Hong Kong horse racing has rarely faced adverse weather conditions such as those encountered over the past eight days yet, because of the unstinting dedication of our track, stable and support staff, the Club’s teams have risen to the occasion magnificently.
Super Typhoon Saola last week caused the cancellation and rescheduling of vital trials and trackwork only days out from tomorrow’s (10 September) season-opening meeting before Sha Tin was then deluged with more than 500mm of rain on Thursday and Friday during Hong Kong’s heaviest rainstorm since records were first kept in 1884 – again causing the cancellation and rescheduling of trials.
The timing could not have been much worse but, due to the impressive agility and incredible commitment of front-line staff, our horses, tracks and facilities are in the best possible condition despite the circumstances.
Hong Kong’s racing is revered internationally through the deeds of world-class jockeys and trainers such as Zac Purton, Vincent Ho, Hugh Bowman, John Size, Tony Cruz, Frankie Lor, Caspar Fownes and others but, over the past week or so, we have been inspired by the dedication and commitment of unsung stable staff, who ensured horses who had missed trackwork or trials were still able to exercise either in the trotting rings or the horse walker despite the adverse weather.
While the Black Rainstorm warning was still hoisted on Friday afternoon, not only the essential staff returned to the stables and looked after the horses, but quite a few stable staff also volunteered to come back to help ensure all horses, particularly runners at tomorrow’s meeting, were able to exercise in the horse walkers.
This was extremely important from a horse welfare perspective, particularly as it was so close to the opening day of the season and also for the barrier trials on Saturday morning. However, none of this could have been possible without the support of the tracks and medical teams, who were also present on Friday to ensure that the tracks and all other training facilities were in good condition for the trials and the first meeting of the 2023/24 season.
This commitment was shared by the Club’s retail team, who worked day and night to ensure our Off-Course Betting Branches opened on time for our customers.
I attended the barrier trials this morning and had the chance to inspect the track, which is in perfect condition and ready for the season opening tomorrow and I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to everyone involved for their extreme hard work and personal sacrifices and at the same time wish the very best to all participants – owners, trainers, jockeys, staff and customers – for the season ahead.
Before we celebrate the season launch tomorrow, our focus turns to Irish Champion Stakes Day from Leopardstown Racecourse on Saturday night with our latest World Pool meeting.
The G1 Irish Champion Stakes will be run over 2000m at 10.20pm on good ground and is carded as S1-4. Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien has dominated the race in recent years, having won the last four renewals and is searching for his 12th win in the race since Giant’s Causeway in 2000.
Aidan this year has three runners – 2022 winner Luxembourg, Epsom and Irish Derby hero Auguste Rodin and Point Lonsdale, who will be the likely pacemaker in the race, ensuring there is a good gallop in the first half of the race.
Auguste Rodin started favourite in the King George Stakes on rain-affected ground at Ascot at his most recent run, with Ryan Moore easing him down in the straight and finishing a distant last behind Hukum. With the prospect of better ground, Auguste Rodin will make significant improvement and looms as a definite winning chance.
King Of Steel was runner-up to Auguste Rodin at Epsom and then a dominant G2 winner against three-year-olds at Royal Ascot over 2392m, where he beat Continuous, who since easily won the G2 Great Voltigeur at York to enhance the form.
King Of Steel ran against the older horses for the first time in the King George on 29 July finishing a creditable third to Hukum and Westover. He is still improving, with this just his sixth race start and is the hardest for Auguste Rodin to beat.
Of the others, the only filly in the race Nashwa was excellent in finishing second to Mostahadaf in the International Stakes at York on 23 August and is a place chance for Hollie Doyle. Alfaila is also in great form taking the G2 York Stakes on 29 July, when ridden by Andrea Atzeni. With Andrea now in Hong Kong, trainer Owen Burrows has stable rider Jim Crowley back aboard and Alfaila is a place chance in a very strong renewal of the race.
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