With the theme of “Let’s Cheer for Sportsmanship,” the two-day Riding High Together Festival attracted about 26,000 visitors to Sha Tin Racecourse and Penfold Park last Friday and Saturday. Among the events, there was a new Guinness World Record set at the festival as 1,000 school students created the world’s longest paper chain within just one hour. The students successfully completed a 3,745.38-metre-long paper chain of cheering messages, conveying their blessings and encouraging words to Hong Kong and its athletes. It was a tough assignment but through teamwork and sportsmanship they managed it. My warmest congratulations on a fantastic achievement!
I’m sure many of you stayed up on Saturday evening to watch the Dubai World Cup simulcasts and offer your support for our seven Hong Kong runners. It was a very enjoyable night at Meydan, and to see California Chrome live up to his billing in the world’s richest race. Of course, it was slightly disappointing to see our Hong Kong runners land just one placing on the night with Peniaphobia in the Al Quoz Sprint.
All horses that travel and race overseas must cope with the new surroundings, different pre-race formalities and arrangements and handle a different track surface. Sometimes it’s a tough ask for the horse and one could hardly blame them for not performing to their usual level. Also, this new dirt surface in Dubai has significant kickback and does not seem as suitable for Hong Kong horses. The track played even faster than in the lead-up races and overall, is just completely different than our dirt track in Hong Kong.
There are still some potential results that influence racing in Hong Kong in the coming weeks. The winner of the Al Quoz Sprint, Buffering, is nominated to the Chairman’s Sprint Prize on 1 May while the Dubai Turf first, second and fourth – Real Steel, Euro Charline and Ertijaal – are amongst the nominees for the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup on 24 April. Our Hong Kong Vase winner Highland Reel, also an APQEII Cup nominee, was fourth in the Dubai Sheema Classic.
We shall see if they will come next to Hong Kong and feature in these top races. Before then we have 11 races in our Sha Tin race meeting this afternoon. The last race of today's meeting is the Primula Handicap and is run as a Class 2 over 1600m. Up And Coming will likely go to the lead and should be joined in a forward position by Doyeni. Travel First, known to lead on occasion, will likely enjoy a stalking position with Ishvara close too. Rapper Dragon is well drawn and should secure a convenient early position while Sergeant Titanium is in line for another ideal trip.
The good to slow pace should give all horses a fair chance to perform with a slight advantage for horses in the front and middle of the field. Sergeant Titanium is working well and in very fine form and is my first choice. Ishvara is in good form and expect him to run well for a win or place.
Rapper Dragon is stepping up in distance which should suit him looking at his 2-year- old form and is better drawn than last time and I see him as a win and place chance too. Doyeni ran a blinder in his last race and has further upward potential but I don't like him going back in distance but would keep him safe for a place. Pikachu will benefit by using the claim of Kei Chiong and can cause a surprise.
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