Hong Kong’s racing season is still very much in its infancy with only three meetings and 28 races completed so far, but there was an unmistakable sense of anticipation and excitement with the appearance of three of the city’s top-rated horses at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning (17 September).
The trial performances of ROMANTIC WARRIOR, CALIFORNIA SPANGLE and INVINCIBLE SAGE yesterday served as a reminder that, while the 2024/25 season has opened encouragingly with the emergence of several talented young horses, we have much to look forward to over the coming months.
As we prepare to farewell the incomparable GOLDEN SIXTY at Sha Tin on Sunday (22 September) during the G3 Celebration Cup (1400m), we are reminded of the importance of champions in maintaining the popularity and appeal of Hong Kong’s world-class racing.
Sunday promises to be a wonderful occasion and an opportunity for Hong Kong’s racing purists to pay homage to one of our greatest champions. In the meantime, the future goals and aspirations of our owners, trainers and jockeys burn brightly.
Chief among those objectives is LONGINES Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin on 8 December, when a record HK$126 million will be offered in prizemoney across four Group 1 features – the HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), HK$24 million G1 Hong Kong Vase (2400m) and the HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m).
ROMANTIC WARRIOR, CALIFORNIA SPANGLE and INVINCIBLE SAGE will be tasked, among other top-class Hong Kong horses, with spearheading the city’s defence against international opposition at the December flagship meeting, which is always a fantastic occasion.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important occasions in Hong Kong and one of the traditions of the celebration is the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. First held in 1880 as an act to ward off a plague that had broken out in the district, it has since become customary to stage a fire dragon dance every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival to drive away infectious diseases and to bring good fortune.
The Club has supported the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance since 2010 through our Charities Trust and, in collaboration with the Tai Hang Residents’ Welfare Trust, helps organise fire dragon training for children and young people to foster interest in this cultural heritage activity.
The dragon is about 67 metres long and made of “pearl grass” and, before it is paraded through the streets, it is decorated and stuffed with burning incense sticks. Given the size of the dragon, it takes more than 400 people to perform the dance.
I had the privilege of being among those to lift the dragon and it was an amazing experience.
The Club’s Charities Trust also provided funding to help preserve two other local festivals on the national heritage list – the Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade and the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.
At Happy Valley on Wednesday night, the Class 2 the Deep Water Bay Handicap is carded as Race 8 and run over 1650m at 10.50pm for prizemoney of HK$3,120,000.
The pace is likely to be good to fast with TELECOM FIGHTERS the likely leader for Ellis Wong from gate five. OUTGATE and FLAMING RABBIT will both go forward to sit on the speed and FLAMINGO TRILLION is also likely to be prominent from gate nine.
HELENE FEELING won this race last year and went on to run in all three legs of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, finishing second to Helios Express in the Hong Kong Classic Mile. His form tapered off after that but, resuming here for Zac Purton, HELENE FEELING is a place chance despite drawing barrier 11.
MOMENTS IN TIME won two races at Happy Valley earlier in March and April before finishing fourth in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup (2400m) behind Rebel’s Romance. He then ran well at two subsequent runs back in trip, including a good second at Sha Tin to Chancheng Glory at the last meeting of the season. MOMENTS IN TIME will be ridden by Hugh Bowman and should get a good run just off a fast speed and he is a win and place chance.
CHILL CHIBI goes well fresh and won his first three starts last season when he sat off the pace and produced brilliant finishing runs to win here at Happy Valley. He ran consistently through the rest of the season including a good fourth in the BMW Hong Kong Derby when stretching out to the 2000m. Jerry Chau continues his association with CHILL CHIBI and he is another runner who will be suited by a fast pace and will be finishing off strongly at the end of the race and is also a win and a place chance.
RED HARE KING finished in the top three at his last eleven runs of last season, all at this course and distance, winning three of them. RED HARE KING steps up in class here but should get a perfect run for Matthew Chadwick just behind the speed from his rails draw. He trialled well on 7 September in preparation for his seasonal return and is a place chance.
YELLOWFIN is another remarkably consistent horse who ran three times over this course and distance at the end of last season for a win and two seconds. He raced on the pace, finishing second to WOODFIRE BRO in his last start. Lyle Hewitson goes back aboard and YELLOWFIN is a place chance.
There are a number of chances in what is a very deep race to finish the night. OUTGATE, TELECOM FIGHTERS, MR ASCENDENCY and WOODFIRE BRO all won races over this course and distance last season and FLAMINGO TRILLION won three races at the track over 1800m. They are all capable of being in the finish of this very competitive event.
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