Any good drama needs to end on a high and that was certainly the case at Sha Tin last weekend when one championship story took a crucial turn and another remained as hard to predict as ever.
But before we move on to this year’s title races, it’s well worth reflecting on the positive effect of having more people at the racecourse on Sunday. Of course, we are still some way from returning to full capacity with general public admission but the latest relaxation measure allowed us to welcome almost 900 extra people with prior table bookings back to the track for the first time since early February.
I certainly wasn’t the only one to comment on the buzz they helped to create around the paddock and the whole day provided a timely reminder of what we have missed and what we have to look forward to, all going well, when many more racing fans rejoin us next season.
Moving on to the racing action, with a lead of six and Joao Moreira suspended for two of the remaining three meetings it now looks almost certain that Zac Purton will be crowned Hong Kong’s champion jockey for the fourth time next week. Joao is a three-time winner of that title and has put up a great fight but Zac’s renowned champion mentality and his amazing ability to master Happy Valley have shone through this season and both he and Joao continue to showcase our sport to the world in a hugely positive manner.
I doubt there was a single fan either here or abroad who started the season thinking Ricky and Francis would be at the top of the trainers’ table with three meetings left but that is the way things stand and the fact that Tony Cruz is also still in the mix adds further spice to one of the most fascinating and unexpected championship races in Hong Kong history.
The contest has followed a remarkably familiar path of late – with Francis and Tony getting on the board early only for Ricky to strike back with longshot winners late in the day – and the excitement Ricky showed as Shining Gem wore down Tony’s runner All In Mind in Sunday’s finale showed just how much he is enjoying the battle and how much it means to him.
Ricky leads Francis by one with Tony four off the pace and Wednesday at the Valley provides the next stage for this ongoing drama. Calling the winner is extremely difficult with just three meetings and 29 races left but, whoever comes out on top, all three trainers have made a major contribution to one of the key stories in this memorable season.
Away from the sporting world, the worrying news of a spike in local Covid-19 infections means that businesses all over the city are having to review their protocols.
The Club is no exception and, in line with our usual stringent public health risk assessments, we are currently reviewing all the latest information in order to decide if we can continue with our current operating mode in relation to Off-Course Betting Branches and racecourse admission or whether we need to roll back to a more restrictive course of action.
Wednesday’s Class 3 Breezy Handicap is the seventh of nine races and will be run at an honest tempo over 1200m. Last start winner California Gungho will use his speed from the outside barrier to join Telecom Puma. Little Bird, Just Not Listening, Victory Power and Tom’s Style are all expected to be on the pace.
Little Bird will be ridden positively from his inside barrier to secure a good position behind the speed and is a win and place chance for the Yiu team. He was taken back in his last start to avoid being caught wide and never featured in the race. This time he will be right in the mix and should get every chance under Matthew Poon.
Wind N Grass was a four-time winner in Ireland as a 3-year-old over 1400 to 1600 metres before coming to Hong Kong on an initial rating of 78 and has failed to finish in the Quinella in 12 starts. He has drawn a good barrier and will be making ground late as a place chance for Victor Wong. Seven Heavens and Victory Power are also place chances.
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