After their successes in the Bundesliga and Champions League, Bayern Munich became the 7th European club team to seal a “treble” in a season late on Saturday when they defeated Stuttgart to win their third trophy of the campaign, the DFB-Pokal. They also rewrote the German football record books by becoming the first German side to achieve this special feat. While credit goes to the team players, the successes this season also reflect the enormous influence of the team’s departing coach Jupp Heynckes. Heynckes was a great player with my hometown club Moenchengladbach where he is considered a football legend and I’m sure he now enjoys a similar status among Bayern fans.
But Bayern is an example of the importance of not resting on ones laurels and simply basking in the victory. Already the club is looking to the future in its quest for further excellence. With Heynckes now set to leave the club to be replaced by former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, new players such as Mario Goetze and possibly also Robert Lewandowski who currently plays in Dortmund will also join the team. So you may see a quite different Bayern side in the new season. With the outstanding performances of Bayern and Dortmund at European level, German football currently looks to be at a pinnacle. Despite the successes of the 2012/13 season there will inevitably be some ins and outs as players move between Europe’s top teams, so as a German football fan I hope the Bundesliga clubs can maintain their momentum and flourish in top games again, in the World Cup year next term.
As our local racing edges ever closer to the end of the season, many trainers are also making plans for their horses for next season. John Size and Caspar Fownes will perhaps already be thinking about next season for Glorious Days and Helene Spirit, who were both in action at Tokyo in the Yasuda Kinen last Sunday. Although their performances were a bit disappointing, it should be noted that it has been a long season for them and I don’t think the blip will take away from their domestic achievements this term. They will get their deserved break after returning to Hong Kong, and then connections can map out their main targets for next season.
From Sunday’s simulcast I believe many of you will have witnessed and been impressed by the authoritative display of Lord Kanaloa. I was personally impressed with the sporting attitude of the horse’s connections. After proving Lord Kanaloa to be the best sprinter in Japan, and one of the very best in the world, they took the decision to go the hard route and test their star’s mettle at a longer trip. This reigning Japanese champion sprinter cast aside any doubts about staying the mile distance and conquered that new horizon in great style on Sunday, proving like Bayern that rewards come to those that forge ahead rather rest on past triumphs. I have talked to the horse owners immediately after the race and I’m delighted to learn that the connections plan to send him to Hong Kong again this December. Instead of aiming for the Sprint, he will take his chance in the Mile. This is very encouraging news as it again proved that our flagship racing event in December is truly on top world standard. Given the progress he has shown in the first half of the year it is clear that Lord Kanaloa would again be a very strong contender in our internationals in December.
While Lord Kanaloa dominated at Tokyo on Sunday, I received a piece of good news from France on the same evening as one of my own horses, Now We Can, won the G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly on the Prix du Jockey Club raceday. Including its latest Group success, Now We Can is on a five-race winning streak and I’m happy to have a horse of such quality.
I have discussed plans with my trainer Nicolas Clement and the idea is to aim him at either the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, or, perhaps more likely the Melbourne Cup in early November. Hopefully the horse can maintain its good progress and attain even higher achievements in its future starts this season.
Closer at hand we have a great evening of racing at Happy Valley where some of our most exciting horses will be questing for more glory. Among the eight races the Happy Valley Vase is definitely the focus of tonight’s sport as it features HKG1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup runner-up Willie Cazals, Queen Mother Memorial Cup third Mizani, as well as a couple of the season’s other talented Group race performers. It promises to be an entertaining contest for racing fans.
The race is run as a Class 1 1800m handicap event and horses eligible for this race are all with ratings of 85 or above. I think the field is worth calling at G2 level. With the highest rated horse Pure Champion – rated 121 in Hong Kong – among the field, it has pushed most of the horse to carry bottom weight of 113, and all horses of ratings lower than 101 running against their handicap.
The pace is expected to be good to slow which should slightly favour horses in the front or at least midfield and make it a little bit more difficult to come from the back of the field. There is no definite leader and Beauty Lead is the most likely one, with Endowing and Business As Usual sharing the lead or competing for good spots just off the pace. Victor Delight, Outdoor Pegasus and Pure Champion can be well placed with Mizani and Rainbow Chic in midfield. Packing OK and Willie Cazals are at the back and Irian has to come from last place. Pure Champion is working very well and despite being the top weight he’s for me a place chance. Mizani is not only working well and has the best tactical speed which should put him in a good position, but has also the best finishing speed which makes him the horse to beat. Willie Cazals has to come likely from further back but is still at least a place chance. I would not be surprised that Outdoor Pegasus, Rainbow Chic and Victor Delight could upset some of the more fancied horses for a place.
I had a look at the predication of our Race Simulator which you could download from our website and its race prediction is that Willie Cazals should win in front of Pure Champion, Outdoor Pegasus and Mizani.
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