Kung Hei Fat Choy!
Firstly, I would like to wish you all a most successful and prosperous Year of the Rooster. I am confident you have enjoyed the last two days with family and friends, enjoying all sorts of traditional New Year’s activities and entertainment.
For the Club, we have followed our tradition in recent years, participating in the annual Chinese New Year Night Parade at Tsim Sha Tsui on Saturday night. Our apprentice jockey Kei Chiong and HKJC Equestrian Team member Raena Leung were both on board the Club’s float, joining the Club’s “Progressing Together Cheering Team” and Hip-hop Chinese dancing lions for the parade. As a member of our community, it is delightful for us to take part in this world-famous night parade, celebrating the New Year together with many local and overseas spectators along the route.
Today we will continue our celebration at the Sha Tin Racecourse as we will host the Chinese New Year race meeting. This year’s meeting is particularly strong, with all of the 18 top-rated horses in Hong Kong declared for our two Group-level features – the G1 Stewards’ Cup and the G2 Centenary Sprint Cup. Many of these horses make up our 26-strong squad in the recently released LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings and should make for an even more festive day at Sha Tin.
Apart from last month’s HKIR winners Aerovelocity and Beauty Only, our Derby and QEII winner Werther is another star runner which attracts plenty of attention. Having spelled for eight months, he definitely needs this run before he is to take on other major races in the remaining of the season. He is one of the three Hong Kong Horses of the Year participating in the Stewards’ Cup, which was the 46th highest-rated race in the world last year, and could go even higher in 2017 with this quality group.
The Centenary Sprint Cup is another pattern race of the day. It is run as a Group 2 over 1200m and has attracted the best sprinters we have in Hong Kong and, based on the ratings of the contenders, would qualify as a Group 1 race. Due to the fact that it is a Group 2 Aerovelocity has to carry five pounds more for his win in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint which will not make a repeat of his win in December any easier.
The pace is expected to be good as Peniaphobia will go forward from the outside and lead. Not Listenin’tome and Aerovelocity should follow with Lucky Bubbles securing a nice position behind. Amazing Kids and Blizzard are likely to be out the back. Lucky Bubbles was unlucky in the HK Sprint, being hampered after a good start when close to heels around the turn. He switched for a clear run at the 380m to finish strongly and just missed. He is my first choice. Amazing Kids was very impressive in his last win over the straight 1000m and has a devastating acceleration and is my second choice. Peniaphobia, Aerovelocity and Blizzard are in great form and can spoil the party, at least as place chances for me.
The Chinese New Year Cup is run as a Class 1 over 1400m with a rating band of 110 to 85. The pace is expected to be good which gives every horse a fair chance to show its best. Dashing Fellow loves to lead over this trip but it would seem Flying Moochi is more likely to go forward to lead with only 103 pounds on top. Almababy and Super Lifeline should drop in behind these leaders while Racing Supernova and Invincible Dragon should be near the back.
Dashing Fellow is working very well and is a win and place chance for me with Invincible Dragon who is in good form, and his track work is excellent. Racing Supernova is ridden by Joao Moreira and has to come from the back but with the small field of nine, this should not be an issue, and is a win and place chance too.
The Stewards’ Cup is a Group 1 over 1600m and as race 9, is the sporting highlight of a fantastic day of racing. The pace is expected to be good to slow with all the top horses like Able Friend, Beauty Only, Helene Paragon and even Joyful Trinity all having to come from the back. Able Friend is, judging from the track work, back to his best and has a good chance to win the race. His main opponent, in my view, is Helene Paragon who jumped awkwardly in the Hong Kong Mile and was blocked for a run at the top of the straight but still finished strongly. Beauty Only is still a win and place chance too and as Zac Purton stated, the firmer the ground the better for him. Joyful Trinity is reunited with Gerald Mosse who rides him very well and he is a place chance.
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