Featuring the best international racing from two countries, the Club’s World Pool operation will operate on three feature meetings on Saturday (30 March) from Flemington, Randwick and Meydan, where four Hong Kong horses will compete at the Dubai World Cup meeting.
Our coverage starts with the G1 Australian Cup (2000m), which is run under weight-for-age conditions at 1.15pm at Flemington Racecourse and is carded as S1-2.
The pace in the race will be good with PRIDE OF JENNI, a front runner who carves out fast sectionals in her races. She led at Caulfield and won the All Star Mile two weeks ago after opening up a big lead and running through the line strongly to beat MR BRIGHTSIDE. PRIDE OF JENNI’s only run over 2000m was on a heavy track in Sydney last year and she will be in front for a long way and is a place chance.
MR BRIGHTSIDE has not won at three starts at 2000m but was narrowly defeated by Romantic Warrior in the W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) in October. Craig Williams was criticised for his ride last start but can make amends with victory here and MR BRIGHTSIDE is a win and place chance.
CASCADIAN, ATISHU and LEGARTO have place chances.
The G1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) is run under weight-for-age conditions at 1.35pm at Rosehill Racecourse and is carded as S2-1.
There is no obvious leader in the field and therefore the pace will be only moderate with KALAPOUR, ATHABASCAN and BOIS D’ARGENT in the leading division with MILITARY MISSION.
Three-year-old TOM KITTEN won the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) against his own age in October. He was a close fourth in the Randwick Guineas behind Hong Kong-owned CELESTIAL LEGEND two starts ago and then sixth in the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) last week. TOM KITTEN is a win and place chance with Jamie Kah taking the ride.
ASHRUN, POST IMPRESSIONIST and MILITARY MISSION are place chances.
Hong Kong has four representatives – CALIFORNIA SPANGLE, SIGHT SUCCESS, VOYAGE BUBBLE and STRAIGHT ARRON – at Meydan for the Dubai World Cup meeting, which features five Group 1 and three Group 2 races for thoroughbreds with total prize money of US$30.5 million (approx. HK$238.7 million).
The Al Quoz Sprint is a Group 1 with prize money of US$1.5 million run over the straight 1200m turf course and is carded as S3-3 at 9.15pm. Hong Kong is represented by CALIFORNIA SPANGLE for Tony Cruz and SIGHT SUCCESS for John Size.
This course is very demanding and horses which are used to performing on a straight course have an advantage because the pace and rhythm of the race is quite different.
STAR MYSTERY, with Frankie Dettori, is a very talented three-year-old filly and is one of the leading chances with a Group 2 win over the straight 1000m in Meydan and she is at least a place chance.
FROST AT DAWN is another three-year-old filly with good form and is improving and I see her as a place chance, too. CASA CREED is a very fast miler and comes with Breeders’ Cup Mile form but it is not easy to assess how he will cope with the straight course.
Last year’s winner DANYAH is coming back to form but he looked stronger last year.
If CALIFORNIA SPANGLE, with Brenton Avdulla, can handle the straight course after having not run on it for a long time, he is a live chance.
SIGHT SUCCESS, with Ryan Moore, was a little bit disappointing lately but may enjoy the different environment is a place chance. SIGHT SUCCESS will also have an important gear change with the addition of a pacifier with cowls.
The G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) is carded as S3-6 at 11.10pm and features 2023 BMW Hong Kong Derby winner VOYAGE BUBBLE for Ricky Yiu and STRAIGHT ARRON for Caspar Fownes.
MEASURED TIME, FACTEUR CHEVAL and MATENRO SKY are all entered for FWD QE II Cup on 28 April.
LORD NORTH has won this race for the past three years and chases an unprecedented fourth win on Dubai World Cup night in the same race.
VOYAGE BUBBLE has been impressive in trackwork since arriving in Dubai and has drawn the rails with Mickael Barzalona taking the ride. VOYAGE BUBBLE was second to Golden Sixty in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile before scoring a brilliant Stewards’ Cup win in January. Last start, he was a fighting second to Romantic Warrior in the CITI Hong Kong Gold Cup when running 2000m for the first time since his Derby win.
The 1800m looks ideal for VOYAGE BUBBLE and he is a place chance.
STRAIGHT ARRON looked unlucky in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup in December when a close fourth to Romantic Warrior and again finished fourth to Romantic Warrior at his most recent run in the CITI Hong Kong Gold Cup when beaten four lengths.
STRAIGHT ARRON, to be ridden by Brenton Avdulla, will need to have everything fall into place from his wide draw to finish in the top five.
LUXEMBOURG was runner-up to ROMANTIC WARRIOR in the 2023 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and NAMUR was third to GOLDEN SIXTY in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile on the same day. Both have place claims.
DO DEUCE beat EQUINOX in the Japanese Derby in 2022 and last raced in the Arima Kinen (2500m) in December when he beat STARS ON EARTH. This is at the shorter end of DO DEUCE’s usual distance range but he is a world-class horse and is a win and place chance.
MEASURED TIME is progressive and comes into the race off an impressive win in the G1 Jebel Hatta over this course and distance on 26 January and is a place chance for Charlie Appleby and William Buick.
Star mare NASHWA is the second of John and Thady Gosden’s two runners after LORD NORTH and is a place chance for Hollie Doyle.
One of the strongest races on the night is the Dubai Sheema Classic (2400m) which is carded as S3-7 at 0.00am.
The race features LONGINES Hong Kong Vase winner JUNKO, trained by Andre Fabre. JUNKO is a place chance but faces strong opposition from Aidan O’Brien’s star AUGUSTE RODIN, who won the Breeders’ Cup Turf in November to crown a brilliant three-year-old season which delivered wins in both the Epsom and Irish Derbies. Ryan Moore takes the ride and AUGUSTE RODIN is my win and place selection.
LIBERTY ISLAND was the star three-year-old filly of 2023 with her only defeat of the year coming at the hands of champion EQUINOX in the Japan Cup. LIBERTY ISLAND will prove hard to beat.
EMILY UPJOHN and STARS ON EARTH are place chances, as are SHAHRYAR, REBEL’S ROMANCE and JUSTIN PALACE, who are world-class stayers.
The race card concludes with the Dubai World Cup (2000m, dirt), which is carded as S3-8 at 0.35am.
Last year’s winner USHBA TESORO closed late for second behind SENOR BUSCADOR in the Saudi Cup in February and is a win and place chance. SENOR BUSCADOR also came from off the pace to win that race and is a place chance.
DERMA SOTOGAKE won the UAE Derby last year and ran well in the Saudi Cup to finish fifth and he is also a place chance with Christophe Lemaire taking the ride.
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