I think it is safe to say that Hong Kong racing has celebrated the arrival of 2019 in style this week.
The weather may have been chilly, but a strong New Year’s Day card at Sha Tin drew a huge crowd and record turnover on a day which produced eight winning favourites and some very promising young horses.
Frankie Lor clearly has another exciting young sprinter judged on Big Party’s impressive Class 3 win. Conte was the star of a five timer for John Size and Joao Moreira and Regency Legend looks a fine prospect for Danny Shum after an emphatic Class 2 win with an impressive 21.82s closing split (the fastest of the day) to make it two wins from two runs here since his arrival from New Zealand.
It was interesting to hear John Size suggesting Conte could follow his win in Tuesday’s Chinese Club Challenge Cup by taking on Beauty Generation in the G1 Stewards’ Cup on 20 January.
Moving from G3 company to G1 level would clearly be a much tougher test, but it is great to see a new wave of challengers coming through and the first months of a new year are always significant in helping identify horses who can make their mark at a high level.
The coming weeks also promise to be very important in relation to the development of Conghua, with less than three months until we stage the inaugural exhibition race meeting on 23 March.
That historic occasion comes just six days after the BMW Hong Kong Derby and one day before another Sunday fixture at Sha Tin – so there is much to do for all our teams over the next 11 weeks – but plans are progressing well.
Conghua Racecourse will stage a full dress rehearsal on 23 February to ensure everything is in place and our continued support for equine sport in the Chinese mainland has been illustrated again this weekend with high-class international showjumpers competing for the Hong Kong Jockey Club Cup Guangzhou Final at the Guangdong Huangcun Sports Training Centre.
Sunday’s G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy generally draws a small field and this season is no exception with only six set to run in the 1000m test, which is carded as the third race of the day. Blinkers are a big part of the storyline as they play a significant role with each of the top three contenders.
Styling City has won three consecutive races since having blinkers refitted in November and has done his best work over the straight course with five wins from six starts, including a dramatic success after meeting considerable traffic trouble two weeks ago. His lone defeat over course and distance was in October, the last race where he competed without blinkers. Wishful Thinker has won his last two races following the same pattern with blinkers on.
Hong Kong’s Champion Sprinter from last season, Ivictory, will be equipped with blinkers for the first time in the Bauhinia Sprint Trophy after winning a trial by nearly 10 lengths last week with the aid of the new gear. Due to the wide disparity in rating, Ivictory will concede 20lbs to his five rivals as he attempts to regain winning ways.
The pace will be good with Ivictory, Jumbo Luck, Fabulous One and Styling City all expected to come out running. Jolly Banner and Wishful Thinker will be the back markers.
Wishful Thinker is a win and place chance coming from the back carrying the minimum 113lb. He should get a clear run and will have a good pace to set up his big finish. Ivictory won impressively in his trial last week but the opposition was completely overmatched.
Still, he is the class of the race and figures to have the best gate speed. He is a place chance along with Styling City, a horse that overcame a lot of trouble to win his last race and has been impressive over the course and distance.
Meanwhile, the Class 2 Lung Kong Handicap over a mile, the final race of the day, features a full field of 14, including nine 4YOs that are eligible for a High Achievement Bonus and the upcoming Four-Year-Old Classic Series of the Classic Mile, Classic Cup and BMW Hong Kong Derby. The pace will be on the slow side as there is no clear leader. Helene Leadingstar is the most likely to make the running with Charity Go, Classic Beauty pand newcomer Ka Ying Star in close pursuit. Furore may go forward from his outside gate as he steps up in trip in his second-up run.
The slower pace on the C+3 track will make it more difficult for the back markers. Charity Go had to be taken back from a wide draw in his last run but has a much better draw this time and should be prominent from the start. He caught my eye in his last run when he lacked room in the run through the straight and is a win and place chance for me against this top class field.
Tigre Du Terre just missed in his local debut on International Day at odds of 141/1 in a race where seven horses were separated at the finish by less than a length. He was a consistent performer in Europe last season and is a place chance along with outsider Sichuan Dar and Easy Go Easy Win.
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