The Easter weekend marks another important milestone as we are now three quarters of the way through the 2018/2019 season. And, as we move towards next week’s FWD Champions Day, this is building into another highly significant time for Hong Kong racing.
The clean sweep of all four HKIR races for Hong Kong horses in December seems a long time ago now but that was clearly a major day and there have been so many others.
Zac Purton has featured on many of them – winning five of the eight Group 1 races run so far. That is clearly an outstanding achievement and, with three very strong rides on Champions Day – namely Beauty Generation, Mr Stunning and Exultant – he could be on the way to a record-breaking G1 campaign.
The continued success of Conghua was another strong midweek theme with three winners and three seconds on the Valley card coming down from our Mainland base. John Moore has now sent out six winners from there in the last seven meetings and there will be a record number of 30 Conghua horses on show at Sha Tin on Easter Monday.
John has a very important week ahead as Beauty Generation prepares for the FWD Champions Mile and the build-up to one of our biggest days of the season is growing as star international visitors start to arrive at Sha Tin.
Deirdre and Viddora have been seen out exercising already this week and they will be joined by several other big names over the next couple of days, including the star Australian sprinter Santa Ana Lane.
It’s interesting to note that Santa Ana Lane has been awarded a new international mark of 124 – just a pound behind Beauty Generation’s 2019 rating – after his runaway win in the T J Smith Stakes at Randwick two weeks ago.
It’s very exciting to think we will have the two highest rated active racehorses in the world in action for this flagship event. Add in Furore, Exultant and several fascinating challengers from Japan for the QEII Cup and our event heading of ‘World’s Best Horses, World’s Best Races’ is looking fully justified.
There are also some interesting prospects stepping out at Sha Tin’s Easter Monday and Voyage Warrior’s hugely impressive debut over 1000m last month will mean all eyes will be on him for the Class 3 Hong Kong Lions Cup.
Later on, the Class 2 Peacock Handicap is one of five races on the All-Weather Track with a full field of sprinters spread across the expanded rating band of 105-80. Jumbo Luck and Ugly Warrior will make the running to ensure a good pace. Big Time Baby is likely to use his speed to try and cross from his outside barrier to secure an early position.
Ugly Warrior won five of his first six races over this track and distance before finishing third as a 1.6 favourite in December. He returns to his preferred track here after two unsuccessful attempts on turf and has drawn the rail. He will be prominent from the start and the track and distance specialist is a place chance.
Gunnison was an eye-catching winner under these same race conditions in December and has proven ability on both turf and dirt. He will have to carry top weight but figures to get a good run from better than midfield and is a win and place chance. He is not a big horse, but he is honest. It may be that he is slightly better on this surface.
Flat Heaven has trialled well on this track and is a likely improver on his All-Weather debut. He did perform well in two races on Polytrack in France and should be forwardly placed in the front half of the field.
Fortune Booth makes his first start on this surface since switching stables to John Moore and has finished well in his recent races. He has a dirt pedigree on the sire’s side and is a place chance in his current form.
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