Royal Ascot’s world-class five-day meeting came to an end overnight with more history for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore and a celebration of international horse-racing at its finest.
I would like to congratulate Aidan on winning the top trainers’ award for a record-extending 13th time with six wins over the five days and a career total of 91 wins at the Royal meeting, while Ryan claimed the top jockey award for the 11th time with six wins this week.
BEDTIME STORY provided one of the highlights for Aidan and Ryan with a stunning victory in the Listed Chesham Stakes (1400m) when the FRANKEL filly won by nine and a half lengths, before KHAADEM won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m) to become the first horse in 65 years to win the feature sprint in successive years.
Kinross, who is raced by Hong Kong owner Marc Chan, was scratched from the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes because of the good to firm going.
I was privileged to be at the final day of the 2024 Royal Ascot meeting, which is one of the racing highlights of the year, having flown to London on Friday night to have meetings with some of my colleagues from the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities to discuss international racing subjects.
I was at Royal Ascot also in my capacity as Chief Executive Officer to represent the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which is a strategic partner of Royal Ascot. Royal Ascot was the first partner to share our World Pool vision when it was implemented at the Royal meeting in 2019.
Beside these aspects, I love to attend the races and to make sure I don’t miss any of the exciting races in Hong Kong, I took the evening flight on Saturday night to be back in Hong Kong for Sunday’s (23 June) race meeting which has two Group 3 races on the card.
Our simulcast programme continues with today with the G1 Takarazuka Kinen (2200m) at Kyoto Racecourse and is carded as S1-1 at 2.40pm.
The pace will be good. BELLAGIO OPERA from gate three and DEEP BOND from gate five have raced on the speed previously and ROUSHAM PARK also settled in the first three last run and may go forward from gate ten.
This race was won last year by superstar EQUINOX, with JUSTIN PALACE finishing third and DEEP BOND fifth. Since then, JUSTIN PALACE has finished second to EQUINOX in the Tenno Sho Autumn, fourth to DO DEUCE in the Arima Kinen and last start was fourth to REBEL’S ROMANCE in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March. Christophe Lemaire last rode JUSTIN PALACE when they combined to win the Tenno Sho Spring in April, 2023 and he goes back aboard today. He is my win and place selection.
DO DEUCE’s major wins as an older horse have been recorded at 2200m and further but he ran well last start when switching back to 1800m, finishing fifth to FACTEUR CHEVAL in the Dubai Turf on 30 March. DO DEUCE is a place chance for regular rider Yutaka Take.
BELLAGIO OPERA is an emerging talent who was fourth in the 2023 Japanese Derby and he broke through for his first win at Group 1 level in the Osaka Hai (2000m) at Hanshin on 31 March. He should get a good run under Kazuo Yokoyama from his inside draw and is a place chance.
ROUSHAM PARK ran below his best in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup behind ROMANTIC WARRIOR in December before resuming with a close second to BELLAGIO OPERA in the Osaka Hai and he is a place chance as well for Keita Tosaki.
A number of other runners have claims, including STRUVE, PRADARIA, BLOW THE HORN and DEEP BOND.
At Sha Tin, the G3 Premier Cup (1400m) is carded as Race 8 at 7.35pm for prizemoney of HK$4.2 million. The track is currently rated good.
The pace should be genuine with CALIFORNIA SPANGLE, TELECOM FIGHTERS and PACKING TREADMILL all going forward. HEALTHY HAPPY and TAJ DRAGON should also be handy to the leading division.
CALIFORNIA SPANGLE can complete a stellar season with victory here despite having to concede considerable weight to all his rivals. He won the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup over this course and trip and then the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) in Dubai. He ran incredibly well when second to INVINCIBLE SAGE in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) last start after the great performance in Dubai and without taking anything away from the performance of INVINCIBLE SAGE, the yielding track conditions impacted CALIFORNIA SPANGLE’s performance in that race. CALIFORNIA SPANGLE should get a good run here for Brenton Avdulla and, providing conditions remain dry, is a win and place chance.
MUGEN ran well in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize coming from last mid-race to finish powerfully into third place. He was then fourth behind KA YING RISING in the G3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m) on 2 June. MUGEN will be suited by the step to 1400m and is a place chance for Karis Teetan.
Pierre Ng also has TAJ DRAGON in the race, a course and distance specialist who has six 1400m wins here, including four this season. He beat ATULLIBIGEAL over 1400m and then finished fourth to stablemate GALAXY PATCH over 1600m on 2 June. Back to his favourite trip, TAJ DRAGON is a place chance for Andrea Atzeni.
FLYING ACE ran well in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize when fourth and again made good ground to be runner-up to KA YING RISING last start, both over 1200m. He was unplaced at his only run over 1400m but he is in career-best form and is a place chance for Alexis Badel with his light weight.
The G3 Premier Plate (1800m) is carded as Race 9 at 8.10pm and is run over for prizemoney of HK$4.2 million and features two exciting four-year-olds in GALAXY PATCH and CHANCHENG GLORY.
The pace will be good with ALL FOR ST PAUL’S likely to lead with CHANCHENG GLORY settling behind him with SWORD POINT and HAPPY TOGETHER both prominent. GALAXY PATCH and BEAUTY JOY should settle midfield with FIVE G PATCH and LA CITY BLANCHE in the back half of the field.
GALAXY PATCH continues to emerge as a star of the future and secured his first Group level victory last start, running home strongly to beat CHANCHENG GLORY in the G3 Lion Rock Trophy (1600m) on 2 June. GALAXY PATCH ran well in the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m), so the additional distance should not be a worry, but he meets CHANCHENG GLORY and BEAUTY JOY worse at the weights than last start. GALAXY PATCH is a win and place chance for Vincent Ho and Pierre Ng.
CHANCHENG GLORY has won five races this season and in the Lion Rock Trophy he strode to the front setting a solid pace, gave a good kick in the straight and fought hard to the line before GALAXY PATCH claimed him late. Harry Bentley rides CHANCHENG GLORY, who was second in the Hong Kong Classic Cup at his only run at this distance and he is also a win and place chance.
Tony Cruz has four runners in the race. FIVE G PATCH (Brenton Avdulla) and LA CITY BLANCHE (Matthew Chadwick) bring good 2400m form into the race, coming back in distance to 1800m. They ran second and third, respectively, behind world-class stayer REBEL’S ROMANCE in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) and both will be finishing strongly, particularly if there is good pace. FIVE G PATCH is a place chance.
Tony is also represented by BEAUTY JOY, who ran well for third to GALAXY PATCH last start and is holding form. He is very consistent and, despite giving weight to all his rivals again, is a place chance for Hugh Bowman. Rounding out Tony’s quartet is THE BEST PEACH (Karis Teetan), who will start at long odds but was runner-up in this race last year.
HAPPY TOGETHER is one of three runners for Frankie Lor and has won five races this season, twice at this distance, including the G3 January Cup (1800m) at Happy Valley. He stepped up to Group 1 racing for the first time in the FWD QEII Cup (2000m) and finished fourth to ROMANTIC WARRIOR. HAPPY TOGETHER has been in Conghua since his last run and trialled well there this month. He should get a good run for Alexis Badel and is a place chance.
NIMBLE NIMBUS, to be ridden by Andrea Atzeni, won the G3 Centenary Vase over this distance four runs ago and was third in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup to ROMANTIC WARRIOR. He also has claims.
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