The longest journey begins with a single step and Hong Kong’s youngest jockey Jerry Chau took a notable stride when Buddies gave him a treble by winning the finale at Happy Valley on Wednesday. October has started strongly for homegrown riders and no youngster could have a better mentor than Douglas Whyte, who can be relied on to provide the best of guidance as Jerry bids to follow in the footsteps of Vincent Ho and company.
Zac Purton and Joao Moreira are sure to bounce back from recent quiet spells and the entire Hong Kong jockey situation could enter a very interesting phase if our plans to bring in several leading international riders on short-term contracts comes to fruition.
Our efforts to attract the right horses and riders for the LONGINES IJC and LONGINES HKIR have been much more complex than usual and if this year has taught us anything it is that you cannot take your eye off the ball for a second. Suffice to say we are doing everything we can to put on a show to suit the occasion but, nearer to hand, we have a terrific weekend of world-class racing at home and abroad.
The Caulfield Cup and British Champions Day take centrestage on Saturday, with several possible HKIR contenders on view, while Japan’s Shuka Sho will be simulcasted part of a strong Sha Tin Sunday card featuring our first Group 2 contests of the season. Round two between Golden Sixty and Beauty Generation is the highlight, backed up by the Premier Bowl, and once the results are in the books we will be just eight weeks away from our showpiece event.
The Premier Bowl is the first of two G2 races and will be run as the third race of the day over 1200m. The tempo will be good with Computer Patch, Hot King Prawn, Voyage Warrior, Big Party and Perfect Match all on pace runners. Perfect Match overcame a tough trip to win the season opening day Class 1 HKSARCE Cup, travelling wide with no cover. He tends to improve with a run under his belt and appears set for his best effort. Alexis Badel will have him well placed and I make him a win and place chance.
Computer Patch showed noticeable improvement in his second-up run, winning the G3 National Day Cup impressively. He is in top form now and is a solid place chance. The super consistent Hot King Prawn is also a place chance despite being saddled with top weight. He has an excellent first up record, has trialled well and will be in the mix from the start. Rattan is an outsider capable of a place chance coming from the back.
The G2 Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy is the seventh race featuring Beauty Generation and Golden Sixty in a field of 12 at a mile. The pace will be honest but they will not go overly hard. Ka Ying Star has drawn inside and will use his natural speed to dictate with veterans Beauty Generation and Southern Legend close. Champion’s Way will box seat under Moreira.
Golden Sixty made a big impression winning the G3 Celebration Cup over Beauty Generation and Champion’s Way three weeks ago. He will make his run from midfield under Vincent Ho and I expect him to make it nine straight as a win and place chance. Beauty Generation will give his all and is a place chance, while Champion’s Way reminded everyone he is a good horse with a solid Celebration Cup run and should get a perfect run. He is a place chance with Furore, who has quietly enjoyed his time at Conghua and should be included despite a wide draw.
Top weights have a good record in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup over 2400m. That is a positive for Aidan O’Brien’s Irish raider Anthony Van Dyck, who came here for last year’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase, while Finche and Verry Elleegant also deserve attention in a wide open race.
Soft ground tends to be a feature of British Champions Day and this year is no exception as Palace Pier and Magical bid to cement their status among the global elite in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over 1600m and the Champion Stakes over 1993m.
Palace Pier is the highest rated three-year-old in the world after extending his unbeaten run to five with an emphatic G1 win on deep ground at Deauville and he looks bound to be hard to beat in the QEII under Frankie Dettori. French raider The Revenant finished second last year and holds clear place prospects again, while Aidan’s exceptional mare Magical won the Champion Stakes last year and is a win and place chance again for Ryan Moore ahead of Lord North and last year’s runner-up Addeybb.
Sunday’s Shuka Sho at Kyoto brings together Japan’s best three-year-old fillies over 2000m. Only five horses have ever completed the Japanese Fillies’ Triple Crown – including Almond Eye two years ago – but the unbeaten Daring Tact is well placed to emulate them as she produced a very impressive burst to win the Japanese Oaks back in May and is reportedly working sharply after her break.
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