Seeing Hong Kong on the global sporting map is always a pleasure and the Rugby Sevens plays a similar role to the LONGINES HKIR and FWD Champions Day in doing just that.
New Zealand have impressed me most so far this weekend – though there have also been some very good performances from Hong Kong and Germany – but we now switch the spotlight back to our own great sport.
Time is moving on as Hong Kong Racing prepares for FWD Champions Day on 28 April and this Sunday’s card at Sha Tin provides a highly significant stepping stone on the way to our three Group 1 spring showpiece events.
Of course, Beauty Generation will be the headline act when he bids to extend his winning streak to eight in the Chairman’s Trophy.
John Moore’s gelding has been flawless since finishing fifth in this race last season, winning seven major prizes in a row by a combined total of almost 15 lengths.
He heads into Sunday’s race with the added honour of being the co-highest rated horse in the current LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings and there is no question that he deserves to be ranked as one of Hong Kong’s all-time greats.
Another chapter in the long-running battle for Hong Kong sprint supremacy will be written in the Sprint Cup as Mr Stunning and his old rival Beat The Clock square off for the seventh time.
As we all know, the margins between victory and defeat in world-class 1200m races tends to be very tight and this pair provide a perfect illustration of that.
Mr Stunning is 3-2 ahead of his old rival at the moment – with a dead heat thrown in for good measure – but Beat The Clock came out just ahead when breaking his G1 duck in the Centenary Sprint Cup.
Sunday’s battle has taken on an intriguing new dimension now that Zac Purton has been booked to ride Mr Stunning for the first time.
Everything is in place for another battle royal between two of the most consistent horses around and we also have the added attraction of four of the first six home in the BMW Hong Kong Derby meeting again in the Class 1 Harlech Handicap.
Derby runner-up Waikuku and fourth-placed Dark Dream need to shine if they are to book their tickets for the G1 FWD QEII Cup in three weeks’ time, while we also have another high-class handicap in store when Full Of Beauty bids to stretch his unbeaten run to six against smart rivals like Styling City and Refined Treasure in the Class 2 Homestead Handicap.
The Chairman’s Trophy and Sprint Cup are Group 2 races that help define the Hong Kong horses who will play leading roles for the home team on FWD Champions Day. The Chairman’s Trophy is the mile lead up to the FWD Champions Mile and the 1200 metre Sprint Cup leads into the Chairman’s Sprint Prize. There is also an interesting Class 1 at 2000m with many runners trying to earn a berth into the FWD QE II Cup.
The first of the major races is the Sprint Cup with Mr Stunning and Beat The Clock set to renew rivalry. With only six runners, the pace will be set by Handsome Bo Bo with Mr Stunning taking up his usual place just behind the leader. Beat the Clock will be in close contention.
Beat The Clock has the advantage of race fitness, having run a good second to Beauty Generation in the Group 1 Queen Silver Jubilee Cup. He is a win and place chance.
Mr Stunning has been freshened up and may not be at his top level for this race. He is a very consistent performer and is a place chance along with Rattan.
In the Chairman’s Trophy, Beauty Generation is the highest rated horse in the world along with Winx from Australia and City Of Light from the USA. He has won seven straight races and is perfect from six starts this season. I expect he will once again control the pace and win again.
Mission Tycoon will apply some early pace pressure as he turns back in trip to a mile. Conte will also be relatively close to the pace. Beauty Generation does not have to lead but he is an imposing presence and has the ability to run each section faster than the last. This will make it very tough on Mission Tycoon and any horse that tries to take him on during the early stages.
Conte is in very good form and is a place chance along with last-start winner Rise High. I do expect an improved performance from Pakistan Star as he makes his first start from his new stable. He will be ridden more quietly and should be closing as he prepares for the FWD QE II Cup.
Other horses looking for a spot in the FWD QEII Cup will line up in the Class 1 Harlech Handicap with Waikuku once again drawing a wide gate. There is not much speed in the field of 14 which makes it possible for Waikuku to stride forward and try to slot in. I expect he will do so and make him a win and place chance.
Good Omen, a last start winner, and Glorious Artist are the likely pace setters along with Romantic Touch. Dark Dream can be midfield in the run and should get every chance and is a place chance along with the late running Ho Ho Khan and the lightly weighted Good Omen. It will be very interesting to see how many horses entered in this race will perform well enough to earn a place in the QE II Cup.
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