The LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) are just under three months away and, as we approach this Sunday’s (25 September) meeting at Sha Tin, there is a distinct sense of anticipation over what might unfold in December with the return of California Spangle in the first Group race of the 2022/23 Hong Kong racing season.
California Spangle’s connections – including Tony Cruz and Zac Purton – are among those with aspirations of success at one of the most important meetings on the international racing calendar and I am cautiously optimistic that the 2022 edition of this wonderful meeting will mark a return to something approaching pre-COVID normality.
As our flagship meeting, HKIR represents a priceless opportunity for our incredible city to showcase itself to the world while, at the same time, offering a platform for elite horses and riders to compete at the Turf World Championships in four highly lucrative Group 1 events.
Yesterday’s announcement regarding the removal of mandatory hotel quarantine and the opening up of Hong Kong to welcome overseas visitors will put us in a very good position to attract world-class horses and jockeys to HKIR.
It is our vision that with improving COVID conditions the 2022 HKIR will help Hong Kong’s relaunch as a world-class city and we are confident that we can safely host visitors from abroad and also again welcome the world’s best horses and horsemen to clash with Hong Kong’s finest.
Reflecting on last season’s HKIR, we are grateful to have received the trust of the HKSAR Government to stage the meeting under a closed-loop system which successfully protected the health and welfare of all participants – including racecourse attendance of 18,600 – while also allowing us to host top-class horses from around the world.
The support we received last year from Japanese, Irish, English and French trainers, as well as our local trainers, ensured HKIR retained its status as one of the world’s most prestigious race meetings and the victories of Japan’s Loves Only You and Glory Vase along with Hong Kong’s Golden Sixty and Sky Field underlined the diversity and depth of horse quality.
Our planning for this year’s meeting is well advanced and record prizemoney of HK$110 million spread across the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, Mile, Cup and Vase in 2022 illustrates our commitment to world-class racing.
At Sha Tin on Sunday, the third race is the Celebration Cup, a Group 3 handicap over 1400 metres which marks the return of California Spangle, one of the most talented and versatile horses in Hong Kong. This is a horse everyone looks forward to seeing on 11 December as part of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races but the question is what race distance is the best fit.
He has won over distances ranging from 1000m to 1800m, and finished second in the 2000m BMW Hong Kong Derby so there are clearly a lot of options available.
California Spangle has never run over 1400m but he should have no issue with the distance. In my personal view, despite his good performances over 1600m and beyond, he has the potential to be the best sprinter in Hong Kong and one of the top sprinters globally. On Sunday, he has natural speed to make the running and proven stamina to stay the trip, a combination that will make him hard to beat. He has enjoyed his time at Conghua where he has trialled well preparing for his return and is a win and place chance under regular rider Zac Purton.
With the expected good to slow pace, Healthy Happy will apply pace pressure with new jockey Silvestre de Sousa and cannot be taken lightly. In each of the past two seasons he has been successful in his first-up run so we know he performs well fresh. His first-up run last season was a win in the G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap in January carrying 132 pounds. He carries 123lb on Sunday and is a solid place chance. I expect him to give California Spangle a stiff test.
Duke Wai, under Matthew Chadwick, is the lone runner in the field with the benefit of a first-up run this season, finishing a troubled third behind Lucky Sweynesse over 1200m. I am not convinced he handles the step up in trip and have a slight preference to Cheerful Days and Alexis Badel as a place chance. He will need to go back and make one run for his best chance.
The Trainers’ Challenge has got off to a good start and has created interest among our customers. Over the first four meetings, Danny Shum, Caspar Fownes, Ricky Yiu and Tony Cruz have won the Trainers’ Challenge and, after some close finishes so far, we expect the trend to continue at Sha Tin on Sunday, when our 2021/2022 champion trainer Frankie Lor – at $2.50 – is the favourite ahead of Tony Cruz at $4.25 to win the latest Trainers’ Challenge.
Unfortunately for Joao Moreira, despite his hip treatments in Brazil, he has not fully recovered and we will do everything to help him and provide him with the best medical advice to enable him to decide what is the best for his health, not only in the short term but also in the long term.
As a four-time champion jockey with 1,234 wins in Hong Kong, Joao has been a great asset and ambassador for Hong Kong race and we are grateful for his contributions.
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