The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races will be held at Sha Tin Racecourse in just under a month's time. Those trainers who have nominated their top horses for the four races are now hard at work getting them up to peak form for this prestigious annual event.
The trial races form an important part of their final preparation and we have scheduled another two trials tomorrow – the Cathay Pacific International Sprint Trial and Cathay Pacific International Mile Trial. I am especially looking forward to the Sprint Trial, a $3 million race that looks likely be a three-way tussle between Absolute Champion, Sacred Kingdom and Medic Power.
Although Absolute Champion received a five-pound penalty in this Group Two race, I still fancy his chance and believe that he will run a terrific race.
Vengeance Of Rain will meanwhile feature in the Mile Trial tomorrow. Although jockey Kevin Shea will be on board for the first time, standing in for his fellow South African Anthony Delpech, I still hope this great champion will run a good race. Having said that, there are other best milers like Good Ba Ba and Joyful Winner in the same card and I think they will be the ones to have an edge in this race.
Apart from these two high quality races, a world-class Hong Kong athlete will also come to the racecourse tomorrow in supporting our top horses.
Hong Kong snooker player Marco Fu, who won his first career ranking title in the Royal London Watches Grand Prix in Scotland last month, will take part in our horse statue unveiling ceremony and play a frame of snooker with our jockeys at the Sha Tin Racecourse tomorrow.
It's unlucky I can't play a friendly snooker match with Marco tomorrow, as I only had one past attempt in playing snooker and it was long time ago. But in that occasion, the owner of the billiard room soon came to me, saying the cloth of my snooker table would soon be scratched and damaged if I didn't stop playing. I then realised it will be better for me to continue playing football but not snooker in future.
Alike snooker, racing is also a world-class sport that require sportsmen engaged to be fully prepared in advance, and holding their nerves during races. I hope all local horses can show their talents and give an outstanding performance for our local supporters in the International Races next month.
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