Resilience and patience have stood out as Hong Kong hallmarks during the pandemic and those qualities were on abundant display at Sha Tin last Sunday when Karis Teetan and Tony Millard shared G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup glory with Panfield.
Karis has recently endured the tragic loss of close friend and fellow jockey Nooresh Juglall and has shown great strength of character in trying circumstances, while Tony maintained unshakeable faith in Panfield’s staying prowess despite frustrations.
On a day when generational change was again evident in the sprinting ranks with John Size’s Courier Wonder blasting to a fifth consecutive victory after the master trainer also unveiled more fresh talent in Drops Of God and Toronado Phantom, there was also a reshuffling of the staying hierarchy.
Courier Wonder’s effort to post five victories in his debut Hong Kong season, closing his opening campaign with G3 Sha Tin Vase victory over horses who recently competed at G1 level, bodes well for the 2021 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint in December.
As a three-time G1 winner in his native Chile before being imported to Hong Kong and running an unlucky third in the BMW Hong Kong Derby behind Sky Darci and Russian Emperor, Panfield finally ended Exultant’s Champions & Chater Cup reign.
Tony has done a tremendous job with Panfield. The horse underwent epiglottis surgery in the US and also had a suspensory problem when he arrived in Hong Kong.
The BMW Hong Kong Derby was always Panfield’s objective and he was most unlucky after drawing a wide barrier and having to come wide on the home turn before running on strongly.
Victory in the Champions & Chater Cup justified Tony’s patience and delivered timely reward for Karis and also for the one of the most supportive families in Hong Kong racing, the Yue family, who deserved a G1 win.
Exultant was typically courageous in finishing third behind Panfield and Columbus County, boosting his career prizemoney to HK$83,491,900 from 32 starts (11 wins, 11 seconds and five thirds) to overtake Viva Pataca’s HK$83,197,500 from 44 starts (13 wins, five seconds and 10 thirds).
As a measure of Exultant’s excellence, Tony Cruz’s flagbearer now trails only Beauty Generation, who earned HK$106,233,750 from 34 starts (18 wins, four seconds and six thirds) in prizemoney earned by a Hong Kong horse.
Golden Sixty sits fourth overall with HK$77,925,600 with 17 wins from 18 attempts.
With last of Hong Kong’s 12 G1s decided, there is still much to anticipate with John Size (65 wins) leading a cluttered trainers’ championship from Caspar Fownes (62) with Frankie Lor (56), Danny Shum (56) and Francis Lui (55) all within striking distance.
With 13 race meetings left this season after tonight, it shapes as fight to the line between John and Caspar after both trained three-timers on Sunday.
One of the most uplifting aspects of the 2020/21 season – and for longer still – has been the incredible dedication and discipline of the Club’s staff despite the challenges presented by COVID-19.
I had the opportunity recently to visit some of the Club’s OCBBs (Off Course Betting Branches) to personally thank our staff for their professionalism, while also gaining a better understanding of the operational issues we will face when live broadcasting of races resumes at selected OCBBs for Wednesday night’s Happy Valley meeting.
It will be a challenging and hectic time for staff, but it is a task I know all of them will meet with flying colours.
The Class 2 Fort Handicap over 1650 metres is the eighth of nine races at our Wednesday night race meeting. Magnificent (Karis Teetan) will use his speed from the inside draw to make the running along with Solar Wai Wai (Derek Leung). Green Luck (Joao Moreira) will be equipped with blinkers and should be in close attendance. The pace will be good to slow.
Savaquin (Zac Purton), who is working well, and Delightful Laos (Alexis Badel) could not make an impression in the Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup in their last start when stuck behind a slow pace from wide draws. Both horses have shown a liking to Happy Valley and will be closing ground late, but the likely good to slow tempo will make it difficult to come from the back on the C Course and win.
I make both Savaquin and Delightful Laos place chances.
Green Luck (Joao Moreira) does his best work over the course and distance and should get every opportunity from his good draw to be well positioned in the midfield. Caspar Fownes has put the blinkers on Green Luck and he is for me a win and place chance.
Outsider Flying Quest (Matthew Poon) is also a place chance.
An interesting outsider is Tsar (Matthew Chadwick), who ran well in his last outing at Happy Valley over 1800 metres. He was beaten only one and a half lengths by Charity Fun and going back to 1650 metres should suit him for a place.
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