Certain incidents in racing remind us that the health of our human and equine athletes is more important than anything.
Matthew Poon’s heavy fall from The Elites at Happy Valley on Wednesday was a perfect example and he has all our best wishes as remains in hospital recovering from chest and rib injuries.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Valley card produced one headline performance from a possible Hong Kong Classic Mile contender and further evidence of a trend that has been developing quietly yet significantly this season.
Sky Darci was sent off as the hottest favourite of the night for the closing Belcher Bay Handicap and won like a very smart youngster indeed, clocking the fastest time of the four 1200m races on the card and forging well clear under Joao Moreira to win with plenty in hand.
Joao continues to set a strong pace atop the jockeys’ table and goes into Saturday’s Sha Tin fixture with a lead of nine, but last year’s IJC winner Karis Teetan has joined Zac Purton in second after a midweek treble and his continued fine form is part of a wider trend.
Of course, we are only 20 meetings into the 2020/21 season and that is a little too early to be drawing firm conclusions. However, what we have seen since September suggests that the grip that our two most famous riders have on the top of the table has loosened slightly.
Karis’s continued progress is clearly a factor in this, while Vincent Ho is now firmly established in the top four, but Jerry Chau, Alexis Badel and Chad Schofield are already into double figures and getting plenty of opportunities from a variety of trainers.
Make no mistake, Zac and Joao are world class riders by any measure. There is no question that they continue to set the bar at an incredibly high level week in and week out and we have become used to them riding more than a third of Hong Kong’s total winners each season.
However, having been responsible for almost 35 per cent of all winners last season the big two have accounted for 30 per cent of the 183 winners so far this term. In short, Zac and Joao are being pushed hard by a talented group of young, hungry riders – which is exactly how it should be on one of the most fiercely competitive jockey circuits in the world.
Today’s Class 1 Panasonic Cup Handicap brings together a high quality field over 1400m with Buddies, Beauty Legacy, Circuit Glory and Jolly Banner all contributing to a good pace. Lucky Express will go back in the run for his second try at the course and distance. He finished well to be beaten less than a length against a strong field in his last start and is well placed to make a big impression here.
He is a win and place chance from his good draw with Karis Teetan taking the ride and, as the only four-year-old in the field, he is another who could develop into a Classic Mile contender for 2021.
Band Of Brothers takes his second step up in trip this season to his preferred distance and is in fine form. He will be closing ground as a place chance along with veteran campaigners Jolly Banner and Water Diviner.
Sunday’s simulcast from Japan is highlighted by the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2200m. Run this year at Hanshin as Kyoto is closed for renovations, this is a race with a strong Hong Kong connections, as the globetrotting British filly Snow Fairy won it twice on either side of her 2010 Hong Kong Cup win and Lys Gracieux and Lucky Lilac won it before finishing second in the last two editions of the Hong Kong Vase.
Lucky Lilac produced a strong turn of foot to succeed last year and swaps one Christophe for another as Lemaire takes over from Soumillon here. She won the G1 Osaka Hai on this course in April and looks a leading player again along with last year’s Hong Kong Mile fourth Normcore and the Godolphin filly Soft Fruit, who has been working well and stayed on nicely for third behind star filly Daring Tact in the Shuka Sho last month.
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