It felt like a different world as we returned to minimal attendance at Happy Valley on Wednesday but we have been there before this year and that is simply the era we live in during 2020.
On a normal Wednesday night, fans at the track would have had much to cheer. Caspar Fownes celebrated the 500th Valley win of his career in typically colourful style and, as someone who has been closely connected to Hong Kong racing for most of his life, it was good to hear him pay tribute to all the work done by the Club to keep racing going during the pandemic.
The Old Firm were back in business on the same night for the first time in a while as Joao Moreira and Zac Purton both recorded trebles, while Alexis Badel continued his fine form with a double and Neil Callan secured the last of six places reserved for Hong Kong-based riders in the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship on 9 December.
Our current attendance restrictions – which mean only essential personnel plus owners with starters and family members with an approved booking can come racing – will remain in place for the next three meetings up to 6 December. The decision to scale back at our two tracks has come at an unfortunate time – and we hope for the understanding of our loyal fans – but it is an essential reaction to the increase in Covid-19 cases.
Whether we can relax restrictions somewhat for the IJC and HKIR on 13 December depends on whether the current spike reduces but, for the moment, we must continue to be guided by the principle that none of our activities should create a public health risk and none of our activities should create a risk for our employees and staff.
With that in mind, Off-Course Betting Branches will open only on non race meeting days until further notice. They will be open on relevant days for cashing of vouchers and tickets – along with customer services such as opening accounts and making deposits – but there will be no betting on racing or live broadcast of racing or football.
The further we get through 2020 the more it becomes clear that the fan experience for major sporting occasions now revolves around television and social media coverage and we remain confident that the last major global racing festival of 2020 will showcase Hong Kong racing in the best possible light again.
Peaceful and Lope Y Fernandez will not be coming to this year’s HKIR but the Aidan O’Brien stable will still have a strong hand in three of our four G1 contests, with the Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Order Of Australia heading for the Mile, the Grand Prix de Paris winner Mogul taking on Horse of the Year Exultant in the Vase and, of course, the magical mare Magical bidding to become the first Ballydoyle horse ever to win an eighth G1 when she takes on high-class rivals from Hong Kong, France and Japan in the featured HK$28 million Hong Kong Cup.
Sunday’s Sha Tin action is notable for the appearance of a clutch of youngsters who could well have a say in next year’s Four-Year-Old Classic Series. The Randwick Guineas winner Shadow Hero steps out for his Hong Kong debut in the closing race over 1400m and – with Berlin Tango, Tourbillon Diamond and Enrich Delight all bringing smart form from Europe and Australia – this is clearly a race to watch closely.
Meanwhile, the featured Class 1 Chevalier Cup, which is Race 7 over 1600m, is another strong contest in which Four-Year-OId Classic Series hopefuls loom large. Panasonic Cup winner Buddies is the obvious leader with runaway all-weather track winner Kings Shield but the pace will not be overly strong. Sky Darci and Lucky Express should slipstream the leaders, while last year’s winner Fast Most Furious and the reappearing Glorious Dragon will be dropped out from high draws.
Buddies has shown how dangerous he can be given an easy lead and is working extremely well but he has so far not shown that he is able to master the 1600m at Sha Tin. In addition, he has to concede plenty of weight to a pair of up-and-coming four-year-olds – Sky Darci and Lucky Express – who are outstanding on recent form but also also unproven over the distance.
Sky Darci makes the unusual leap straight from Class 3 to Class 1 after his latest impressive 1200m Valley success for Caspar and Joao. He has won at Sha Tin over 1400m and has clear place claims on his 1600m debut. Lucky Express is also trying 1600m for the first time and lines up fresh from two very good runs over 1400m, the latest when chasing home Buddies in the Panasonic Cup.
A false pace left Lucky Express awkwardly placed that day but he came home powerfully, recording a strong closing sectional of 21.85s. He looks a win and place chance under Vagner Borges but this is a very competitive contest and it would not be a surprise to see proven milers such as last year’s Chevalier Cup winner Fast Most Furious or the lightly-weighted Not Usual Talent spring a surprise.
Globetrotting mares are also in the headlines in Japan and all eyes will be on Tokyo and Almond Eye on Sunday as we cover the final appearance of a remarkable racing career as part of our ongoing simulcast programme.
Almond Eye was a star three-year-old when she won the Japan Cup over 2400m in 2018 and seems as good as ever for this year’s renewal judged on the way she beat high-class rivals in the 2000m Tenno Sho Autumn four weeks ago.
She will surely go close again under Christophe Lemaire but she faces an unbeaten three-year-old filly in Daring Tact, an unbeaten three-year-old colt who has looked exceptional in Contrail and a high-class older horse in last year’s runaway Hong Kong Vase winner Glory Vase.
Kiseki often sets a true pace in big Japanese races and could well do so again. Almond Eye is clearly a place chance as she bids to go out in style, but Contrail holds win and place prospects after completing the Japanese Triple Crown in impressive fashion and Glory Vase should not be underestimated if back to the form he showed to earn an international rating of 125 at Sha Tin last December.
Comment
