It seems like everyone is talking about the Mark Six 40th Anniversary Draw next Tuesday. With our biggest ever Snowball, we’re estimating the First-Division Prize will reach $100 million. So someone is going to be very lucky!
But it’s worth remembering why the Mark Six was established 40 years ago – which was to counter all the illegal lotteries and criminality that was going on at that time. Since then, the Mark Six has channelled over $57 billion to the community through duty and charitable contributions. So although not everyone can be a winner on Tuesday, one thing I can predict is that Hong Kong as a whole is going to benefit very substantially. If you plan to buy a ticket, buy it now and beat the crowds!
We announced earlier this week two-time Champion Sprinter Lucky Nine was retired from racing. He’s like an old friend to me and many of our local fans, ranked among the elite sprinters after he continued his career here in 2010. Over the years he amassed 13 wins and more than HK$52 million of earnings, which placed him among many other champion horses locally. Having had seven G1 wins to his name, this nine-year-old also left his footprints in Japan, Dubai, Australia and Singapore – where he was twice crowned winner in the KrisFlyer International Sprint. It's definitely not an exaggeration to say he’s one of the true ambassadors of Hong Kong racing and I hope he will enjoy his well-deserved retirement.
Lucky Nine also tasted success in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup, back in 2012. The race has since become an international G1 event last year, and his successors will square off in the latest renewal tomorrow. I believe many would have been eager to see how young talent Thewizardofoz fared against other established stars, but unfortunately, some leg swelling led to his scratching on Friday. Having said that, we still have other big stars such as Gold-Fun, Beauty Only and Contentment in the field and will still enjoy a very competitive contest.
With Sun Jewellery dominating our four-year-old series so far, it’ll also be interesting if we could have a dual-winner of the first two legs of our Triple Crown series. Giant Treasure is the horse that will try achieve this in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup tomorrow after his Stewards’ Cup win. It will not be an easy task though as some of his main rivals re-oppose, including Blazing Speed, Designs On Rome and Military Attack, all returning to a more suitable distance this time. But his victory in the Stewards’ Cup proved that Giant Treasure is classy, franking his own second in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile. This G1 double header is going to offer plenty of excitement to our racegoers.
The Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup is the joint 22nd highest-rated G1 race in the world and has attracted a very competitive field. Flame Hero might find himself on the lead in a field that lacks a very clear pacesetter. Should Flame Hero not go forward, Dan Excel could take up the lead. Helene Super Star and Giant Treasure should stalk the pace, but Blazing Speed could be caught wide in the early going and might need some luck.
The slow tempo should help horses closer to the speed but my favourite is still Designs On Rome who comes back to his best and is working very well. He runs over his best distance and can run very fast closing sectionals. Blazing Speed would normally be my second pick but I am concerned that he will get trapped wide from his barrier. He could still be placed, but I am not as confident as I would be if he had a better draw and a more even pace. Giant Treasure is, in my view, better over 1600m but with the slow pace he has a place chance. Dan Excel is improving and is a place chance for me.
The Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup is the joint 28th highest-rated G1 race in the world and has also attracted a great field despite the withdrawal of Thewizardofoz. Trainer Tony Cruz has not hidden the fact his instructions will be for Beauty Flame to lead, so he will go to the lead and Secret Sham is likely to track, though he might have to cover extra ground with Contentment likely to keep him out. Gold-Fun should get a very easy run through following Contentment.
As Gold-Fun is working very well and with Christophe Soumillon on board, he is my first pick with Contentment as my second choice. Beauty Only is working well too and with Beauty Flame coming from the front, I still believe they can both be very competitive. Charles The Great is in good form too and could be placed.
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