Creating career pathways and providing opportunities for home-grown talent has long been a key Hong Kong Jockey Club objective. The nurturing of youth, both inside and outside of horse-racing, is integral to our commitment to the betterment of Hong Kong society.
On Wednesday night (5 October), Dennis Yip and Matthew Poon extended what has become a recurring theme with outstanding achievements at Happy Valley. With a mid-week double, Dennis became only the eighth trainer in Hong Kong racing history to train 800 winners.
Champion trainer in 2012/13, Dennis has been involved with Hong Kong racing for more than 40 years, having graduated from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Apprentices’ School before being a jockeys’ licence in the early 1980s, eventually riding 59 winners.
On turning his hand to training after serving as an assistant to Brian Kan – one of the eight to prepare 800 or more winners – Dennis this week joined Tony Cruz, John Size, Caspar Fownes, Ricky Yiu and Francis Lui in an elite club of active Hong Kong trainers to reach an extraordinary milestone.
Matthew Poon is also a graduate of the Club’s Apprentices’ School and, at 28, has seemingly continued to constantly improve since returning to Hong Kong from a successful stint in Australia in 2017.
With 34 wins last season, Matthew produced a treble on Wednesday night in a reminder of his undeniable talent and is now only three wins away from 200 Hong Kong career victories. His work ethic will hopefully continue to draw more opportunities from a range of different stables and it was hardly coincidence that his trio of winners hailed from three different barns – Francis Lui, Manfred Man and Frankie Lor.
LONGINES Hong Kong International Raceday (HKIR) on 11 December is just nine weeks away and, with record prizemoney of HK$110 million spread across the four G1 contests, we look forward to welcoming champion horses, trainers and jockeys from around the world to do battle with the best of Hong Kong.
HKIR showcases international racing at its very best and media reports out of Japan this week suggest the connections of G1 Sprinters Stakes winner Gendarme and high-class mare Meikei Yell – among others – are keen to contest the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) ahead of the close of international entries on 17 October. Local entries close on 24 October.
With the substantial lift in prizemoney and the status of HKIR as the Turf World Championships, we are really keen to show that Hong Kong is again open for business and we want HKIR to help relaunch Hong Kong as a world-class city.
The International Conference of Horseracing Authorities in Paris represented a great opportunity to discuss a number of topics key to racing’s future including climate change, rules harmonisation, human and equine welfare and the success of the World Pool.
Having the chance to meet in person for the first time with passionate and accomplished racing peers was really a wonderful experience after our conferences over the past two years were held virtually.
I look forward to working closely in the future with delegates from all over the world for the betterment of horseracing.
At Sha Tin on Sunday, the Egret Handicap is a Class 1 Handicap over 1200 metres on the All Weather, carded as the third of ten races.
Campione is an emerging star on the All Weather for trainer Tony Cruz and will look to maintain his unbeaten record on the surface. He was able to hold the lead from an inside draw and extending to win easily over the course and trip on 12 June.
Zac Purton rides Campione for the first time on Sunday and although drawn further away from the rails than for his previous win, Zac will no doubt push forward in an attempt to be on or near the lead. Campione’s last start second in the Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap behind Lucky Sweynesse on turf was good and I make him a win and place chance.
The pace should be solid in the race with on speed runners We The South, who will have derived benefit from some time at Conghua since his last start, and Winning Dreamer well drawn in gates three and one, respectively.
Winning Dreamer is the X factor in the race making his All Weather debut at his 21st career start. Vincent Ho has been aboard the Frankie Lor-trained sprinter for all of his seven career victories. Winning Dreamer enjoyed an easy trial win on the All Weather back on Aug 30 and he is a place chance.
Majestic Star impressed at his seasonal reappearance behind Fantastic Treasure on turf two weeks ago and was a winner on this surface and distance last season. Harry Bentley takes the ride again for Danny Shum and although drawn widest should be able to take up a position handy to the speed, in the moving line and is a place chance.
Silver Fig is an All Weather specialist having won five times on the surface and meets Campione 11lb better at the weights from their last meeting at the course and distance. I make him a place chance for Silvestre de Sousa who will be hoping for a hot pace up front so he can close strongly late.
While this season’s Four-Year-Old Classic Series still seems some time off, it is always in the minds of our racing fans and the reappearance of exciting prospect Galaxy Witness for trainer Caspar Fownes in the last race on Sunday’s card will be one of the highlights of the afternoon.
Galaxy Witness won his first four starts last season under Joao Moreira and the son of Star Witness will be partnered by Matthew Chadwick when he races first up over 1400m in a contest that has plenty of depth.
Keefy is another four-year-old who has been working well in a race which also features several horses who contested last season’s Four-Year-Classic Series, including The Irishman, who is also working well and finished third in the 2022 Hong Kong Classic Mile behind Romantic Warrior and will be ridden on Sunday by Zac Purton from barrier one.
Packing Victory was another horse who ran in the 2022 Four-Year-Old Classic Series, but did not stay the 1600m of the Hong Kong Classic Mile. He ran well in his first start this season over 1400m along with Navas Two, who performed well first up when fourth over 1200m and now goes up in trip under Ruan Maia to 1400m, which should suit him but I still have Galaxy Witness in the colours of Winnie Law as my favourite.
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