The grey clouds parted at Sha Tin on Sunday as Golden Sixty and Vincent Ho produced one of the most stunning BMW Hong Kong Derby wins in history.
It was a memorable day for many reasons but the rapidly changing news agenda continues to affect us all and every day brings new, important developments.
The Dubai World Cup was cancelled just a day after our two Hong Kong runners Elusive State and Big Time Baby flew to the UAE on Saturday. Our teams worked hard to ensure the horses could travel but racing in Dubai has shut down, swiftly followed by New Zealand and Ireland, and most of the racing world is now in lockdown.
Closer to home, the situation and the risk of becoming infected with coronavirus was relatively stable until last week and led to some widening of services to customers. However, the situation has changed dramatically, with a significant number of people returning to Hong Kong from Europe and the USA because Hong Kong is as seen as a relatively safe place. This has led to a significant increase in the number of coronavirus cases, the majority involving people with recent travel history or contact to people with travel history.
After further detailed risk analysis we have withdrawn the decision to open selected OCBBs and our two racecourses on certain non racedays until further notice. From Wednesday’s Happy Valley meeting we will return to a mode in which only trainers, officials and owners with starters can attend. Medical masks, social distancing and temperature checking remain in place – along with a health declaration form – and the Club has also decided that stable visits by owners also need to be suspended for the moment.
We ask again for the continued support and understanding of all valued customers who are affected by the latest adjustments but our most important target is always to protect customers and staff.
I still firmly believe the drastic measures we are adopting represent a responsible mode in which to continue racing, which in turn creates considerable community benefits. Buy-in from stakeholders has been amazing but we have to remain vigilant at all times. Hong Kong remains far better prepared to continue racing than most places and we are determined to do everything to ensure that we race safely and responsibly.
Moving back to Sunday, it’s hard to recall a Derby that produced so much positivity. Francis Lui has found a jewel in Golden Sixty and has polished it skilfully ever since he made his debut almost exactly a year ago; Vincent has been aboard throughout and has progressed into a genuinely world-class rider with a temperament to match; and Golden Sixty’s brilliant turn of foot – which carried him to the fastest ever 2000m Derby win, topped off by a sensational closing split of 21.83s – suggests that Hong Kong racing has indeed found a new young star.
We can only imagine what the atmosphere would have been like on Sunday with a normal Derby day crowd of more than 60,000 people in attendance but patience is a virtue. Those days will return and the sun will shine again on our great sport, especially if we all keep doing everything necessary to keep our racing bubble intact.
Aaron Kwok’s Dancing Fighter is the starting highweight in Wednesday’s sixth race, the Class 3 Kong Sin Wan Handicap over 1200 metres. This progressive four-year-old was sent to Conghua and most recently won a trial at the Valley to sharpen up for his first race in over three months.
Dancing Fighter is a course and distance specialist and will need to make use of his genuine speed to try and cross over from stall 9 and secure an early position behind or outside the leaders under Joao Moreira. Very Rich Man and Big Fortune will go forward to make the running and the pace will be honest.
Big Fortune travelled wide without cover throughout his last start and comes to Happy Valley for the first time this season. He figures to get a smooth run this time from his good draw and is a win and place chance for Matthew Chadwick.
Dancing Fighter has been very consistent finishing in the Quinella in all his six starts, including back-to-back wins most recently, and his running style makes him a solid place chance. He has shown in the past that he can race three wide without cover and still deliver a big effort. This could be the case again here, though Joao will attempt to secure a two-wide position close to the pace.
Shouson will make use of his good draw to be better than midfield and is a place chance along with the vastly improved Wind N Grass.
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