As we approach the fourth quarter of the 2022/23 season, and as international racing continues to provide wonderful entertainment across the globe, the entry for our Easter Sunday meeting on 9 April is a timely reminder that FWD Champions Day is looming rapidly.
Nominations for the G2 Sprint Cup (1200m) feature Lucky Sweynesse – Hong Kong’s current top-rated sprinter at 130 – and reigning Champion Hong Kong Sprinter and four-time Group 1 winner Wellington. The pair will be challenged by a cluster of talented speedsters, including Courier Wonder, Master Eight and Cordyceps Six, while nominations for the G2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) are headed by California Spangle and Waikuku.
Collectively and individually, all will be hoping to lay a platform for a successful Champions Day tilt on 30 April, where HK$65 million in prize money is on offer across a trio of lucrative G1s – the HK$20 million Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), the HK$20 million FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and the HK$25 million FWD QEII Cup (2000m).
After COVID prevented us from hosting international runners in 2022, we look forward to the return of our friends from overseas next month, when Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior and Wellington will once more chase G1 glory.
The G1 Osaka Hai (2000m) from Hanshin Racecourse in Japan this Sunday (2 April) is the next of our simulcast races and it is clear from the results from last weekend’s Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan Racecourse that the World Pool continues to grow in popularity with its ability to generate value for our customers all over the globe because of the bigger pool size.
Overall turnover on the Dubai meeting grew 5.5% from HK$334.7 million last year to HK$353.1 million in 2023, while turnover on the G1 Dubai World Cup (2000m, dirt) itself rose 9.4% on 2022 to HK$60.8 million this year to be the highest World Pool race so far in 2023.
The performances of the immensely exciting Equinox, Ushba Tesoro and Derma Sotogake again underlined the incredible power and quality of Japanese racing and we wait with interest to see which horses from the Land of the Rising Sun venture to Hong Kong for FWD Champions Day.
At Sha Tin last Sunday, Michael Chang celebrated his first treble in nine seasons with the wins of Lost Child, Forever Folks and Ching, while the riding honours were shared by Hugh Bowman, who also won the jockey challenge, Zac Purton and Antoine Hamelin, all of whom had doubles.
We return on Wednesday night to Sha Tin where the Tung Wan Handicap is carded as Race 8 for Class 2 horses over 1200m at 10.50pm with prizemoney of $2,640,000.
The speed in the race will be good with natural leader Nervous Witness driving forward from the outside gate. Adios set the pace at his last start and will be near the lead, with Campione and Harmony And Rich also likely to take up forward positions from their respective draws. The fast tempo might set the race up for horses coming from off the speed.
Goko Win broke through for his first win in Hong Kong at his fourth start when storming home from the back of the field to impressively beat Magniac on the turf on 19 February. Goko Win looked good in a trial for Matthew Chadwick on the all-weather track on 17 March. He won both his starts on polytrack in Australia and is a win and place chance.
Super Win Dragon won three races on the bounce at the start of this season over this course and distance. He stepped up in distance when midfield behind Everyone’s Delight over 1650m when going back from his draw at his latest run on 5 March. Vincent Ho should have him in a handy position just behind the speed from gate two and he is a place chance.
Ka Ying Master is another runner with a good record on the surface. At his last run at the course and distance he held a forward position and fought on well when second to Ping Hai Galaxy. Derek Leung takes the ride here and Ka Ying Master is a place chance.
Adios ran on this surface for the first time when leading and holding on well to finish a close second to Adefill over this course and distance on 5 March where the winning time was very quick. Karis Teetan rides Adios here and with his light weight is a place chance.
Campione comes back to his favourite track and distance and is also a place chance.
Nervous Witness is having his first race start on the surface and trialled well on 17 March and Computer Patch, who has not won a race since October 2020, also won a trial by a big margin on 10 March. It will be interesting to see how they go under race conditions on the surface tonight.
Comment
