Yesterday at Happy Valley Racecourse, our friends with the HKT Hong Kong E-Prix unveiled the plans for their 2017 event, which will take place at the purpose-built Central Harbourfront circuit on 2-3 December, and is the first of 11 stops around the world on the Formula E schedule for their 2017/18 season.
The E-Prix is just one of three major sporting events occurring in Hong Kong within a three week stretch later this year. The UBS Hong Kong Open brings some of the world’s top golfers to Hong Kong, and many of the sport’s fans from around the region, for four days of action from 23-26 November at Fanling. The following week will see speed combine with innovation and sustainability as the E-Prix is in full flight on the streets of Central for the second consecutive year and with two main events planned, one race on Saturday, 2 December and another on Sunday, 3 December. And then, of course, our biggest week of racing features the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship on 6 December at Happy Valley followed by the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races on 10 December at Sha Tin Racecourse.
These events will combine like never before to provide a full season of championship sport in Hong Kong, and this year, all within three exciting weeks. The Club is working together our colleagues from the Hong Kong Open and Hong Kong E-Prix to maximize exposure amongst our own fans and to visitors, promoting Hong Kong to as wide an audience as possible.
Our Oktoberfest parties continue tonight at Happy Valley, and of our eight races, I wanted to focus my attention on the Sutherland Handicap, which is a Class 3 over 1650m and run as the race eight. Mighty Boy will likely take up a good spot forward and then try to settle while Outlawed and Beauty Love go towards the front. Red Marvel, now returning to Happy Valley, should be close too. Who Dat Singa and Golden Sleep are both expected to settle midpack with Super Form nearby. The result should be a good to slow pace which favors horses in the front of the field, and is not ideal for Kiram who should be positioned in the back of the field, along with Gonna Run who might be last in the early running.
Kiram is working well, and is ridden by Joao Moreira. Despite the likely pace, he is a win and place chance. Super Form, positioned in front of Kiram, is a win and place chance too, as is Outlawed who beat Kiram in their last encounter. Gonna Run will likely be ridden for luck to get a run on the inside, and is still a place chance in my view. Red Marvel has been running on the dirt in his last races and should not be overlooked for a place.
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