pleasures of my time here.
I see him as the ultimate professional jockey and I hope that he takes as much enjoyment from his final day as he has given to so many thousands of racing fans over the years.
The seventh race tomorrow is the Class 2 Heung Yee Kuk Cup over 1200m with no clear leader in the field of 10.
My Darling, Storm Signal and New Asia Sunrise are most likely to vie for the early lead with Saul’s Special, Raging Blitzkrieg and Lean Perfection close to the pace. The field should be tightly bunched throughout.
Lean Perfection comes off a disappointing effort in his last start but has since trialled well. The trial suggests that he may show more initiative from the barrier to be on or close to the pace.
Raging Blitzkrieg has been very solid over his last five races, finishing in the top three on each occasion. Though he has won only once from 19 starts since arriving in Hong Kong, his versatility and consistency are worth noting.
He has drawn the outside gate and Moreira will need to make a quick assessment on whether to press forward or to go back and find cover with a horse that can adapt to either situation.
Hitchinlove is one of four horses in the race eligible for a HK$850,000 High Achievement Bonus and he is a win and place chance to do so. He is turning back in trip from 1400m and his recent form suggests that he may be coming up to his best race.
He will be within striking range and the addition of blinkers in his last run was a positive move. This gelding finished a good second in a Group 3 sprint at Caulfield a year ago and looks to be reaching top form now.
Raging Blitzkrieg is always a place chance and this race is no exception. He pushed the very talented Regency Legend to the limit in his last run and he is a solid chance if Moreira can work out a trip.
Lean Perfection’s recent trial and good draw make him a place chance along with Storm Signal, ridden by Douglas Whyte.
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