Nearing the halfway stage of another fascinating season, the HK$12 million Hong Kong Classic Mile – the first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series – at Sha Tin on Sunday (30 January) shapes as one of the most intriguing races of 2021/22.
We have been blessed, especially in recent seasons, with quality entries across the Four-Year-Old Classic Series and this year’s renewal is no different with a blend of talented milers and classy middle-distance performers targeting the HK$12 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and the HK$24 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m), along with tomorrow’s Mile contest.
Judging by the outstanding crop of entrants for the first leg of the series, we again have a compelling trio of top-line contests to anticipate.
California Spangle heads the race handicap ratings at 101 for Tony Cruz with five wins from six starts but, such is the competitive nature of this year’s crop, his imposing record by no means overshadows the field. The unbeaten Hong Kong International Sale Graduate Romantic Warrior, who was hand-picked by former champion Irish jockey Michael Kinane, is one of several accomplished contenders, along with Sight Spirit, Packing Victory, Ima Single Man, Blaze Warrior, Fa Fa, Master Delight and Lucky With You.
The combined overseas records of Rocket Spade, winner of the G1 New Zealand Derby, Setanta, a Listed winner in Australia, The Irishman, who was placed at G2 level in Sydney, and Cobhfield – who is a Listed winner and also placed at Group 2 level as a two-year-old in England – is indicative of the depth of the field.
Success in any leg of the series is coveted by connections of all runners and as we saw last season with three individual winners – Excellent Proposal (Mile), Healthy Happy (Cup) and Sky Darci (Hong Kong Derby) – the series provides plenty of opportunities and lucrative prizemoney.
While Golden Sixty made a clean sweep in 2020, the series is designed to cater for different types of horses with a variety of racing characteristics and it also lays a strong platform well into the future.
Some of the graduates of last season’s Four-Year-Old Classic Series feature in the G3 Centenary Vase Handicap (1800m) at Sha Tin on Sunday, notably Hong Kong’s reigning champion stayer Panfield, Excellent Proposal and Tourbillon Diamond, who finished third in last year’s Hong Kong Classic Mile.
As evidence of the benefits of the Four-Year-Old Series, each of the trio now commands triple-figure ratings with Panfield on 119, Tourbillon Diamond sits at 113 and Excellent Proposal is on 103. Panfield arrived in Hong Kong on a mark of 85, while Tourbillon Diamond landed with a rating of 86 and Excellent Proposal was rated 75.
Before we reach the Hong Kong Classic Mile tomorrow, the Cape Town Met will be run at Kenilworth Racecourse tonight (Saturday) in South Africa. A Group 1 weight-for-age contest over 2000m, The Met is part of the World Pool and will be run as race nine. I make Kommetdieding, to be ridden by Gavin Lerena, a win and place chance. Jet Dark, under S’Manga Khumalo, is also a winning chance.
This season’s Hong Kong Classic Mile is carded as the ninth of ten races at Sha Tin tomorrow and is a fascinating event. The pace is expected to be good with California Spangle, ridden by Matthew Chadwick, stepping up in distance from 1200m to 1600m. He should be able to get across from his wide draw of gate 13. Lucky With You, for Harry Bentley, has pace but is likely to let California Spangle cross. Packing Victory, with Zac Purton on board, should get the perfect run in the trail. Romantic Warrior should be well placed, too, with Karis Teetan as his jockey, sitting just behind him in a good position. On his outside will be Sight Spirit with Vagner Borges, while Cobhfield with Luke Ferraris will likely be kept wide.
The Irishman will be behind and in midfield on the rail for Vincent Ho along with Fa Fa, ridden by Alexis Badel, on his side, which would keep Ima Single Man for Matthew Poon wide. The same will apply to Master Delight, ridden by Joao Moreira, who will be further back.
California Spangle is the youngest horse in the field as he is an April 2018 foal, bred in Ireland, but his lack of maturity has not stopped him from reaching a triple-digit rating early in his Hong Kong career. Horses from the Northern Hemisphere turn a year older on 1 January, whereas their Southern Hemisphere counterparts turn a year older on 1 August.
There is no denying California Spangle’s speed, class and talent, and the only doubt I have is whether he can stay the distance. His dam was a below average daughter of High Chaparral who never factored in five career starts, all at a mile and further. California Spangle is a very talented sprinter, and it is difficult to leave him out as a winning chance, but I see him as a place chance.
Packing Victory has won four of six races and comes off an impressive win over 1400m four weeks ago. Beauty Joy, which finished second in that race, returned to win in his next start. This makes Packing Victory a big player in the Classic Mile and he is well drawn to allow Zac Purton to let him sit off the flank of California Spangle. He is a strong place chance.
Romantic Warrior is undefeated in four starts. He, too, steps up in trip from 1400m and will get every opportunity from inside midfield. I make him a win and place chance as there is a bit of brilliance about him and he seems to get better with each race. He clocked 22.32s for the last 400m in his last win, which is a very good sectional split.
The Irishman under Vincent Ho and Sight Spirit with Vagner Borges will benefit from the good pace and will be closing the race off strongly. The Irishman missed the start last start, but still finished off in 21.40s, is a win and place chance, with Sight Spirit a place chance. Both The Irishman and Sight Spirit, who John Size appears to like a lot, will be major players in all three legs of the Four-Year-Old Series.
Fa Fa has six wins from 10 starts, with all of those victories at Happy Valley, and while he is something of an unknown entity at Sha Tin, he could also be placed.
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