The Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) will be run at Sha Tin on Sunday, Dec. 11 (first post in the U.S. is Saturday, Dec. 10, at 11:25 p.m. EST), and the home team is looking good despite an expected strong international presence. Proof was provided on Nov. 20 when three Group 2 stakes races were run.
The Jockey Club Sprint (G2) attracted 14 hard-knocking sprinters. Favored was Wellington off a strong win in the Premier Bowl Handicap (G2) which he won by a length in 1:07.78 seconds while carrying 135 pounds. The winner of 11 races from 17 starts in Hong Kong and over HK$42 million in career earnings, it looked like he would be tough to beat while dropping 7 pounds.
Second choice in the wagering was Lucky Sweynesse, a 4-year-old that has improved from his initial 52 rating on debut to 112 after winning his seasonal debut by three easy lengths. He set the pace in the Premier Bowl Handicap from post 11 and had the look of a progressive, young horse.
At level weights, the advantage should have gone to multiple, Group 1 stakes winner Wellington but Zac Purton had other ideas for Lucky Sweynesse. Instead of setting the pace like he did in the Premier Bowl, Purton took back and sat off a fast pace (44.91 seconds for the first 400 meters) and had enough horse left to hold off the late charge of Lucky Patch.
The Jockey Club Sprint's final time was a sensational 1:07.55 seconds; just off Sacred Kingdom's course record of 1:07.50 set in 2007. What made the race all the more impressive was that the first six finishers went in 1:07 and change. Wellington finished sixth and was lame the next morning. He will be monitored closely and will have to pass inspection to race in the Longines Sprint (G1). But no worries, Lucky Sweynesse looks ready to fly the flag and the others are more than capable.
The Jockey Club Mile (G2) was a two-horse duel between all-time great Golden Sixty, winner of 21 races and over HK$113 million against California Spangle, stone-cold speedball that won the Sha Tin Trophy (G2) at 1,600 meters in 1:33.41 seconds.
The betting public felt that Golden Sixty would be vulnerable in his seasonal debut and made him the even-money second choice behind California Spangle at 3-5. After a dawdling 800 meters run in 49.23, the pace picked up as Zac Purton nursed a 23.23 third quarter out of California Spangle.
Turning for home with a length and a half lead off easy fractions, Purton turned the screws on his mount while trying to prepare for the expected late surge from Golden Sixty. But nobody could have expected what the two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year had in mind. Vincent Ho was already picking up the pace with a 11 flat 200-meter split on the turn then, when straightened out, he unleashed a meteoric 10.41 and a final sectional of 10.91.
Even with a superstar sprinter like California Spangle loose on an easy lead while allowed to set a dawdling pace, Golden Sixty was able to summon a hard-to-believe last 400 meters in 21.32 seconds to pull out the victory. And, he carried five pounds more.
The Jockey Club Cup (G2) was run at 2000 meters and the bettors, rightfully, made Romantic Warrior the 22-10 favorite. Winner of the Hong Kong Derby before the QEII (G1) last year, he is another that went from a debut rating of 52 to a group one stakes winner in only eight starts last year.
This year, Danny Shum was asking him to make his seasonal debut at 2,000 meters so, theoretically, he was vulnerable. Second choice was Beauty Joy who was sent off at 29-10 based on a second to a runaway winner that he had to spot 20 pounds to. A winner of two Group 3 stakes races at the end of last season, he looked ready to take on the big boys.
Money Catcher, like he did in his last start, was sent to the lead and set an even pace. Picking up eight pounds, he weakened in the final furlong as Australian James McDonald had Romantic Warrior take the lead with 200 meters to go and cruised to an easy win in 1:59.23 second. Tourbillon Diamond was second and Beauty Joy was very rank during the race and wound up in seventh place.
Romantic Warrior has now won eight of nine career starts and shows no sign of letting up. He was handy enough to win his first two starts going 1,200 meters at Happy Valley and has developed into a major stakes winner. His battles with California Spangle in the 4-year-old series were epic and whichever HKIR race Danny Shum decides to enter, he will be a formidable foe.
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