The Bank of China (Hong Kong) Race Day at Sha Tin is always a blockbuster fixture on the Hong Kong horseracing calendar and tomorrow’s meeting (23 November) holds even more significance with the appearance of KA YING RISING, ROMANTIC WARRIOR and VOYAGE BUBBLE on the same card.
The decorated trio dominated Bank of China (Hong Kong) Race Day last season as KA YING RISING shattered SACRED KINGDOM’s longstanding 1200m course record in winning the G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m), VOYAGE BUBBLE claimed the G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) and ROMANTIC WARRIOR swept to a resounding victory in the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m).
Those performances laid the foundation for Group 1 victories at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races last December and ultimately thrust the trio into history with accomplishments which showcased the quality of Hong Kong racing to the world.
Building on last November’s BOCHK Race Day heroics, KA YING RISING added four Group 1 victories en route to acclaim as Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year after a flawless 2024/25 season for David Hayes, Zac Purton and Karis Teetan and last month he became the first overseas horse to win the G1 The Everest (1200m) in Sydney.
Similarly, VOYAGE BUBBLE created history as only the second horse to land Hong Kong’s Triple Crown with four Group 1 triumphs from five attempts, while global champion ROMANTIC WARRIOR won a third G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) before breaking the 1800m course record at Meydan in Dubai and posting gallant Group 1 seconds in the Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt) and Dubai Turf (1800m) to hold the world record for prizemoney earnings of HK$214.7 million.
Collectively, Hong Kong’s Equine Titans embody the enduring excellence of our horseracing, and their performances tomorrow – along with that of rising star MY WISH in the G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile – will set the scene for LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) on 14 December.
In a city where international sport is treasured, we are indeed privileged to have three legendary champions and an emerging force headlining a fabulous afternoon of world-class racing on an extremely important day of reckoning with 31 of the 32 horses competing tomorrow in the three Group 2s also holding entries for LONGINES HKIR next month and I would like to thank the Bank of China (Hong Kong) for its generous ongoing sponsorship of tomorrow’s Race Day.
The first of Sha Tin’s features is the $5.35 million G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint, which is carded as Race 6 and will be run over 1200m at 3.40pm.
The pace will be good with BEAUTY WAVES (Matthew Poon) leading KA YING RISING (Zac Purton) and WUNDERBAR (James Orman).
KA YING RISING travelled to Sydney to take on Australia’s best sprinters in The Everest last month and gave a brilliant performance to score a dominant win. KA YING RISING appears to have coped well with quarantine and settling back into Sha Tin and trialled well last week. He is my win selection.
LUCKY SWEYNESSE (Derek Leung) ran well when resuming behind KA YING RISING on 7 September, finishing second, before travelling to Japan and finishing 11th behind WIN CARNELIAN at Nakayama in the G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) on 28 September. LUCKY SWEYNESSE should get a good run here from gate five and is a place chance.
HELIOS EXPRESS (Hugh Bowman) was very consistent in top sprint races last season behind KA YING RISING before winning the G3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m) in May. He carried 135lb when a well beaten fifth to TOMODACHI KOKOROE (Harry Bentley) last start but he can improve sharply on that effort and is a place chance with 123lb here.
TOMODACHI KOKOROE is undefeated in three runs this season, all in fast time over this course and distance. He switches from handicap to set weight conditions here which will be more difficult but will run well. RAGING BLIZZARD (Brenton Avdulla) is also a place chance.
The $5.35 million G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile is carded as Race 7 and will be run over 1600m at 4.15pm.
The pace will be good to fast with PRAY FOR MIR (Matthew Chadwick) set to lead from COPARTNER PRANCE (Keagan de Melo) and RED LION (Hugh Bowman). MY WISH (Luke Ferraris) is likely to have the run of the race behind the leaders from gate four.
MY WISH continues to emerge as a leading contender for the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile next month and has been very impressive winning twice this season. MY WISH will get a good run for Luke from his draw and he is my win and place selection.
GALAXY PATCH (James McDonald) went back to last before making good ground in the straight for sixth behind MY WISH when resuming. James rides GALAXY PATCH for the first time and, from gate two, may settle closer. If he gets clear running early enough in the straight, GALAXY PATCH is a place chance.
COPARTNER PRANCE, HAPPY TOGETHER (Alexis Badel) and SUNLIGHT POWER (Hollie Doyle) are all racing well and are place chances.
The $5.35 million G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup is carded as Race 8 and will be run over 2000m at 4.50pm.
The pace will be good with KA YING GENERATION (Luke Ferraris) setting the tempo from gate three from SWORD POINT (David Probert) with ROMANTIC WARRIOR (James McDonald) and VOYAGE BUBBLE (Zac Purton) settling behind the leaders.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR has looked impressive in his preparation for his highly anticipated return to racing after fetlock surgery, having had three trials and another turf gallop. He is my win and place selection to win this race for the third time.
VOYAGE BUBBLE had a tough assignment when resuming with 135lb and tired in the straight to be well beaten behind MY WISH on 19 October. In his only previous meeting in Hong Kong with ROMANTIC WARRIOR, VOYAGE BUBBLE was beaten only a neck in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) in February 2024. VOYAGE BUBBLE will improve sharply on his first-up effort and is the hardest for ROMANTIC WARRIOR to beat.
STRAIGHT ARRON (Vincent Ho) produced an eye-catching fourth to MY WISH over 1600m on 19 October. He has returned to trainer David Hayes’ stable and is a place chance.
Of the other runners, BUNDLE AWARD (Andrea Atzeni) is a promising stayer who will appreciate getting out to 2000m and is a place chance. His stablemate ENSUED (Brenton Avdulla) ran fourth in this race last year and can improve sharply on his first two runs this season.
Win to be in LONGINES IJC competition
With only two meetings left before the final selection is made for the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley on 10 December, the battle for the last two places in the prestigious series is delicately poised with several riders still in contention.
With Zac assured his place in the LONGINES IJC as last season’s Hong Kong champion jockey, and a clearcut leader in this season’s standings with 37 wins, Luke Ferraris leads the race for the next spot with 15 wins, two ahead of Hugh Bowman (13), with Alexis Badel (12) and Karis Teetan (11) also within striking distance.
Luke has six rides tomorrow with the standout being MY WISH in Race 7, while Hugh has eight mounts including HELIOS EXPRESS (Race 6), RED LION (Race 7) and three-time course and distance winner BRILLIANT EXPRESS (Race 10), while Alexis’ seven include MOTOR (Race 5) and HAPPY TOGETHER (Race 7). KARIS’s six rides feature THE AUSPICIOUS (Race 10).
The contest for the position as leading homegrown rider is even tighter with Vincent Ho leading on 10 wins from Jerry Chau (nine) with Matthew Poon and Matthew Chadwick both on seven.
Vincent has five rides tomorrow includes SUNNY DA BEST (Race 5) and STRAIGHT ARRON (Race 8), Jerry’s five include CHANCHENG GLORY (Race 7) and SKY JOY (Race 9). Matthew Poon’s six feature BRAVEHEARTS (Race 4) and BEAUTY WAVES (Race 6), while Matthew Chadwick has five rides including MONARCH COUNTY (Race 5).
The competition for the homegrown berth is so close that while Vincent is currently leading Jerry with more wins, if Jerry draws level with another winner he would be ahead of Vincent on countback with 14 seconds to Vincent’s 11.
Before we are treated to the Group 2 triple-header at Sha Tin, the LONGINES HKIR theme also features strongly in Japan, where the G1 Mile Championship is carded as S1-1 and will be run over 1600m at 2.40pm at Kyoto.
There are 13 LONGINES HKIR entrants engaged to run – ASCOLI PICENO, CERVINIA, CHAMPAGNE COLOR, DOCKLANDS, ELTON BAROWS, GAIA FORCE, JANTAR MANTAR, LEBENSSTIL, LONG RUN, MAGIC SANDS, OFF TRAIL, SOUL RUSH and WIN MARVEL.
JANTAR MANTAR (Yuga Kawada) is a three-time G1 winner and excels at 1600m, but he has drawn poorly in gate 15. Despite this, he is a win and place selection.
SOUL RUSH (Cristian Demuro) beat ROMANTIC WARRIOR over 1800m in Dubai and returned to his best after an injury issue when third behind GAIA FORCE (Takeshi Yokoyama) in the G2 Fuji Stakes (1600m) last start. He is also a win and place chance despite his wide barrier of 17.
GAIA FORCE ran second to JANTAR MANTAR in the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) and should have a good run from gate six as a place chance along with ASCOLI PICENO (Christophe Lemaire), LEBENSSTIL (Damian Lane), DOCKLANDS (Mark Zahra) and LAVANDA (Mirai Iwata).
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