Many of you will have been at Sha Tin last Sunday when we witnessed the emergence of another new star in the making, Flying Blue, who snatched a sensational victory in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy. Douglas Whyte had him positioned close to the speed from the start, and he responded perfectly when quickened early in the straight. From then on, no-one was able to mount a telling challenge, leaving Flying Blue to romp home three-quarters of a length ahead of race favourite Thumbs Up.
Given that Flying Blue was making first appearance in a pattern race and his last success was a narrow win in a Class 2 event, it was a great step up in class for this four-year-old. I was very impressed with the way he overcame his 21-point rating deficit in such nonchalant style.
The victory also gave trainer John Size his third success in this Group 2 event in the past four years. John has prepped a few outstanding milers in the past like Electronic Unicorn and Armada, so it will be interesting to see how Flying Blue develops and whether he has what it takes to join these illustrious predecessors.
After a Group 2 success, it’s normal for a horse’s connections to start casting their eyes on a Group 1 bid, and I understand that Flying Blue will now be targeted at the BMW Champions Mile on 25 April. Later this afternoon we will announce the selected runners for this year's Champions Mile, so you can find out whether Flying Blue and other top local milers like Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile winner Beauty Flash and Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Mile winner Lucky Nine will be selected to contest in this HK$12 million event later this month, and who will be this year's overseas contenders.
You may also be interested to know the latest news about Dubai World Cup winner Victoire Pisa, who arrived in Hong Kong last Friday to prepare for the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup on 1 May. I’m delighted to learn from my colleagues that the horse has settled calmly, and has had no problems regarding his weight and appetite after his arrival. He certainly looked in good shape when he appeared on the all-weather track during Monday’s trackwork. So I hope this top Japanese runner continues to make good progress ahead of the showcase event on 1 May.
This is another big week for sport, as besides tonight's race meeting at Happy Valley tonight, the UEFA Champions League has reached its quarter-final stages. I'm sure some of you will have stayed up until the early hours this morning to watch Real Madrid’s 4-0 rout over Tottenham Hotspur in the Bernabeu, and defending champion Inter Milan’s disastrous 2-5 defeat to Germany's Schalke 04 in the San Siro. Two more first-leg matches will be played tonight, one pitting Spanish champions Barcelona against Ukranian side Shakhtar Donetsk, who are never easy opponents. But undoubtedly the highlight of the evening will be the clash between British powerhouses Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
This will be a rematch of the Champions League final in 2008, when United defeated Chelsea in a penalty shoot-out. Chelsea will be desperate to gain revenge this time, especially as the Champions League is now their only realistic chance of silverware this season, but United are in determined form at present, as demonstrated by their remarkable 4-2 comeback victory against West Ham last Saturday. In contrast, Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by Stoke City over the weekend, although they still hold fourth place in the League. Chelsea beat United 2-1 in a league game at Stamford Bridge just a month ago, and memories of that ill-tempered match will only add further fuel to the fire.
First up, though, is an eight-race programme at Happy Valley tonight, and I think there should be a lot of excitement to enjoy there, too. In the Sports Club Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup, it’s expected to be run at a good to slow pace, which may help the chances of horses positioned in the front of the field. Multiproud from Gate 4 is expected to lead. Last time he gave a disappointing performance, and post-race veterinary checking showed he had a mucous problem, which may have affected his run. Taking into account of this factor, and also the distance of 1000m last time was on the short side, I hope he will perform better tonight and he is for me one of the favourites in this race.
Able Charm is working very well and is drawn in Gate 1 with a good position on the rail. He has shown nice improvement from his third place finish last time at the all weather track. This three-year-old, along with Caspar Fownes-trained Windicator Power, will both likely be well positioned in the front of the field. I don't see much difference in the chance between the two horses and it all depends which horse will have a better run in the race. Among other runners, Island Super shows that he is coming back to form. He also has an outsider chance among the field.
In the Harlech Handicap, the expected good pace should give every horse a fair chance, but even with the A course I prefer horses which are not drawn wide. Super Plus is expected to lead but I don't fancy him much. Instead, Flying Colours from Gate 4 should be in a good position and his recent form has been rather consistent. I think he will be one of the main contenders in this six-furlong race. The same applies to another distance performer Glenealy Star, but Able Speed will be my top choice in this event. Even he has not won in 22 starts in Hong Kong and having to carry 128 pounds, but being drawn in Gate 1 and down to compete in Class 3 race for the first time, are two appealing factors to me. Meanwhile, First In Command is in great form but is at risk to be forced to travel wide. Despite that, I think he may still have the chance to finish in the frame.
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