Saturday’s Sha Tin meeting was extremely interesting with the spoils being spread among nine different trainers and nine individual jockeys and the continued emergence of several four-year-old horses was a highlight of the day.
RUBYLOT impressed with a final 400m sectional of 21.81s for David Hayes and HAROLD WIN showed great courage for Francis Lui, but I was also impressed with the wins of Privately Purchased geldings PRAY FOR MIR and PRESTIGE ALWAYS.
Both horses earned PP Bonuses of HK$1.5 million and both are in contention for the HK$52 million Four-Year-Old Classic Series, which is one of the highlights of the Hong Kong season. The PP Bonus system rewards our owners for their efforts to secure quality horses to sustain Hong Kong’s world-class racing with a bonus structure which offers significant returns on investment.
Another horse to follow out of Saturday’s meeting is KING MILES. He is a talented horse and loomed up strongly before fitness told and he will improve out of the run for Francis Lui.
Our focus turns to the international stage early tomorrow when the first of our Sunday simulcast races from Santa Anita starts at 6.37am, while the feature race is the G1 California Crown Stakes (1800m), which is carded as S1-3 and run at 7.43am and is a key race heading to the Breeders’ Cup meeting in November.
SENOR BUSCADOR won the Saudi Cup in February and then tried hard when a distant third to runaway winner LAUREL RIVER in the Dubai World Cup in March. SENOR BUSCADOR reappeared in the Pat O’Brien Stakes (1400m) at Del Mar on 24 August when he was well back and made some ground in the final stages. SENOR BUSCADOR steps up in trip and, despite not having won in three runs at Santa Anita, is a win and place chance for his rider Joseph Talamo.
NATIONAL TREASURE is the highest-rated of Bob Baffert’s three runners with an international rating of 121. He won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational from SENOR BUSCADOR before finishing fourth to that horse in the Saudi Cup when beaten under two lengths. NATIONAL TREASURE won the Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga when resuming in June but dropped out in the closing stages when easily beaten in the Whitney Stakes on 3 August at his last start. Flavien Prat will have NATIONAL TREASURE close to the lead from gate three and he is a place chance.
Baffert-trained MUTH is a high quality three-year-old, who won the Arkansas Derby in March and then started a short-priced favourite on his return and led and won a Listed race over 1600m at Del Mar on 1 September. Juan Hernandez takes the ride and MUTH will be on the speed and is a place chance.
SUBSANADOR, for trainer Richard Mandella and rider Mike Smith, is in good form and will run well and Baffert’s third runner NEWGATE has a good record at the track finishing in the top two at all five starts and is a place chance for John Velazquez.
Our attention then turns to Nakayama Racecourse in Tokyo where the first of eight races starts at 11.25am. The G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) is carded as S2-7 at 2.40pm.
VICTOR THE WINNER won the Centenary Sprint from LUCKY WITH YOU in January before running a creditable third in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo Racecourse at his next start when he took the lead on straightening and battled on well in the centre of the track behind MAD COOL and NAMURA CLAIR.
VICTOR THE WINNER has trialled well in Hong Kong and also pleased trainer Danny Shum in his work since arriving in Japan. The wide draw will make Joao Moreira’s job a little more challenging but VICTOR THE WINNER is the highest internationally-rated horse in the race (116) along with MAD COOL and is a place chance.
MUGEN is an emerging sprint talent for Hong Kong and ran well in his first G1 One race when third to INVINCIBLE SAGE and CALIFORNIA SPANGLE in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize in April. MUGEN ended last campaign with victory in the G3 Premier Cup (1400m), beating CALIFORNIA SPANGLE narrowly under handicap conditions. MUGEN has ground to make up on ratings but he is progressive and should settle midfield and run home under Karis Teetan from gate nine. He is also a place chance.
MAMA COCHA won this race last year when she sat on the pace and fought on strongly, after taking the lead half way up the running to beat MAD COOL in a photo finish. MAMA COCHA comes into this race off a good second to TOSHIN MACAU in the G2 Centaur Stakes on 8 September. Yuga Kawada rides her again and, from the same draw as last year in gate six, she is a win and place chance.
MAD COOL and NAMURA CLAIR, who started favourite, ran second and third respectively last year to MAMA COCHA and they are place chances again this year.
Of the remaining runners, SATONO REVE has been impressive in winning his last three starts including the Keeneland Cup at Sapporo on 25 August and is a place chance for Damian Lane and WIN MARVEL is racing well at 1400m and has claims switching back to 1200m and will be suited by the fast tempo.
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