Happy Easter! Today sees the second and final day of the Club’s Riding High Together Festival at Sha Tin Racecourse and Penfold Park. This is the second year of the festival, and this year with the Olympics in mind, and also to promote the benefits of exercise and participation in sports, our theme is ‘Let’s Cheer for Sportsmanship’. Though it’s been the coldest Easter for 38 years it certainly hasn’t blunted the enthusiasm of festival goers who’ve been enjoying edutainment activities, live performances, and the chance to get up close and personal with horses.
One of the event highlights was the announcement of the Club’s latest initiative to support Hong Kong’s athletes. This is an HK$18 million donation for the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme, which will be administered by the Hong Kong Sports Institute. By providing cash rewards to athletes who win top honours in six major games, the aim is not only to incentivise their performance but to recognise them for the hard work and personal sacrifice. With the Olympics and Paralympics coming up here’s hoping for some more outstanding performances by our athletes to make Hong Kong proud.
Meydan will be at the centre of global racing tonight and our seven contenders from Hong Kong are ready to give their all in their respective Dubai World Cup races. I am thrilled for the big night of racing and the opportunity to meet with so many leading horsemen and racing executives once again.
In the barrier draw held earlier in the week, racing authorities here in Dubai adopted a very innovative format for the draw in the world’s richest race. After a blind draw of the name of a World Cup starter, connections could then select the barrier of their choice from the remaining available. Gun Pit’s name was first out and Caspar Fownes had the pick of the full lot before deciding to stay inside and go with gate three, securing a near guaranteed inside passage that was quite beneficial at the Super Saturday meeting.
The trackwork reports have been glowing about all of our Hong Kong horses, seven in total, and I am hopeful we can see Hong Kong trainees add to our string of success here in the desert. Fortunately, all of our runners had plenty of overall luck at the traditional draw in the other races.
The first race with Hong Kong horse participation is the second of our simulcast races, the Al Quoz Sprint, over the straight 1,000m course. There is no doubt that Not Listenin’tome has been nothing short of sensational back in Hong Kong over this trip, and he is very likely to shape well in this field. Peniaphobia is one of several who want to be amongst the early speed, along with Lady Shipman, Bel Canto, Buffering and Ertijaal (the latter three all Chairman’s Sprint Prize entrants). This early pace could take a toll on quite a few and in that case, Not Listenin’tome shapes very well and is the main win chance in the race with Ryan Moore aboard.
Sole Power loves this meeting and will make his sixth appearance here after winning last year. He should get a good pace to run into and is a placing chance for me, along with English-trained sprinter Muthmir. Peniaphobia is as game as they come and nearly won this race last year. He is also a strong placing chance.
The Dubai Golden Shaheen is next and Hong Kong’s dirt sprinters hold a very legitimate chance. X Y Jet is a speedball from America and will try to go as fast as he can for as long as he can, but based on the form from Super Saturday, locally-based Muarrab will aim to do the same. Our hopes include Master Kochanwong, who is incredibly quick out of the barrier, and will likely race quite handy, and could even lead under our 13-time champion Douglas Whyte. I tend to think this pace could set it up for horses in behind, and that includes Super Jockey, better drawn here than a year ago when a narrow second, and Domineer, who settled off the pace in his prep at Happy Valley and seems more settled with blinkers. Rich Tapestry didn’t have everything go right last time and might be pushed forward to challenge.
For me, Super Jockey is my main win chance with Domineer a quality placing chance. Master Kochanwong will take some catching and could hold on for a place. Godolphin’s Confrontation is racing over a trip short of his best, but he could be in the mix for a minor award given the frenetic early gallop.
The Dubai World Cup is the world’s richest race and Gun Pit holds a big claim given his performance here on Super Saturday. He is well drawn in barrier three, but will likely be farther back given the likely pace scenario, which shapes as good or even fast. The Americans hold massive claims here with 2014 Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome and the talented Frosted - both winners at the Carnival and expected to race forward. Special Fighter did it wire-to-wire last time, but seems difficult to support after a track-record performance just three weeks ago. That said, he is pace and will likely try the same tactics. Hokko Tarumae can go forward too and Todd Pletcher’s trainee Mshawish, who raced in Hong Kong a few years ago in the Champions Mile, could also be towards the lead.
The home team always carries a strong contingent, and I think Frosted’s prep for this, a big win in the Maktoum Challenge Round 2 over 1,900m, could be the right one. Gun Pit is a definite placing chance while Keen Ice could be a closing threat to hold a placing. California Chrome is drawn wide and while it suits his style, the wide trip could be an undoing in this competitive field.
It is an exciting renewal and I hope you enjoy the six races at the meeting we are simulcasting! All the best to our star horses representing Hong Kong!
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