International competition has long been a feature of Hong Kong’s world-class racing and it barely seems possible six months have passed since the best of Ireland, Japan and Hong Kong clashed during LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR).
The impact on the breeding industry and the promotion of our sport is deeply enhanced by the cosmopolitan nature of a truly global sport – as high-quality races in three different countries this weekend attest.
On Saturday night on the outskirts of London, the Epsom Derby will be run for the 242ndtime. The world’s most famous Classic is part of the World Pool – which is an extension of the Club’s commingling operation, which provides for greater liquidity and stability around odds.
On Sunday, the wonderful array of top-line racing continues with the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse, where Hong Kong champions Fairy King Prawn (2000) and Bullish Luck (2006) triumphed in the G1 mile. To complete an incredible weekend of simulcasts, attention turns to Chantilly, just of out of Paris, for the French Derby at 10:00pm on Sunday night.
The Epsom Derby is the highlight of our Saturday night simulcast meeting and will be run at 11:30 pm as the fifth of seven races from Epsom. I will be particularly interested in Gear Up as the Club will sell his full brother next year at our Hong Kong International Sale (HKIS). Gear Up is a Teofilo colt and is already a G1 winner of the Criterium de Saint-Cloud in October, one month after we made our yearling purchase at the Tattersalls Sale in Ireland.
The Epsom track is one of the most challenging in the world with its sharply undulating contours and testing turns, making it – in many ways – the ultimate test of horse and jockey. The track is rated good to soft. With the possibility of rain at Epsom tonight, I recommend closely monitoring the weather situation because while Bolshoi Ballet copes with good to soft ground, he doesn’t handle heavy or very soft ground.
Bolshoi Ballet ran fifth behind Gear Up in the French G1 last year but has come back stronger this season with two impressive wins in G3 company to prepare for his main target. He is a son of Galileo and looks like the genuine article of speed and stamina. He will be close to the pace and his pedigree suggests the distance is within his scope. I make him a win and place chance.
Hurricane Lane is an undefeated Frankel colt out of a staying-type Shirocco mare. He is flying a bit under the radar but looked good winning a G2 three weeks ago and I make him a place chance. The improving Mohaafeth and Third Realm are also place chances as they both appear to be peaking at the right time.
Mac Swiney returns just two weeks after winning the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and will step up in trip from one mile to 2405 metres. He will be on the pace from the start and I am not convinced he will stay the trip.
Sunday’s Yasuda Kinen at 2:40 pm features five-time G1 winner Gran Alegria as a short-priced favourite in the coveted mile event in Tokyo. She will be very tough to beat off a sensational win in the G1 Victoria Mile against her own sex last time out but is proven against the males in Japan. She is a win and place chance.
Schnell Meister is a three-year-old trying older horses for the first time, a tough assignment at this point in the Japanese season. He gets nine pounds from the older males and is a place chance in his current form, along with Salios and Indy Champ.
The G1 Prix du Jockey Club from Chantilly sees 19 three-year-old colts facing off in the 2100 metre test at 10:00pm on Sunday night. Trainer Aidan O’Brien is making news this week by having only one runner in the Derby at Epsom but he has two in France. St Mark’s Basilica was impressive winning a G1 mile at Longchamp three weeks ago and is reunited here with jockey Ioritz Mendizabal. He takes a big step up in trip and is a place chance.
Makaloun, which races in the colours of The Aga Khan, has drawn a wide gate, is a two-time G3 winner and has won four of five starts overall. He won his first start of the new season one month ago over 1800 metres and looks to be on target for this assignment. I make him a win and place chance with Christophe Soumillon.
Megallan (Olivier Peslier) and Derab (Martin Harley) come into the race in good form and both are place chances.
The final race of Sunday’s Sha Tin race meeting is the Class 2 Chung On Handicap (1600m) with a good to slow pace expected as there is no obvious leader. Tourbillon Diamond (Zac Purton) is the most likely to go forward from his good draw along with Smiling Time (Keith Yeung). The Rock has drawn the outside barrier and is a versatile type, allowing jockey Chad Schofield the opportunity to press forward or go back.
Tourbillon Diamond is my win and place chance based on the pace scenario on the C course. The easy pace should work to his benefit and the sit and sprint composition of this race should suit him. Savaquin (Antoine Hamelin) is in excellent form and working well. He has to overcome the good to slow pace but is a place chance along with outsider Lakeshore Eagle (Jerry Chau) and Flagship Glory (Derek Leung).
Sunday’s Sha Tin meeting carries another massive Triple Trio pool and, with more than HK$61 million carried forward, it is estimated that a single HK$10 winning unit would pay up to HK$90 million, ranking as the highest Triple Trio dividend since the 2012/13 racing season.
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