The welfare of our racehorses and racing participants is of the utmost importance and initial feedback from the first of our twilight meetings last Sunday (4 June) indicates the additional health and safety measures taken were successful.
The 4pm start, three hours later than usual, was devised to offset the increasingly high temperatures experienced early in the afternoon in Hong Kong in June and July and further strengthen the Club’s existing comprehensive heat mitigation measures.
These enhancements include industrial-size misting fans, shortened pre- and post-race procedures for horses, hydration protocols, cooling down methods and close monitoring by health and veterinary professionals and, although the weather last Sunday was warm, there were no reports of horses suffering heat stress on the day.
The response so far from trainers, owners and our customers has also been positive and I look forward to the safe continuation of racing throughout the remaining 12 meetings of the season when our meetings are either twilight or night fixtures.
The clear highlight of last Sunday’s meeting was the performance of Lucky Sweynesse, who carried 135lb to victory in the G3 Sha Tin Vase Trophy (1200m) to equal Beauty Generation’s record of eight wins in a single season.
After starting the season rated 98, Lucky Sweynesse has risen to equal top of the Hong Kong handicap at 131 – a mark he shares with champion miler Golden Sixty – and his effort also to become internationally the highest-rated sprinter in the world is a tremendous credit to trainer Manfred Man.
Richard Gibson has indicated he will not apply for a license to continue his training career for next season and I would like to thank Richard for his contribution to Hong Kong racing since arriving here for the 2011/12 season.
With 286 wins in Hong Kong and stable prize money earnings of more than HK$479 million, Richard has been synonymous with a string of top horses including Akeed Mofeed, Gold-Fun and, more recently, Wellington.
I will follow the progress of Wellington with interest as he contests the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot on 24 June and I wish Richard all the very best for the future.
Last weekend, after attending an Asian Racing Federation Executive Council meeting in Tokyo, I had the pleasure of watching the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen, which was won in brilliant fashion by for the second year in a row by Songline.
The atmosphere at the races was fantastic and Songline’s victory was a triumph for her owners, Sunday Racing. On Sunday, I had pleasure of travelling to Hokkaido, where Songline was bred at the magnificent Northern Farm, which is owned by Mr Katsumi Yoshida.
The Yoshida family’s influence on Japanese racing and breeding is profound and I was also able to visit the renowned Shadai Stallion Station, which is jointly operated by Mr Teruya Yoshida in partnership with his brothers Katsumi and Haruya.
Mr Katsumi Yoshida is a highly successful figure on the international racing and breeding stage, winning some of the world’s most prestigious races and building a phenomenal pool of high-quality brood mares and stallions including – past and present – Deep Impact, Maurice, Lord Kanaloa, Kizuna and Kitasan Black.
The quality of the entire operation is outstanding, with its stunning natural beauty, world-class facilities and the incredible bloodlines assembled there, and it is little wonder Japanese racing is in such vibrant health – on and off the track.
At Happy Valley on Wednesday night, the Tseuk Luk Handicap is carded as Race 9 for Class 3 horses over 1200m at 10.50pm with prizemoney of HK$1,725,000.
The speed in the race will be good from the outset with Xponential, Superb Capitalist and E Universe all having set the pace to win at their last starts and they should keenly contest the lead. Reward Smile will be prominent from an inside gate with Tomodachi Kokoroe also settling near the leading division.
E Universe drove forward from gate eight to lead and kept running to win brilliantly in a much easier race over this course and distance on 17 May. Karis Teetan takes the ride for the first time and E Universe should be able to find the lead or sit behind the leader from gate four and is a place chance.
Reward Smile won on debut at Sha Tin and then backed up three weeks later to finish second to Lucky Encounter racing just behind the lead on both occasions. He comes to Happy Valley for the first time, but has an ideal draw in gate two with Hugh Bowman aboard and is a place chance.
Superb Capitalist jumped brilliantly from a rails draw to lead easily and come away for a dominant win over Allgreektome on 17 May. That was his first run at Happy Valley and Angus Chung takes the ride again. Superb Capitalist should go forward to either lead or sit outside the leader from gate nine and he is a win and place chance.
Excellent Peers won twice at this course and distance earlier in the season and came from well back before the turn to run third to Superb Capitalist at his last run. He will be suited by the fast pace expected and Matthew Chadwick can have him closer tonight from gate six. Excellent Peers won at this meeting last year and is a place chance.
This is a deep race with lots of chances including Wonder Kit and Phoenix Light who are coming off last start placings and Xponential, returning to racing after being at Conghua following his last start win here on 12 April.
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