One of Hong Kong’s great qualities is the ability it provides for people of different backgrounds and expertise to mingle and learn from each other. On Monday, the presence of several champion athletes and coaches at Hong Kong Elite Athletes Raceday was such an example. The atmosphere generated made it one of the best days of the season so far.
The Club wanted to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), which is home to the city’s elite athletes, as an acknowledgement of many fantastic achievements over a long period of time.
The Club also was keen to honour the stellar efforts of Hong Kong athletes in Tokyo this year and we hope those feats will provide inspiration for others to follow in their footsteps and, in the process, create a healthier community. As a Club, we are committed to helping support this ambition.
The interest shown in the various aspects of horse racing by Hong Kong cycling champion Sarah Lee was infectious among her peers and created fantastic energy at Sha Tin, where we celebrated the Olympic and Paralympic Games achievements, among other sporting achievements, of our athletes.
The Club believes sport is absolutely vital to community health as it is essential to physical, social and mental well-being. It is why the Club has donated over HK$730 million to the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) as part of our far-reaching charity programmes, which are for the betterment of Hong Kong society.
The live interviews of the athletes between races on Monday also proved popular with our racing fans taking time out from form study to listen to the athletes on a day when the Club observed its long and significant relationship with the HKSI.
As the end of a remarkable 2021 rapidly approaches, the foundation stones for 2022 – and the BMW Hong Kong Derby – are being slotted into place.
The start of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series is always cause for great anticipation and this season is no exception. There is barely a month now until the Hong Kong Classic Mile on 30 January and the series’ form hints are steadily becoming clearer.
Caspar Fownes and Joao Moreira shared one of last season’s most memorable victories when Sky Darci defied both his pedigree and Russian Emperor to land the 2021 BMW Hong Kong Derby and the pair appears to be well armed again as they chase successive victories in the Classic.
Senor Toba’s success in the Class 2 Hong Kong Sports Institute 30th Anniversary Cup Handicap (2000m) on Monday for Caspar and Joao served a number of purposes. The win lifted the grey’s rating from 83 to 89, proved his undoubted staying capacity and delivered a High Achievement Bonus of HK$1.5 million for the owners.
It also placed Senor Toba high in the pecking order ahead of the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on 27 February and also the BMW Hong Kong Derby on 20 March. There is plenty of water to go under the bridge before then and I look forward to monitoring the emergence of several other contenders over the next few weeks.
On Wednesday night, the Class 1 Fo Tan Handicap over 1650m is the feature of our all-dirt meeting at Sha Tin and is the second of eight races on the programme. With only seven starters, the pace is expected to be good. Kings Shield for Derek Leung and Telecom Fighters under Jerry Chau are likely to dispute the lead, while Silver Express and Vagner Borges and Red Desert under Antoine Hamelin should be just off the speed.
Silver Express won impressively over 1600m on the turf last start when beating Excellent Proposal and steps onto the dirt for the first time. He trialled solidly on the dirt recently, is drawn to get a nice run from barrier three and I make him a place chance.
Kings Shield has to carry 133lb but, after his last-start failure on turf, he returns to his favourite surface and distance. He has four wins and a second from eight starts over 1650m on the dirt and is a win and place chance.
The Rock, who starts from gate two for Joao Moreira, has raced over this course and distance only twice and has finished second on both occasions behind dirt specialists Hongkong Great and Kings Shield, respectively. He is a place chance along with Telecom Fighters, who was third at his only attempt on this surface.
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