We are now reaching a time when an assortment of major international racing nations are getting ready to emerge from periods of coronavirus lockdown.
France and Germany are both aiming to resume racing after a lengthy suspension during the next week or two. The UK is hoping for Government approval to resume later this month while Churchill Downs, having taken the decision to delay this weekend’s Kentucky Derby until September, are also preparing to start racing again now May has arrived.
We wish them the best as they set out to create something similar to the behind-closed-doors model that has served us so well in Hong Kong for more than three months but the challenges they will face – and experience tells us there are many – provide a timely reminder of just what is needed to keep racing going at such a challenging time in our sport’s history.
Hong Kong’s strategy to prevent the spread of the virus has paid a very positive dividend of late – with a marked reduction in the number of new infections – and the Club has been doing everything possible to mirror the Government’s vigilance at every level.
What happens in Europe will clearly have implications for our planned simulcast programme between now and the end of our season in July and we hope to be able to make firmer plans for all our broadcasts, including the five days of Royal Ascot with the World Pool in operation scheduled for mid June, as soon as possible.
However, as so many nations prepare to emerge from lengthy lockdowns it only serves to emphasise what we would have missed had we not been able to keep Hong Kong racing going through the height of the crisis.
Creating a protective bubble around our sport enabled us to complete all three legs of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, culminating with Golden Sixty’s thrilling BMW Hong Kong Derby. Sweeping the Classic Series was clearly a huge boost to Vincent Ho’s growing profile and the fact that we are still racing also enabled our latest rising star to join the Group 1 club with his win aboard Southern Legend in last week’s Champions Mile.
A longstanding bond between Vincent and his mentor and former boss Caspar Fownes was clear for all to see and hear on FWD Champions Day last Sunday and these are the sort of stories which help the appeal of our sport resonate both here in Hong Kong and with the growing number of international fans engaging with our sport.
The ongoing battle for the jockeys’ championship is another major attraction at the moment – and the gap between Joao Moreira and Zac Purton remains at just three after both men recorded doubles at Happy Valley on Wednesday – but Vincent also played his part in another notable story by winning on Shining Gem.
Of course, Vincent is well known for his successful relationship with Francis Lui and, thanks to Golden Sixty and numerous other good winners, their partnership has been stronger than ever this season.
But Ricky Yiu has also been using Vincent on a regular basis recently. Shining Gem’s success took Ricky to 53 winners for the season – taking him to six clear of Francis – and this year’s leading trainer heads to Sha Tin this Sunday needing just one more success to reach 800 in his Hong Kong career.
Sunday’s feature race at Sha Tin is the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup, won in the last decade by star performers like Dominant (twice) and Exultant and one of only a handful of races in the Hong Kong calendar run over 2400m.
This year’s race will act as a lead-in for horses with the potential to take on our champion stayer Exultant in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup on May 24th. John Moore saddles four of the five runners and tactics could be important in the small field, with very few proven front runners on show.
Eagle Way beat stablemate Helene Charisma in a good finish to this race three years ago. He turns out quickly under a big weight after staying on for third behind Exultant in last week’s QEII Cup and won on the sole previous occasion that Zac rode him in 2018.
The BMW Derby fourth Savvy Nine has Joao for the first time and a light weight after another good run on his latest start. He looks set to go well again but perhaps the most interesting horse is Helene Leadingstar, who has found his form strongly of late with two wins at Class 2 and Class 1 level.
Tony Cruz’s gelding moves up in class and distance here but he ran well for third in this race last year. Helene Leadingstar led for a long way that day. He is a proven stayer having won the South Australian Derby over 2500m and that stamina should be a big asset as he bids to complete the hat-trick under Karis Teetan.
Ricky Yiu and Vincent Ho team up in the final race of the Sunday card with Emerald Spur, one of the main contenders in the Class 3 Inch Arran Handicap over 1400m.
The pace will be consistent with standard sectionals, with Thunder Stomp using his speed from an outside gate to be joined by Beauty Spirit, Private Rocket and Hello Beauty.
Racing Fighter drops down in grade and adds blinkers for the third time in his career in an effort to sharpen his early speed.
Juneau Park should get a good run from inside midfield and his recent form makes him a win and place chance under Moreira. He was outclassed in his last start by impressive winner Mighty Giant but fought on well in a rapidly-run race.
Guy Dragon was a victim of a slow pace in his last start and should improve here as a place chance. He will do his running from the back and should be closing the race off nicely.
Everyone’s Joy rallied down the middle of the track on a course that had some cut in the ground in his last start. He will get a nice run from an inside draw and is a place chance along with lightly-raced Pure Legend.
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