Best opening night for Hong Kong since pre-COVID
Punters wagered HK$1.31 billion (AU$252 million) as the largest first-day crowd (42,556) since 2019 converged on Sha Tin. “I hope these events can enhance Hong Kong’s international status and image, allowing more people to feel the charm and passion of Hong Kong,” Hong Kong leader John Lee told scmp.com.
The wagering on Sunday represented a 9.4 per cent increase on last year, while crowd numbers were up 32 per cent. The record for an opening day is 68,271 in 2019, but the weather wasn’t great on Sunday. “If you look at the weather, I think it is a pretty good result,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “Turnover is even better. This season will be challenging – there are still challenges regarding the economy – but we should celebrate today. It’s a really satisfactory start.
“The whole atmosphere was pretty good and John Lee is very supportive. He recognises the tremendous contribution Hong Kong racing and the Jockey Club makes to the community. He was very complimentary.”
Champion jockey Purton opens with four wins
Australian superstar dominated the first meeting of the Hong Kong season with wins on Go Go Go (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}), Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), Fast Network (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}) and Gorgeous Win (Press Statement). “The last time I won the first race of the season, I broke the record for most number of wins in a season, so let’s hope history repeats,” Purton told scmp.com, referring to his 179 wins in the 2022-23 campaign.
Giga Kick to trial before Premiere S.
Trainer Clayton Douglas said Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) has come through his return to the track in good order and will trial before his second-up assignment in the G2 Premiere S.
Giga Kick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“He’ll have a trial at Canterbury in two weeks from Tuesday and that should screw him down for the Premiere Stakes,” Douglas told racing.com. “Ideally he goes and wins that and it’s on to The Everest.”
Winx relative heads to city on Wednesday
It’s been a perfect start to the career of one of racing’s most valuable fillies and trainer Michael Freedman is ready to send Wings Of Desire (Pride Of Dubai) into her city debut at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday. “I waited until right to the end of the 2-year-old season before she went to the races but it was great to get a 2-year-old win on her CV,” Freedman told racingnsw.com.au.
“Then to go straight to a 64 as she did and run good time was a good effort.”
Empire Rose possible for Tarzino runner up
Levin trainer Josh Shaw is daring to dream with Faraglioni (NZ) (El Roca) this spring following her eye-catching runner-up effort in Saturday’s G1 Tarzino Trophy at Hastings. “Australia is definitely in mind, whether it is for a one off in the spring or whether we look to go over there for an autumn campaign, we are just weighing up the options now,” he told Loveracing.nz.
“If she were to run in the Arrowfield and performed well in that then we would look to go and take on the Empire Rose. She won’t be running too many times this spring.”
Bairnsdale trio of 3-year-olds
Three 3-year-olds won at Monday’s Bairnsdale meeting with the Danny O’Brien-trained filly Hurry Curry (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) winning the first for jockey Jye McNeil. McNeil also won the second on the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained 3-year-old gelding Heaving (Hellbent) who had run second in both his starts prior to this win.
Trainer Reece Goodwin’s Let’s Trot (Reward For Effort) won later in the day for jockey Jake Noonan.
Amaya’s Secret wins at Grafton
Stephen Lee’s 3-year-old filly Amaya’s Secret (Territories {Ire}) won at Grafton on Monday at her third start, having placed at the start prior. Ridden by jockey Mollie Fitzgerald, she won by nearly 3l over 1000 metres. A $12,000 purchase by her trainer from the HTBA Yearling Sale, she is out of a half-sister to Listed winner Calchris (Commands).
Amaya’s Secret as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Del Mar Juvenile number 18 for Baffert
For the 18th time, the G1 Del Mar Futurity belongs to trainer Bob Baffert. The Hall of Fame trainer sent three horses to post Sunday in Del Mar's Closing Day feature and, it was 7-2 shot Gaming (USA) (Game Winner {USA}) who stole the spotlight.
Jimmy Barnes, assistant to Bob Baffert added: “You're always concerned when you draw the one, two. But (Flavien) Prat, he's smart. He let the other ones go. He let him drop back a little bit, picked a spot up the rail and to the outside and he was on his way. No game plan.”
The first stakes, Graded stakes and Grade 1 winner for freshman sire Game Winner (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}) who took this race himself en route to Eclipse Award honours, Gaming is out of the Irish stakes-placed mare So Stylish (Ire) (Johannesburg {USA}) who has produced three winners from five to race. The dam is herself a half-sister to European Champion 2-year-old colt One Cool Cat (USA) (Storm Cat {USA}) who sold as a yearling for US$3.1 million (AU$4.7 million) to Demi O'Byrne at Keeneland July in 2002. One Cool Cat shuttled between Ireland and New Zealand and sired 22 stakes winners.
Tribalist wins G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp
He was the underestimated one in the line-up for Sunday's G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, but everything was in place for the front-running soft-ground specialist Tribalist (GB) (Farhh {GB}) to deliver a career-best and take the prestigious prize from under the noses of the miling elite.
“It was a fantastic front-running performance, but it was down to Tribalist not the trainer,” trainer André Fabre said, who has now won the race eight times. “He is just good. Mickael couldn't do anything else and the others let him go. It is the Prix de la Foret next, for sure, there is no other option. He could then go to the Breeders' Cup Mile.”
A 130,000gns (AU$235,000) purchase at the 2020 Tattersalls October Book 3, Tribalist who becomes the third Group 1 winner for his sire is the first foal out of the unraced Fair Daughter (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). Her dam is Car Colston Hall Stud's foundation mare Wiener Wald (USA) (Woodman {USA}), who sadly died this summer weeks before this sixth top-level-winning descendant. The others are the G1 Racing Post Trophy hero Crowded House (GB) (Rainbow Quest {USA}), the G1 Hong Kong Champions Mile hero Beauty Eternal (Starspangledbanner), the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Brando (GB) by Farhh's (GB) sire Pivotal (GB), the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. scorer Reckless Abandon (GB) (Exchange Rate {USA}) and the GI American Oaks and GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup heroine Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}).
Houquetot bounces back to win G3 Prix La Rochette
Christopher Head-trained 2-year-old colt Houquetot (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) endured a first defeat in three career starts when runner-up in last month's G3 Prix Francois Boutin and bounced back with a game victory in Sunday's G3 Prix La Rochette at ParisLongchamp.
“Wootton Bassett is quite the stallion and what a stallion he is,” said Head. “I really like this horse, I love his attitude and that was perfect today. He behaves really well in his races and it it bodes well for his next race, which will be the (G1) Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. With that in mind, it was the plan not to have a hard race today and (jockey) Aurelien (Lemaitre) did a very good job. He goes on soft ground, he's truly a miler and he will be in all the mile races next season.”
Houquetot is the second of four foals and lone performer out of G3 Athasi S. victrix Happen (USA) (War Front {USA}), herself a half-sister to dual Group-winning G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup second Somehow (Ire) (Fastnet Rock), G2 Prix Kergorlay victor Alex My Boy (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and G3 Killavullan S. runner-up Sierra Blanca (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}). The March-foaled dark bay's second dam is G1 Oaks, G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine Alexandrova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}), whose descendants also include G1 Preis von Europa winner Aspetar (Fr) (Al Kazeem {GB}).
Juvenile slot race to be held in China
The 2024 China Horse Owners Alliance's annual conference was held at Yulong International Hotel on Thursday, September 5. Mr Huang Qingcai, secretary general of CHOA, announced the introduction of an Everest-like race open to 2-year-olds from all countries and with a total prize fund of 3.6 million RMB (around US$507,000/AU$760,000). There are 14 slots available, each costing 200k, and the CHOA will cover the remaining 800k.
At the beginning of the conference, Qingcai also provided a detailed summary of the alliance's work for 2024 and reported on future work plans for the alliance. He announced that the Hong Kong Jockey Club's handicapper will take over the responsibility of handicapping racehorses for CHOA from 2025.
Mr Zhang Yuesheng, chairman of CHOA and head of Yulong, was tasked with delivering the concluding speech. He expressed gratitude to all members, sponsors, media and friends from various sectors, noting that the alliance's current achievements are inseparable from their support. He also focused on other topics such as staff insurance, horse vaccination and prizemoney, as well as jockey welfare.
He said, “In 2025, we will prioritize the safety of jockeys, strengthen their training and management, improve professional standards, and actively collaborate with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to enhance jockey skills.”
The Yulong Autumn Sale was held on Friday, September 6 and featured the progeny of leading stallions such as Frankel (GB), Galileo (Ire) and No Nay Never (USA). Top lot was Wan Zhi Jun (CHN), Lot 41, who sold for 1.9 million RMB (around US$268,000/AU$400,000) to Yulong. Vin Cox (general manager of Yulong Investments), David Chester (International sales director of Magic Millions) and Sebastian Hutch (CEO of bloodstock sales at Inglis) were present at the sale.
