I always think it’s important for me to find time whenever possible amongst my various duties to keep on top of the local racing action and this week I made sure to watch the Sha Tin barrier trials, which took place on Tuesday morning. Two of our stars used one of the trials to gear up for the upcoming major races, with two-time G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup hero California Memory and G1 Champions Mile winner Dan Excel stretching out over 1200m on the all-weather track. Having reviewed the trial footage, I think both of them looked on good terms with themselves and showed that they are in good condition.
These two horses notched top-class successes late last season, with California Memory winning the HKG1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup, and Dan Excel the Champions Mile before finishing runner-up to stablemate Military Attack in the Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranji. California Memory, Dan Excel and Military Attack are all expected to make their seasonal debut in the HKG2 Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy on 27 October. It’s an exciting match-up to look forward to and will hopefully be a step towards these horses taking on top-class overseas raiders in our international races on 8 December.
It’s possible that some of those foreign horses bound for Hong Kong will be among those in action at today’s British Champions Day meeting at Ascot Racecourse in the UK. Having just arrived in the UK last night, I am now setting off to the racecourse and I would say Cirrus Des Aigles in the G1 Champion Stakes is the runner that I’m most interested in today.
Although France’s star gelding was below-par earlier this season, he has enjoyed a revival lately and has won his two most recent starts, including an impressive victory last time in the G2 Prix Dollar at Longchamp. Cirrus Des Aigles won this race two years ago and ran his best race ever when second to the phenomenal Frankel 12 months ago. It’s likely that Cirrus is bound for the Far East once again before the end of the year. Should he come to Hong Kong it would be rather special as it would be the horse’s fifth visit to our city. I hope he will show his true form at Ascot today and head back to Hong Kong healthy and well.
Gordon Lord Byron is another horse I’ll be watching closely. It was no disgrace to finish second to the impressive Moonlight Cloud – who also looks to be Hong Kong bound – when he failed to defend his crown in the G1 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp last time. He will feature in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, the day’s big G1 contest over a mile, and it would be a great feat to add the prize to his G1 Sprint Cup win at Haydock Park last month. I know connections are keen to return to Hong Kong after his good run in last year’s LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, and I hope you all will watch these exciting races with us and enjoy our simulcast coverage tonight.
Attracting top horses and top jockeys is key to the continued growth of the sport here in Hong Kong, and on that note, Sunday’s Happy Valley daytime meeting will be the first for Hong Kong’s newest addition to the jockeys’ rank, Joao Moreira. Having ridden six winners at his farewell race meeting at Kranji last weekend, he is fully booked for all 10 races at tomorrow’s meeting. It’s uncommon for a Club Jockey to commence his riding stint in a Happy Valley race meeting, but of course that will not be a problem for Joao as he gained successes on this track when he won last season’s LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship and he scored there again at the season finale. I’m sure racing fans will be eager to see if he can carry over his incredible form from Singapore to Hong Kong.
Tomorrow’s races at Happy Valley are named for major American cities and the feature is the Fakei Cup, a race that was discontinued from the local calendar in 1875 and renewed in 1976 to commemorate the United States bicentenary. Run as the 8th race on a rare Happy Valley 10-race day programme, the Fakei Cup is a Class 3 event at 1000m.
Roman Legend is trying Happy Valley for the first time, but has a favourable inside draw and solid form during this young season over this trip. He was successful in his first-up run on the first day of the season and then fought on courageously between Ensemble and Bundle Of Joy when beaten a short head in a good effort on National Day at Sha Tin. He figures to be in the mix from the outset and looks to be an each way chance in his current form.
Ensemble is another horse that has shown very good form in the new season, finishing second in a similar race at Happy Valley first up and then returning to post an upset win at Sha Tin. In that race, he overcame a difficult draw and was hustled to the stands side to take up the running and held on in a driving finish. He has the look of a horse that has improved and appears to be the logical alternative to Roman Legend.
Eastern Promise had a very difficult trip last month and nearly unseated his jockey in losing all chance. He has a better draw this time around which will afford him a contending position over the early stages and would be a place chance along with Super Fresh, a horse that is a Valley specialist that performed well in difficult circumstances in his first up run last month when racing wide without cover.
Smart Man has a new jockey in Joao Moreira, new equipment and a first try at the 1000m distance. He will be closing ground over the final 300m, but he may prove to be a horse that prefers Sha Tin.
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