I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed our thrilling races last Sunday, especially the two Group 1 feature events which were both decided in the very final strides. I'm sure you will echo my view that they were some of the most breathtaking renewals of these races we've seen in recent years.
In the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby, the superb performance of Super Satin realised the long-time Derby dreams of all his major connections - Owner Ranjan Mahtani, two-time champion trainer Caspar Fownes and nine-time Hong Kong champion jockey Douglas Whyte - giving them all a first taste of success in Hong Kong's most prestigious domestic event.
This fairytale story began in 2007, when our former trainer the late Ivan Allan purchased the horse as a yearling at the Magic Millions Sale in Australia, and he was subsequently imported to Hong Kong. Although his dam is a half-sister to 1998 Hong Kong Derby winner Johan Cruyff, few could have expected Super Satin to attain similar achievements until he showed his credentials by winning three races in a row at Happy Valley earlier this season to become then leader of the Million Challenge.
One should not overlook the role played by horse owner and trainer in the planning and preparation of this victory. Although Super Satin was in a strong position to score further points at Happy Valley and wrap up the Million Challenge prize, Caspar was confident that even bigger rewards were attainable and opted to bypass the rest of the Million Challenge in favour of the Derby campaign. Super Satin's eventual victory in a Class 2 race at Sha Tin, and his runner-up finish in the Derby Trial, proved that judgement correct.
In fact, Caspar had four Derby contenders in great form ahead of the big race - Super Satin, Beauty Legend, Fair Trade and Grand Dragon. While he declined to disclose the riding tactics of his runners at the barrier draw last week, it's clear from the way the race panned out that Caspar had advised Douglas to settle Super Satin behind midfield in the early stage. This riding instruction gave Douglas more flexibility to adjust his riding in accordance with the actual circumstances. The tactic also gave his horse sufficient reserves in the tank to deliver a decisive dash on the home straight.
I think Douglas' performance was phenomenal, too. He put in such a great finish and you could see how many fans in the grandstand were cheering and celebrating for him. Afterwards he told the racing media that he thought about breaking earlier at the 800m mark, but decided that he would rather lose the race by being brave and patient than go too early and risk being caught up, then forever wonder whether he would have won the Derby if he hadn't made that mistake.
Races are won and lost on split-second decisions like that, and that's where the experience of a top-notch jockey really counts. I was delighted to see that despite the immense pressure, Douglas showing his composure and rode such a great race.
The perseverance of Caspar and Douglas showed that winning the Derby isn't just about luck going your way on the day, but is also about detailed planning, great determination and cool heads. I'd like to congratulate both of them once again for their well-earned success.
In the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup, John Moore's Happy Zero proved he's the real deal by fending off the late challenge of Fellowship to capture the first Group 1 victory of his career. I was delighted to hear both John Moore and Owner David Boehm say afterwards that they will consider the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot as one of their future plans for this talented horse.
It's encouraging to see our Owners and trainers being more willing to set their sights on major overseas races. I agree with Mr Boehm's comments that these campaigns can really show Hong Kong is on the map internationally. I hope both Super Satin and Happy Zero, as well as other contenders, can follow up with some good results in our upcoming international meeting next month, the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup and Champions Mile, as well as in possible overseas campaigns later in the season.
Meanwhile, it's back to business as usual for tonight's midweek meeting at Happy Valley, where there will again be eight races on offer. Personally, I will be interested to see how Perfect Gear performs in the Inverness Handicap. This four-year-old has won brilliantly at the Valley last Wednesday, notched up his second win of the season. Being well drawn at Gate 3 and competing at the same distance, I will see if the horse will bring another victory for our Derby winning trainer tonight. Among his rivals, Turf Magic has produced some close finishes at Sha Tin and will take his first attempt at Happy Valley, while High Return ran consistently in 1200m races at the Valley this season. Adding to Par Excellence, who just needs to carry 110 pounds in this race, they all are the runners which are capable to stage a challenge.
In the Boundary Street Handicap, prolific filly Sweet Sanette won the 1000m race at Happy Valley in a course record time in her last start. Despite she will tackle the 1200m in Happy Valley tonight and is expected to be taken on by other runners like Vital Flyer for the lead, I still expect her to dominate from start to finish. If the pace has gone too fast, strong finishers like High Point and Island Super, and the improving runner St Fevre, will then have chance to finish close in this event.
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