With only 18 days left until LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), the finishing touches are being applied to our December showpiece with the selection of a host of world-class horses for the four LONGINES Group 1 features at Sha Tin on 10 December.
A total of 16 individual Group 1 winners crowns the selection with 25 of the invited 49 runners hailing from abroad, demonstrating once more the ongoing support Hong Kong enjoys from the global racing community.
With a record HK$118 million in prize money on offer across the HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), HK$32 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and HK$24 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m), exceptional competition can be expected given the quality of the horses involved.
Hong Kong’s record-breaking GOLDEN SIXTY will chase an unprecedented 10th Hong Kong Group 1 in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, G1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) winner ROMANTIC WARRIOR will bid for his fifth Group 1 and second LONGINES Hong Kong Cup while the world’s highest-rated sprinter LUCKY SWEYNESSE searches for his fourth Group 1 and first LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint crown.
While the home team has the advantage of competing on familiar terrain, the overseas contingent is filled with world-class contenders such as HIGHFIELD PRINCESS, LUXEMBOURG, PROGNOSIS, SHAHRYAR, HORIZON DORE, NAMUR, SERIFOS and WARM HEART.
The theme for the 2023 LONGINES HKIR is ‘When The World’s Greatest Meet’ and, with the imminent clash between Hong Kong’s finest horses, trainers and jockeys and their counterparts from Japan, Ireland, France, England, the United States and Singapore, the stage is set for a fabulous meeting which not only celebrates top-quality horse racing but also showcases Hong Kong as a city.
The LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) on 6 December is also one of the most anticipated events on the racing calendar with nine of the world’s finest riders already confirmed in the elite 12-jockey line-up – Zac Purton, Hollie Doyle, James McDonald, Rachel King, Ryan Moore, Yuga Kawada, Mickael Barzalona, Tom Marquand and Bauyrzhan Murzabayev.
Superlatives really do not do John Size justice but his achievements are truly exceptional with a record 12 Hong Kong training championships, three BMW Hong Kong Derby victories and 16 Hong Kong Group 1s and status now as only the second trainer in Hong Kong racing history to saddle 1,500 winners or more behind John Moore (1,735).
Since arriving in Hong Kong for the 2001/02 season, and immediately winning the championship, John’s influence on the city’s horseracing community has been profound, not only with the way he is able to develop horses from entry ratings to elite class, but also his penchant of moulding homegrown talent into world-class horsemen.
Frankie Lor, the 2021/22 Hong Kong champion, is the most obvious beneficiary of John’s genius, but many others have benefitted from the wisdom from this modest and truly great operator. I congratulate John on his latest milestone and wish him the very best for the future.
The final race at Happy Valley on Wednesday night is the High Island Handicap, which is carded as Race 8 at 10.50pm for Class 3 horses over 1200m with prizemoney of HK$1,860,000.
The speed in the race will be good with O’LINER the likely leader from his inside gate. DENFIELD should land on the speed from his draw, with NABOO LEGEND and COLOURFUL EMPEROR also in the forward division. SUGAR SUGAR and EXCELLENT PEERS will settle in the front half of the field.
DENFIELD last start was up in Class 3 for the first time, was drawn in gate eight, jumped awkwardly and was caught wide without cover. He peaked early in the straight and ran on evenly. DENFIELD will start from gate two under Vincent Ho tonight and should be positioned well behind the leader and is a win and place chance.
COLOURFUL EMPEROR went forward and sat outside the leader in the race won by LUCKY ARCHANGEL and battled on strongly when beaten a neck. He is at risk from his draw in gate eight of being caught wide and the same applies to BRAVE STAR, who is drawn barrier 10. COLOURFUL EMPEROR is the choice of Zac Purton and he should improve from his last start and is a place chance.
GOLDEN ARTIE was given a perfect ride when settling midfield on the fence and coming through along the rails to beat BRAVE STAR over this course and distance 29 October. That was his first start at Happy Valley and GOLDEN ARTIE is a place chance with Andrea Atzeni aboard again.
SUGAR SUGAR was runner-up at his first two runs at this season and then had no luck in the straight when fifth to Lucky Archangel over this course and distance. SUGAR SUGAR gets back in his races and always needs some luck in running but he is close to another win and is a place chance here.
While O’LINER was beaten last start over this course and distance by 12 lengths, he had multiple reasons for this disappointing performance on a yielding track, being caught wide from his draw in gate nine and scoped with mucus in the trachea. He should be well positioned tonight from gate one under Luke Ferraris and is a place chance.
This is a very deep race to finish a competitive night of racing with lots of winning chances. NEVER TOO SOON, A AMERIC TE SPECSO and ZOOM BOOM are last-start winners with claims and other horses such as EXCELLENT PEERS have the ability to figure in the finish on their best form.
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