With so much outstanding horse racing on the horizon, there is an unmistakable sense of anticipation in Hong Kong as the Chinese New Year approaches.
Little more than a month after an unforgettable staging of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), Hong Kong racing is next week peaking to a “Race for the Ages” with the G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) showdown between our three highest internationally-rated horses – Golden Sixty (124), Romantic Warrior (124) and California Spangle (123).
Pitted against three fellow G1 winners in Waikuku, Russian Emperor and Panfield as well as the talented Beauty Joy, Hong Kong’s titans will clash in the same race on 29 January for the first time on an occasion sure to draw global interest given their pre-eminence in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, released this week in London.
World-class performers head the wish list for every racing jurisdiction and, as was acknowledged by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities on Tuesday with the high rankings of Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior, California Spangle and LONGINES Hong Kong International Sprint winner Wellington, Hong Kong racing is in very good health.
While our aim is to continually improve the quality of our overall horse population, the blockbuster G1 Stewards’ Cup meeting also features the $12 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), which marks the start of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series – which will hopefully produce more stars capable of making the transition to elite levels.
Today, we mark the finale of the Year of the Tiger at Sha Tin, where the Azalea Handicap is carded as Race 9 at 4.25pm over 2000m, for Class 3 horses with prizemoney of $1,900,000 and looms as an intriguing contest with a highly competitive field.
For a middle-distance contest, it should be run at a genuinely good speed with a number of runners in the race profiling as leaders or on-speed runners. Drawn in gate five, Champion Dragon should have enough speed from the gates to take the lead, but Savvy Kingman and Lucky Diamond have inside draws and will be on pace and the riders of Superbella and Woodfire Bro will both be keen to go forward from the start.
Champion Dragon drew the widest two starts back and opened a big lead and stayed on to finish third to the highly-talented four-year-old Sweet Encounter. He again drew wide and had to be used up early before crossing to trail the leader and fought hard in the straight when third to Sword Point on 8 January. Luke Ferraris takes the ride here and from a better draw, Champion Dragon is a place chance.
Five G Patch was a winner over this course and distance on 22 May before having an injury setback. He was having his third run this season when favourite at Happy Valley on 21 December over 2200m when taken back at the start and closing off strongly in the straight to finish second to Natural Storm. Hugh Bowman rides Five G Patch again here and with further improvement, I make him a win and place chance from his rails draw.
Natural Storm had been building to a win this season and showed good acceleration to make a winning move prior to the turn and come away for an impressive win over 2200m at Happy Valley with Five G Patch finishing runner up to him. Natural Storm has drawn wide but given his pattern of racing and the prospect of a solid tempo throughout he is a place chance.
Hit the Shot has raced consistently at his last three starts since scoring his first win in Hong Kong back on 30 October. Zac Purton rides Hit the Shot, who is another horse whose chances will be enhanced if the pace is genuine as he will stay on in the concluding stages. He is a place chance.
There is plenty of interest for racing fans amongst the other runners, with Maldives and Incanto Prepared both having their first run at a middle distance, Intrepid Winner with his good draw and light weight and while the recent form of Superbella doesn’t match his career best, he is a three-time winner at the course and distance.
Race 10 is the Peony Handicap and the last race in the Year of the Tiger. The very talented but unlucky Beauty Eternal will try to overcome his wide draw of barrier 12 and not be caught wide to finish the Year of the Tiger on a winning note, but he will also face a talented first-starter in Magniac, who is also working very well and is drawn in gate one.
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