The 2023 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) on Sunday (10 December) was a tremendous success in all regards and crowned a hugely successful week with one of the best days of racing in Hong Kong history.
From a sports perspective, GOLDEN SIXTY, Vincent Ho and Francis Lui pulled off an extraordinary performance in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) with a devastating win making GOLDEN SIXTY the highest-ranked miler in the world for horses older than four.
Similarly, LUCKY SWEYNESSE confirmed his standing as the world’s best sprinter with an emphatic win for Manfred Man and Zac Purton in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), while ROMANTIC WARRIOR cemented his place among the elite middle-distance performers in the world after his victory for Danny Shum and James McDonald in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m).
Our biggest HKIR crowd since 2019 with attendance of more than 65,000 at Sha Tin created an electrifying atmosphere and the support the Club received not only from Hong Kong patrons but also from a large contingent of visitors from around the world confirmed that Hong Kong is the place to be in December.
The feedback from our overseas guests, owners, trainers, jockeys and visiting media was extremely positive regarding not only the exceptional on-track competition, but also our hospitality and the overall organisation. I am incredibly proud of the hard work of the Club’s many teams to make HKIR a success and I am deeply gratified for the ongoing support of our raceday partner LONGINES.
We were delighted with the business performance on Sunday with betting turnover of HK$1,697.3 million, which was only marginally lower than last season’s record high, and included a record commingling figure for LONGINES HKIR of HK$429.6 million – an increase of HK$83.9 million or 24.3% on 2022.
LONGINES HKIR was broadcast into more than 40 different regions and countries around the world from Europe, the United States of America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, Australia, Japan, South Africa, Canada and the United Kingdom and Ireland and, via various forms of media, our flagship meeting received significant coverage in Mainland China and many other parts of the world.
This exposure is vitally important to the Club as a global leader in horseracing, while it also showcases Hong Kong to the world as a truly international city with an unmatched vibrancy and ‘Can-do spirit.’
To hear so many positive accolades from our customers is a source of pride and it gives us a great base for our planning for 2024 LONGINES HKIR.
France has a long and celebrated association with the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) with 15 wins in the race and it seems only fitting that Andre Fabre, one of the greatest trainers in the world and a wonderful supporter of Hong Kong racing, was able to win the Vase for the third time with JUNKO.
JUNKO came to Hong Kong as a last-start Group 1 winner in Germany and he showed his class under a patient ride from Maxime Guyon.
There were doubts about LUCKY SWEYNESSE’s status as the world’s best sprinter leading into the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) but those question marks were emphatically banished as Manfred and Zac combined in convincing fashion.
LUCKY SWEYNESSE numbers four Group 1s among his 15 wins and, after Sunday’s display, he has a career-best rating of 132 after becoming the first horse to win all four of Hong Kong’s Group 1 sprints – the Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), the Queen’s Jubilee Sprint Cup (1400m), the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) and the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) – in the same year.
Regarding GOLDEN SIXTY, I have very seldom seen such a performance from any horse, let alone an eight-year-old who had drawn gate 14 and was first-up after 224 days off against decorated Group 1 international opposition in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m).
It was a superb ride by Vincent and excellent management by Francis. GOLDEN SIXTY has been, and remains, an inspiration for Hong Kong and his effort to accelerate from the 400m to the 200m in 10.68s proved this marvellous horse has lost nothing with age.
GOLDEN SIXTY’s career record of 26 wins, including 10 Group 1s, from 30 starts and more than HK$165 million in prizemoney speaks to his unstinting excellence but those statistics do not illustrate what GOLDEN SIXTY means to Hong Kong.
The massive roar which accompanied his devastating sprint as he emerged from the pack to spear to a four-length lead at the 200m was something no-one on course will ever forget.
For Vincent, last week will rank as probably the most memorable of his career with victory in the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship followed by his tactically flawless ride on GOLDEN SIXTY, who delivered probably the best performance of an already stunning career.
The LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) was probably the most exciting 2000m race I have seen this year and very similar to the W. S. Cox Plate (2040m) with outstanding horses fighting for supremacy from the top of the straight.
Just as he did at Moonee Valley for Danny and James, ROMANTIC WARRIOR showed incredible determination to win and held off LUXEMBOURG by a short head. Danny’s management of ROMANTIC WARRIOR with the well documented challenges his champion faced in travelling to Australia and back has been very impressive and is a credit to his staff, while James rode a great race.
Speaking with Aidan O’Brien, trainer of LUXEMBOURG, he is more determined than ever to return to Hong Kong for our feature meetings and I thank him and all the visiting owners and trainers for their magnificent support and sportsmanship.
As phenomenal as the racing was on Sunday, last week also provided the opportunity to host the global racing community in Hong Kong with meetings of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, Asian Racing Federation and International Horse Sports Confederation.
We also hosted a spectacular Gala Dinner where Ryan Moore was acclaimed as the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey for a record-equalling fourth time – a feat achieved previously by only Frankie Dettori.
Hong Kong racing continues on Wednesday night at Happy Valley where the Jordan Valley Handicap is carded as Race 9 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 a number of runners with race patterns that have them in the leading division. SUPERB CAPITALIST should find the front from his middle draw, with COPARTNER AMBITION holding a forward spot on the rails. Newcomer ACE VICTORY has shown pace in his trials and METRO WARRIOR may also go forward from the widest gate.
The strong pace will suit HAPPY DAY who has narrowly won both his starts this season coming from the back of the field and finishing strongly over the top of front runners for new trainer Jamie Richards. HAPPY DAY has spent time in Conghua since his last win and despite rising in grade is a place chance for Vincent Ho.
A AMERIC TE SPECSO was impressive beating See U Again two starts back and then handled the rise in grade well when narrowly beaten by Never Too Soon on 22 November.
Zac Purton goes back aboard here and from his middle gate is my win and place selection.
BRAVE STAR ran third behind NEVER TOO SOON and A AMERIC TE SPECSO when he went forward from a wide gate but was obliged to race wide, without cover and fought on strongly to be narrowly beaten. BRAVE STAR has drawn out again but is in good form and is a place chance for Lyle Hewitson.
COPARTNER AMBITION has been in great form this season winning at successive runs at this course and distance in October. At his latest run COPARTNER AMBITION was checked in the home straight when fifth to Wonder Kit on 15 November beaten two lengths. James McDonald should have him in a striking position from his rails draw and COPARTNER AMBITION is a win and place chance.
LUCKY EIGHT and PRINCE OF PORTY are both racing well and deserve consideration in a competitive race to finish a good card of racing.
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