Hong Kong The Highlight With Three Class Races

ALL THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN

A touch different this week as I report in from Hong Kong ahead of the big meeting on Sunday afternoon – and a shortened UK trio to keep you amused.

Sometimes, people ask me if I ever get bored with heading to Hong Kong for the racing, and I cannot shout the word NO any louder in writing. Home to some of the best facilities on the planet for both humans and our equine heroes, one of the reasons I fell in love with this sport in the first place was the never ending variety in the UK, but Hong Kong has an even better balance, racing mainly geldings which means they race on for longer and we get to see them taking on the next generation – and the one after that – racing utopia as far as I am concerned.

This April I am back out and looking forward to FWD Champions Day on Sunday where we have three Group Ones to work with – and no. I have zero ideas about the other support races so common sense suggests I give them a swerve. WE have exactly the mix mentioned earlier with all-time favourites in the line-ups plus up and coming improvers and a serious international challenge.

Luckily for me I get to attend trackwork in the (very early) mornings to see the horses in the flesh (one of the highlights of the week for me), and to chat with and listen to both trainers and jockeys to gauge their opinions (and not just the hype) before eventually drawing my conclusions. Whether I have all or any right only time will tell, but I will have a go at previewing each race, with an obvious leaning towards European challengers even if they aren’t my final picks – best of luck to all of us!

Chairman’s Sprint Prize – Group One – 1200 metres – HK$13,440,000 to the winner (£1,267,742).

When you look at the prize money on offer (sixth gets the rough equivalent of £45,276!) then you can easily understand why the connections of reigning champion Ka Ying Rising look almost certain to shun Royal Ascot – and that’s before the HK$5,000,000 if he wins this and takes the Speed Series title for the second year in a row. 

I mentioned the place prize money because there has long been a fear that the favourite’s ability will frighten off any serious opposition both today and in the future as David Hayes’ five-year-old looks for his 20^th consecutive win, but we still have a strong field – even if I believe they are only running for the places, barring an upset that would see stunned silence from the sell-out crowd.

As I suspect we will be talking very long odds-on about the jolly, who broke the course record here last time out despite being eased down and looks to be improving with age, we need to talk though his challengers, if only to find the forecast if that’s your thing?

Comanche Brave travels over from Ireland for Donnacha O’Brien after finishing a length third to Reef Island in Saudi Arabia in the Group Two Turf Sprint, but that race saw him staying on well over the seven furlongs and I just cannot see him finding the speed to lay up with them here over this reduced trip, though he could run on into a place I suppose.

Satono Reve has chased home Ka Ying Rising here in December 2024 (beaten half a length in second), this race last year (a two and a quarter length runner-up), and in December last year (again), beaten eight and a quarter lengths in ninth).

He is a way above average on his day but keeps running into the horse I feel it’s the best there is over this sort of distance, and I can still see only one winner – with Satono Reve my idea if the likeliest to chase him home, albeit at a respectful distance.  

FWD Champions Mile – Group One – 1600 metres – HK$13,440,000 to the winner (£1,267,742).

To my eyes, this looks the most competitive of the three big races, and a tough one to call. Red Lion took this last season at odds of 89/1 for trainer John Size, and the much missed Andrea Atzeni will be hoping he can double up this year on the seven-year-old gelding who was last seen finishing last of 14 here earlier this month and will need to bounce back to have any say.  

Jantar Mantar heads the early betting back home at least, and he certainly looks the one to beat as Japan’s top miler on the turf having won the Yasuda Kinen and the Mile Championship last season, and if he is fit enough, he is certainly good enough, but is he any value?

Invincible Ibis drops back in trip after winning the Hong Kong Derby over a mile and a quarter in March and will need a fast run race to bring his stamina into the equation, while Voyage Bubble retains his ability but is under the vet’s watch as I write and may not make the final line-up.

Strauss intrigues more than most having shown an amazing turn of foot to win the Abu Dhabi Gold Cup by a length in February and if there is a dark horse, he could be it. Joao Moreira rides once more and is more than capable of getting a tune out of the five-year-old who has his own ideas about the game, and at 22/1 I have no doubt he is overpriced, but only if the race falls his way on the day.

Docklands made a fool of me when winning the Doncaster Mile in March on his seasonal return, something he has never done before, and if he can repeat the form that saw him see off Rosallion by a neck in the Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, then you would have to hope, perhaps through patriotic glasses, that he could be good enough to take this for Harry Eustace and Australian jockey Mark Zahra.

He was beaten two and a half lengths into fourth here in the Hong Kong Mile in December and has a bit to find with Voyage Bubble and Red Lion on that form, but I get the feeling this is a plan coming to fruition, and at 12/1 he is my idea of the value each way play.

FWS QEII Cup – Group One – 2000 metres – HK$16,800,000 to the winner (£1,584,677).

Heart versus head, formbook versus possibilities, either way we have a fascinating race and perhaps a true test of just how strong the Hong Kong horses really are.

Starting with the European contenders, we have Sosie from France, and Royal Champion from the UK, both of them international winners last time out. Andre Fabre’s five-year-old was last seen here at Sha Tin when taking the Hong Kong Vase over a mile and a half from Marco Botti’s Giavellotto but he also has Group One winning form over this sort of trip including the Prix Ganay last season at Longchamp, and as he has won first time out in each of his three seasons, he looks nailed on to be ready for this assignment.

Royal Champion is officially rated 1lb his superior after bursting clear to win the Neom Turf Cup by four and there-quarter lengths in Saudi Arabia in February, and I have to say trainer Karl Burke does seem particularly bullish about the chances of the eight-year-old Shamardal gelding who is looking for his tenth career success.

Both can go well but are they good enough to see off Romantic Warrior, that is the biggest question on the night for me.  

Danny Shum’s globetrotter has won a ridiculous 22 times now from only 29 starts, with his only two defeats since October 2023 being by a neck to Forever Young when trying the dirt in the Saudi Cup and when beaten a nose by Soul Rush in the Dubai Turf last April. He is officially the best horse here by 5lb and with home advantage he actually looks a decent price at 10/11 as I write, daft as that may sound, and he gets my vote to be the winner.

Japanese challenger Masquerade Ball is being talked up as the next big thing by jockey Christophe  Lemaire and having only been beaten a head by Calandagan in the Japan Cup last November he also brings top class form to the table and he has been spotted working well in the mornings here, but he will need to be every bit as good as they hope to win this on his first start in close to five months.

If there is going to be an upset Karl Burke could provide it and I am going to be cheeky enough to suggest a little each way saver on Royal Champion.

He caught me off guard when winning in Saudi but he did it with style, and although he does have a bit to find on the book 16/1 is too much to resist, and a couple of quid each way could yet pay decent dividends with Oisin Murphy as good as it gets in the saddle these days.

Sean’s suggestions (follow at your peril).

Ka Ying Rising to beat Satono Reve (straight forecast) 7.35am Sha Tin (Hong Kong)

Docklands each way 8.45am Sha Tin (Hong Kong)

Romantic Warrior to win 9.55am Sha Tin (Hong Kong)

Royal Champion each way 9.55am Sha Tin (Hong Kong)

And on to the UK…

Saturday racing

2.55pm Sandown

Sandown put on the best card this afternoon by some margin, even if it’s a National Hunt card. It was no great surprise to me that Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon missed Aintree for this after finishing second in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, with a well-earned rest required ahead of the Celebration Chase over a stiff two miles, which many feel is his optimum. He won this in 2023 and 2204 and came home second last year which is some record and he looks all set to add to that record this afternoon.

2.00pm Haydock

Symbol Of Majesty won her only start as a two-year-old when coming home a three-quarter length winner over the Chelmsford mile, but the daughter of New Bay was and is clearly a work in progress with the likelihood she has a lot more to offer. She only needed to be pushed out to win that day, leaning plenty in the process, and although she doesn’t hold any fancy entries at the moment, don’t be too surprised if she makes up into a decent filly challenging for black type later in the year.

3.55pm Leicester

It is a rare occurrence to see a horse owned by Godolphin running for a stable other than Charlie Appleby or Saeed bin Suroor, but I have heard good things about Roger Varian’s unraced Sea The Stars gelding Act of Generosity, who debuts in the 3.55pm at Leicester, with Ray Dawson in the saddle. Bought for 875,000 Guineas as a yearling, he missed his juvenile campaign but has been seen to good effect recently on the Newmarket gallops, and despite the presence of Charlie Appleby’s King Of Thebes in opposition, he may well make a winning start to his career.  

Have a good weekend one and all…