Helios Express (rated 102) has been supplanted at the top of the local rankings by Galaxy Patch (Aus) (Wandjina {Aus}), who has climbed to a rating of 103 after finishing a bold second in last weekend's G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m). Connections have supplemented him to the Derby for HK$260,000.

Massive Sovereign (Ire) (No Nay Never), who won two of five starts as Broadhurst for Aidan O'Brien, exploded into Derby calculations by accomplishing the rare feat of winning first-up in Hong Kong over the Derby distance of 2000 metres Mar. 3 while critically earning a 10-pound penalty which qualified him for the race.

American-breds Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit) and Ensued (Lemon Drop Kid) press on to the Derby and booked their spots by finishing second and third, respectively, in the Classic Cup. Unbelievable (Justify), the former O'Brien-conditioned London Gold Cup H. winner Bertinelli, was well-beaten on Hong Kong debut Feb. 12, but finished under five lengths behind Helios Express in the Classic Cup and the step up in trip should suit.

“The BMW Hong Kong Derby is one of the most prestigious races on the calendar–a race that every owner aspires to have a runner in, or better still, win,” said Andrew Harding, Executive Director of Racing for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “The 2024 edition is shaping as yet another remarkable edition with a host of incredible talents sourced from around the world to race for glory with owners and fans alike are looking forward to the contest with eager anticipation.”

The post Helios Express Tops Selected Runners For BMW Hong Kong Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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With things more or less back to normal in the SAR, the patrons–a reported 65,252 of them–poured through the Sha Tin turnstiles Sunday afternoon to greet their equine superstars and they left a largely satisfied group, as champions Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) and Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) delivered performances that captured their collective imagination–in one case, the difficult-to-imagine The Wertheimer Brothers' Junko (GB) (Intello {Ger}) was the lone overseas-based winner for the ageless Andre Fabre. It was the second straight year that the home team took three of the four events.

“In my humble opinion, I've been here now for 25 years and this was one of the best–if not the best–days of racing we have had in Hong Kong,” said Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. “If I look at the situation after Covid, after we had last year already a good meeting, but today Hong Kong racing has established (itself) again on the global stage and has shown what sporting entertainment means.”

Turnover on the HKIR was HK$1.697 billion (£173.1 million/US$217.4 million), marginally down on last year's HK$1.729 billion. Commingling handle of HK$429.6 million (£43.8 million/US$55 million) was a record for a 10-race Hong Kong meeting.

Andrew Harding, the Executive Director of Racing for the HKJC declared the meeting as 'truly remarkable' and added: “We were proud of what we were able to achieve during the dark days of the pandemic. Today showed that in December Hong Kong is the place to be and that the eyes of the racing world turn to us.

“I'm just so proud that we were able to show the world that Hong Kong is Asia's world city and we were able to give our visitors a fantastic week.”

G60 Lands Historic Third Mile Against All Odds

When last seen at Sha Tin under race conditions, treble Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) was posting his third straight victory in April's G1 Champions Mile, a ninth elite-level score for a horse who recorded his first in this race in front of an empty grandstand three years ago.

Having sided against a maiden overseas voyage for the G1 Yasuda Kinen, Golden Sixty was given the summer off, during which time he turned eight years of age on Southern Hemisphere time, and a conservative programme was set, as Father time became a consideration. The idea of a lead-up run in the G2 Jockey Club Mile Nov. 19 was ultimately dashed, meaning that Golden Sixty would need to defy a 224-day absence on his return to action Sunday. Add to that a draw in gate 14, and surely this was a task too tall. But, if ever a horse was built to overcome all that, it is surely Golden Sixty, and with an adoring public able to be present in large numbers for the first time, turned in a performance for the ages.

The many obstacles notwithstanding, Golden Sixty was very much the pari-mutuel darling, though he did drift out to $2.35 (1.35-1) on the tote. One of the first to leave the machine, the champ was taken hold of by Vincent Ho, and that alert dispatch dictated that Golden Sixty would race no worse than mid-division, as Godolphin's multiple group-winning Tribalist (GB) (Farhh {GB}) sped across from gate 13 to make the running in advance of 2022 Mile winner California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road) and Japan's Danon the Kid (Jpn) (Just A Way {Jpn}) three wide.

Following the latter's move around the turn, Golden Sixty was given his cue and there was nothing about the subsequent push-button acceleration that suggested he was getting long in the tooth or otherwise sour on racing. Within a matter of strides, Golden Sixty sailed by all the inside traffic and it was all over bar the shouting, as Ho let out an atypically demonstrative roar as they crossed the line. Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}), the 2023 Hong Kong Derby winner, ran on gamely for second ahead of G1 Mile Championship heroine Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), who closed well from the backfield for William Buick. Golden Sixty joins Good Ba Ba (Lear Fan) as three-time winners of the Mile.

“It's amazing. I got the three-wide with cover, where I wanted to be and he knows his racing now,” said Ho, who warmed up for the HKIR with a victory in the International Jockeys' Challenge at Happy Valley Wednesday evening. “He's never travelled keen with me, he was relaxed all of the way and then when I asked him for an effort, he just gave me 100%.

“He's not eight–he feels like he's four. I can't believe it. I was confident, even from gate 14, as long as I could get into the right position. Everything just went pretty ideal–I visualised this and it happened. It's a great team effort, so thanks to all of the team. It's not easy to come here at a high level without any preparation.”

The Golden Sixty farewell tour looks set to continue in the G1 Stewards' Cup Jan. 21 and a swansong in the Champions Mile Apr. 28 before retiring in Japan

From …to …to a sense of

Ride the rollercoaster with owner Stanley Chan as GOLDEN SIXTY joins GOOD BA BA as a three-time #HKIR winner! #HKIR | #HKRacing | @HKJC_Racing | @netkeiba | #ゴールデンシックスティ | #金鎗六十 | #競馬 | #賽馬 pic.twitter.com/rMe190aJXT

— World Horse Racing (@WHR) December 10, 2023

Pedigree Notes:

Golden Sixty's dam, winner of the 2006 G2 Debutante S. for Jim Bolger, is also responsible for the Southern Hemisphere-bred 3-year-old filly Golden Sister (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}), an A$425,000 graduate of the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, who was unraced in Australia and has since been sent to the U.S., where she was covered by Medaglia d'Oro this breeding season. The mare's current 2-year-old is the Vancouver (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) filly Golden Millions (Aus), who has been retained by her breeder and is currently spelling for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. Gaudeamus produced a filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) in 2022 and was most recently covered by two-time HKIR winner Maurice (Jpn).

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
LONGINES HONG KONG MILE-G1, HK$36,000,000, Sha Tin, 12-10, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:34.10, gd.
1–GOLDEN SIXTY (AUS), 126, g, 8, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Gaudeamus (GSW-Ire, $179,486), by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Leo's Lucky Lady, by Seattle Slew
3rd Dam: Konafa, by Damascus
(A$120,000 Ylg '17 MMGCYS; NZ$300,000 2yo '17 NZBRTR). O-Stanley Chan Ka Leung; B-Asco International Pty Ltd; T-Francis Lui; J-Vincent Ho; HK$17,920,000. Lifetime Record: 3x Horse of the Year, 2x Ch. Miler, Ch. Middle Distance Horse & Ch. 4yo-HK, 30-26-2-1, HK$165,840,600. *1/2 to Igitur (Aus) (Helmet {Aus}), SP-Aus; and Rainbow Connection (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}), GSP-Aus $139,595. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Voyage Bubble (Aus), 126, g, 5, Deep Field (Aus)–Raheights (Aus), by Rahy. (A$380,000 Ylg '20 INGFEB). O-Sunshine and Moonlight Syndicate; B-Torryburn Stud (NSW); T-Ricky Yiu; J-James McDonald; HK$6,720,000.
3–Namur (Jpn), 122, f, 4, Harbinger (GB)–Sambre et Meuse (Jpn), by Daiwa Major (Jpn). O-Carrot Farm Co Ltd; B-Northern Farm; T-Tomokazo Takano; J-William Buick; HK$3,680,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 13-10, 30-1, 12-1.
Also Ran: Soul Rush (Jpn), Beauty Joy (Aus), Beauty Etenal (Aus), Serifos (Jpn), Encountered (Ire), Lim's Kosciuszko (Aus), Cairo (Ire), Divina (Jpn), Danon the Kid (Jpn), California Spangle (Ire), Tribalist (GB). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing.

Everything together. Nothing without the other.

@A_Evers | @LONGINES | #HKIR pic.twitter.com/v8EBwuzqus

— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) December 10, 2023

Romantic Warrior Holds Off Luxembourg In the Cup

Perhaps they should change his name to Dramatic Warrior.

Six weeks after dropping his nose down on the line ahead of Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars {Aus}) in a tense, ground-breaking victory in the G1 Cox Plate at Mooney Valley in Melbourne, Peter Lau's Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) was the 13-10 favourite to go back-to-back in Sunday's G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin and grimly held off late challenges from Ballydoyle's high-class Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Hishi Iguazu (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) to prevail by a head.

Perfectly placed in fourth by James McDonald, who flew back from Perth in Western Australia overnight, having just been beaten aboard the Annabel Neasham-trained Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) in Saturday's G1 Northerly S., Romantic Warrior traveled comfortably through the opening 1300 metres, but McDonald's hand was forced when Ryan Moore set Luxembourg alight on the turn. Quicker to the spot than the Ballydoyle raider, Romantic Warrior went for home, pinched a bit of a break and looked on his way to a successful defence of his title, only to have to call on every ounce of his class to hold on in the dying strides. Fourth-placed Straight Arron (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was hampered by the eventual winner at the 150m, with McDonald subsequently receiving an official reprimand from HKJC stewards, but no protest was lodged. Romantic Warrior becomes only the second repeat winner of the Cup, joining California Memory in 2011 and 2012.

“I think he's the toughest racehorse I've ever sat on and his courage, his will to win, is just something that I've never felt before,” said McDonald, who picked up the ride in last year's Cup from Karis Teetan, who was battling medical issues at the time. “I've ridden some fantastic racehorses–unbelievable ones–and he's right up there. To come back from a Cox Plate, I thought was going to be a ginormous task. Even though it was a small margin, I think he's come through it with flying colours.”

A 300,000gns purchase by Mick Kinane and the Hong Kong Jockey Club from the draft of Corduff Stud at the 2019 Tattersalls October Sale, Romantic Warrior was sold to Lau for HK$4.8 million at the Hong Kong International Sale in 2021. Luxembourg completed a Tattersalls-sourced 1-2.

Of Luxembourg, trainer Aidan O'Brien said: “He ran a great race. He was coming and coming and just on the wrong nod he [Romantic Warrior] came back up on him. But he ran a stormer, Ryan gave him a great ride. He's brave and he tries very hard. He's not been overraced and he is very consistent.”

The mentor and the mentee after the Hong Kong Cup.

Ryan Moore aboard Luxembourg and Vincnet Ho on Straight Arron.#HKracing #HKIR pic.twitter.com/rubofEfrgb

— Evers (@A_Evers) December 10, 2023

Pedigree Notes:

Romantic Warrior is one of three winners from three to the races for his dam, a daughter of the English listed-winning and Group 3-placed, G2 Prix Jean Romanet and GI E. P. Taylor S. winner Folk Opera, who was purchased by Blandford Bloodstock carrying to Exceed and Excel (Aus) for €82,000 at the 2016 Goffs November Sale. The in-utero purchase, named Melodic Charm (Ire), was sold for 85,000gns at the 2018 Tattersalls October Sale and was a two-time winner at the races for Saeed Manana and James Tate before clearly benefitting from the success of Romantic Warrior when selling to the China Horse Club for 270,000gns in foal to Dark Angel (Ire) at last year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

Folk Melody is also the dam of the 3-year-old colt Operation Gimcrack (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) and a yearling colt by the same stallion that was bought back for 110,000gns at this year's Tattersalls October Sale. Folk Star (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}), a David Simcock-trained half-sister to Folk Melody who won her maiden at Kempton Nov. 6 and was a narrowly beaten second in a Lingfield handicap Nov. 25, was knocked down to Kildaragh Stud for 37,000gns at the just-concluded Tattersalls December Sale. Folk Melody is additionally the dam of a weanling colt by New Bay (GB).

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
LONGINES HONG KONG CUP-G1, HK$36,000,000, Sha Tin, 12-10, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 2:02, gd.
1–ROMANTIC WARRIOR (IRE), 126, g, 5, by Acclamation (GB)
1st Dam: Folk Melody (Ire), by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Folk Opera (Ire), by Singspiel (Ire)
3rd Dam: Skiphall (GB), by Halling
(300,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT; HK$4,800,000 HRA '21 HKJUN). O-Peter Lau Pak Fai; B-T J Rooney & Corduff Stud; T-Danny Shum-; J-James McDonald; HK$20,160,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 4yo & Ch. Middle Distance Horse-HK, G1SW-Aus, 17-12-3-0, HK$119,796,084. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Luxembourg (Ire), 126, c, 4, Camelot (GB)–Attire (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (150,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Westerberg, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-B V Sangster; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore; HK$7,560,000.
3–Hishi Iguazu (Jpn), 126, h, 7, Heart's Cry (Jpn)–La Liz (Arg), by Bernstein. (¥97,000,000 Wlg '16 JRHAJUL). O-Masahide Abe; B-Northern Racing; T-Noriyuki Hori; J-Joao Moreira; HK$4,140,000.
Margins: SHD, NO, HF. Odds: 13-10, 71-10, 13-1.
Also Ran: Straight Arron (Aus), Prognosis (Jpn), Sword Point (Aus), Nimble Nimbus (NZ), Rousham Park (Jpn), Money Catcher (NZ), Horizon Dore (Fr), Champion Dragon (Ire). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing

Lucky Sweynesse Gains Redemption in the Sprint

Twelve months after enduring a luckless run in the sharpest of the four Longines Hong Kong International Races, Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) overcame some nervous moments inside the final 300 metres, but was given a ride full of confidence by Zac Purton and went on to an ultimately soft success over Lucky With You (Aus) (Artie Schiller). Defending champion Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) was third, as Hong Kong horses filled the top five slots.

The Sprint seemed loaded with speed on paper, and so it proved, as Victor the Great (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) blasted away from gate four, but was soon displaced on the front end by the fleet-footed Jasper Krone (Frosted), while G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) was handy in third. Purton secured the ideal spot in behind that trio and would have been licking his chops turning in, but as Victor the Winner took the race to Jasper Krone in upper stretch, a gap between that duo closed. Forced to steady, but only slightly as a result, Lucky Sweynesse was pulled out and took a few strides to hit top gear, but put the race to bed soon after. Lucky With You, a winner in Class 3 on International Day 2021, posted a career high to be second, while Wellington–blinkered for the first time–went a good race from the tail.

“I had the run inside Victor The Winner, but when James (McDonald) went for him, he shifted in and hampered me a little bit, but he (Lucky Sweynesse) accelerated so quickly, I was able to come out across his heels and he had his chance from there–he did what he had to do. I love him,” said Purton, recording a record-extending 11th HKIR win and third in the Sprint.

Lucky Sweynesse, who has now won each of the four Group 1 sprints in Hong Kong–all in calendar year 2023–was beaten under handicap conditions in his first two starts this term, but bounced back under a penalty to take out the G2 Jockey Club Sprint three weeks ago, defeating Wellington, who was having his first run for Jamie Richards.

“I could feel in the morning his trackwork had improved, and his action was getting a little bit better,” added Purton. “His all-around demeanour in the morning was getting back to where it was last season. I could see he was blossoming at the right time.”

The post-race incidents report stated that Lucky Sweynesse was found to have substantial blood in his trachea.

Sprint KING! The record of Lucky Sweynesse…

x4 G1s
x3 G2s
x2 G3s
x15 wins
HK$70.56 million @LONGINES | @zpurton | #HKIR pic.twitter.com/kZq53X86zM

— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) December 10, 2023

Pedigree Notes:

A full-brother to 2021 G1 Queensland Oaks third Signora Nera, Lucky Sweynesse has a 4-year-old half-brother by Per Incanto and a 2-year-old half-brother by Contributer (Ire). Having missed to Sweynesse for 2022, Madonna Mia most recently returned to that stallion son of Lonhro (Aus).

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
LONGINES HONG KONG SPRINT-G1, HK$26,000,000, Sha Tin, 12-10, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:09.25, gd.
1–LUCKY SWEYNESSE (NZ), 126, g, 5, by Sweynessse (Aus)
1st Dam: Madonna Mia (NZ) (SW-NZ, $134,764), by Red Clubs (Ire)
2nd Dam: Hill of Hope (Aus), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Macozie (Aus), by Marscay (Aus)
(NZ$90,000 2yo '20 NZBRTR). O-Cheng Ming Leung, Cheng Yu Tung, Cheng Mei Mei & Cheng Yu Wai; B-P L Dombroski, Explosive Breeding Ltd & S A Sharrock; T-Manfred Man; J-Zac Purton; HK$14,560,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. Sprinter-HK, 21-15-4-1, HK$70,568,900. *Full to Signora Nera (NZ), G1SP-Aus, GSP-NZ, $145,027. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lucky With You (Aus), 126, g, 6, Artie Schiller–Heredera (Aus), by Northern Meteor (Aus). (A$130,000 Ylg '19 INGMAR). O-Vincent Leung Man Him; B-Emirates Park Pty Ltd (NSW); T-Frankie Lor; J-Andrea Atzeni; HK$5,460,000.
3–Wellington (Aus), 126, g, 7, All Too Hard (Aus)–Mihiri (Aus), by More Than Ready. (A$70,000 Ylg '18 MMGCYS). O-Mr & Mrs Michael Cheng Wing On; B-Kia Ora Stud Pty Ltd, David Paradise, Steve McCann (NSW); T-Jamie Richards; J-Alexis Badel; HK$2,990,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1, NK. Odds: 3-10, 36-1, 75-10.
Also Ran: Victor the Winner (Aus), Duke Wai (NZ), Highfield Princess (Fr), Jasper Krone, Mad Cool (Ire), Sight Success (Aus), Aesop's Fables (Ire). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing.

Junko 'Fabre'-ulous in the Vase

The subject of a massive go on the tote that saw him crushed from double digits into $5.50 (9-2) in the final few minutes of the wagering, Wertheimer et Frere homebred Junko (GB) (Intello {Ger}) was steered out wide into the Sha Tin straight by Maxime Guyon and finished fastest of all to scoop Sunday's G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase. It was a third victory in the race for 77-year-old Andre Fabre, who won his first in 1999 with Borgia (Ger) and followed-up nine years ago with Flintshire (GB), also ridden by Guyon.

The lanky gelding missed the break by about a half-length and was content to drop out to the rear as La City Blanche (Arg) (Cityscape {GB}) led at a walking pace from Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was taken to the outside after leaving from the inside stall.

Racecaller Mark McNamara quipped that the Shing Mun River adjacent to the backstretch run at Sha Tin was 'moving faster than the Vase field' and that was scarcely hyperbole, as the opening 1200 metres was timed in 1:18.44, nearly three seconds outside standard. Moore went for Warm Heart with the better part of 700 metres to go, getting first run on her rivals, and the duo edged past La City Blanche traveling apparently well nearing the entrance to the straight. But the G1 Yorkshire Oaks winner began to run out of steam at the 200m, and Junko, produced wide off the final corner, lengthened his stride beautifully and outfinished the well-backed Zeffiro (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) for the victory. Warm Heart held for third, while Lebensstil (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn})–whose drift in the market from odds-on to be off at $2.30 (13-10) was equally eye-catching, dropped away tamely to finish last of them. The 11th French victory in the Vase was achieved in the slowest clocking in history.

“I'm really happy because it's time to win this race (again). Nine years ago, it was Flintshire,” said Guyon. “We didn't know before the race if he would like this ground or not because normally he prefers the soft ground, but today in Hong Kong the ground was good. We had a good race, we have not a lot of runners so I'm not too far back and just after the last turn, he has a good turn of foot. He's very relaxed and of course the pace is not way fast but the most important thing with the horse is if he's breathing really good and everything is okay.”

A consistent performer at Group 2 and Group 3 level, Junko had been found wanting a bit when tried in consecutive Group 1 tests this season, finishing sixth in the Dubai Turf in March and again in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan in May before finishing a distant third to Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. A facile winner of Deauville's G3 Prix de Reux Aug. 5, the homebred was third behind Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) in the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris Oct. 15 and was exiting a three-length triumph in the G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern in bottomless ground at Munich Nov. 5.

Legend, Andre Fabre. @LONGINES | @maximeguyon_off | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/1C9NaWaytW

— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) December 10, 2023

Pedigree Notes:

Lady Zuzu, a half-sister to multiple graded winner and multiple Grade I-placed Optimizer (English Channel), was purchased by Borges Torrealba for $1.225 million at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and was placed in a pair of age-restricted Grade III contests on the turf for Three Chimneys before changing hands for $2.35 million at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

The Grade I-winning third dam, a half-sister to fellow top-level scorers Dancing Spree and Furlough, produced two-time Grade I winner Finder's Fee. The latter's stakes-placed daughter Receipt (Dynaformer) was responsible for Grade III winner and three-times Grade I-placed Feathered (Indian Charlie), the dam of undefeated US Horse of the Year Flightline (Tapit).

Junko is a half-brother to a French-based, but American-bred yearling colt by Siyouni (Fr) and a weanling colt by Uncle Mo, also bred in Kentucky. Junko's 6-year-old half-sister Warzuzu (Ire) (War Front) is the dam of a filly by Persian King (Ire) that was purchased by Freddy Head for €160,000 at this year's Arqana August Sale.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
LONGINES HONG KONG VASE-G1, HK$26,000,000, Sha Tin, 12-10, 3yo/up, 2400mT, 2:30.12, gd.
1–JUNKO (GB), 126, g, 4, by Intello (Ger)
1st Dam: Lady Zuzu (MGSP-US, $112,615), by Dynaformer
2nd Dam: Indy Pick, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Fantastic Find, by Mr. Prospector
O/B-Wertheimer et Frere; T-Andre Fabre; J-Maxime Guyon; HK$13,440,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Ger, MGSW & G1SP-Fr, 14-7-3-2, HK$17,793,130. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Zeffiro (Jpn), 126, c, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Wild Wind (Ger), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). O-Shadai Race Horse Co Ltd; B-Shadai Farm; T-Yasutoshi Ikee; J-Damian Lane; HK$5,040,000.
3–Warm Heart (Ire), 117, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Sea Siren (Aus), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Westerberg; B-Coolmore; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore; HK$2,760,000.
Margins: 1, 2 1/4, HF. Odds: 9-2, 23-5, 12-5.
Also Ran: Geraldina (Jpn), Senor Toba (Aus), Five G Patch (Ire), La City Blanche (Arg), Lebensstil (Jpn). Scratched: West Wind Blows (Ire). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing.

The post ‘Truly Remarkable’ Longines HKIR Gives Fans Everything They Could Ask For appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Fresh off Breeders' Cup success in the United States, Yoshito Yahagi's mare is just one of 22 Group 1 winners set to compete. Returning to Hong Kong in a bid for a second G1 success in the city, the daughter of Deep Impact is looking to cap a superb year and she is just one of the exciting contingent of overseas raiders aiming at this year's “Turf World Championships.”

Featuring prominently once more, Aidan O'Brien will return to Hong Kong in strength with 2020 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m, or 1 1/2 miles) winner Mogul while stablemates Broome, Japan, Bolshoi Ballet and Mother Earth also feature.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has created uncertainty around many international racing events, the strength of the international presence in this year's line-up confirms that the Sha Tin showpiece retains its pre-eminent position at the top of the agenda for international horsemen.

The LONGINES HKIR is the sport's global year-end spectacular and features the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m, or 1 1/4 miles), the HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m, or one mile), the HK$24 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m, or six furlongs) and the HK$20 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m, or 1 1/2 miles). The Cup, Mile and Sprint are the world's richest G1 races on turf over their respective distances.

Andrew Harding, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Executive Director, Racing, said: “The LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) is firmly established as one of the world's principal racing events and this year we will welcome an extraordinary line-up from Japan, Great Britain, Ireland and France which includes 16 individual Group 1 winners. To have runners of this caliber in any year would be notable but once again it is truly remarkable given the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are delighted that the quality of the selected runners for this year's LONGINES Hong Kong International Races is in keeping with our long-held commitment to deliver sporting excellence and Loves Only You's return to Hong Kong after her historical Breeders' Cup victory is incredibly exciting, as is the arrival of a quintet from Aidan O'Brien's all-powerful Ballydoyle operation.

“Our hometown hero Golden Sixty is looking to enhance his astonishing unbeaten streak to 16 and also set a new all-time winning record of 19 in Hong Kong should he successfully defend his Hong Kong Mile title while star sprinter Wellington's development adds further intrigue and everything surely points to a thrilling afternoon of sport on Sunday, Dec. 12.”

Loves Only You spearheads a strong cohort from Japan, which includes first and second out of the G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) at Nakayama Racecourse last month, Pixie Knight and Resistencia, respectively, with both plotting raids on the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint. Danon Smash returns to defend his crown in the dash, while Glory Vase will attempt to recapture his LONGINES Hong Kong Vase title from Mogul – last year's victor – who also returns from Ireland to represent Aidan O'Brien.

Joining Loves Only You in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup is Lei Papale, winner of the G1 Osaka Hai (2000m) earlier this year who is looking to remain unbeaten over 10-furlongs. Bolshoi Ballet – O'Brien's American G1 winner – plots a course for the Hong Kong Cup, as does Mac Swiney for Jim Bolger and Dubai Honour for William Haggas. Both Mac Swiney – a two-time G1 winner – and Dubai Honour placed behind Sealiway in the British Champion Stakes with the latter getting within a length.

O'Brien will be double-handed in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase as the incredibly consistent Broome – who runs in Sunday's (Nov. 28) G1 Japan Cup (2400m) – journeys to Hong Kong for the first time following his cracking second to Yibir in the G1 LONGINES Breeders' Cup Turf (2400m) earlier this month at Del Mar Racecourse.

The William Muir-trained Pyledriver – winner of the 2021 G1 Coronation Cup (2420m) at Epsom Downs Racecourse – is in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase. While, H H Aga Khan's Ebaiyra – trained by the iconic Alain de Royer-Dupre – is also targeting a Hong Kong Vase raid.

Eyeing a 16th consecutive win and second successive LONGINES Hong Kong Mile crown, Hong Kong's Golden Sixty will face no shortage of stiff opposition including Mother Earth for the Irish mastermind, O'Brien. Her brilliant three-year-old season boasts two G1 titles, winning the 1000 Guineas (1609m) and Prix Rothschild (1600m), while she has also placed in seven other G1 contests in Great Britain, Ireland, France and the United States.

Indy Champ and Vin de Garde join the Japanese brigade bidding to overthrow Golden Sixty, as does Danon Kingly, winner of the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) last June. Trainer Noriyuki Hori is no stranger to success in Hong Kong after the heroics of the great Maurice and he'll be represented by Hishi Iguazu in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup as well as the G1-winning Salios, who also boasts consecutive runner-up efforts to Japan's Triple Crown-winning Contrail. Salios will contest the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.

Joining Golden Sixty – Hong Kong's reigning Horse of the Year – in the home team's defense is Hong Kong's Champion Stayer Panfield, who will be running in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.

Hong Kong's emerging talent has always been ever-present and the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint will have no shortage of juvenile stars. Lucky Patch steps out for Hong Kong following consecutive G2 scores, while Courier Wonder, Naboo Attack and Sky Field bolster the home team's defences with established G1 stars, Hot King Prawn and Wellington spearheading the charge.

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Aidan O'Brien's superstar mare is just one of 17 Group 1 winners set to compete. The globetrotting daughter of Galileo is bidding to make history by becoming O'Brien's most prolific Group 1 winner with eight top-level wins – the most of any O'Brien-trained flat horse – and she is the headliner among a brilliant contingent of 15 overseas raiders aiming at this year's HKIR.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has created uncertainty around many international racing events, the strength of the international presence in this year's entries confirms that the Sha Tin Showpiece remains high on the agenda of international horsemen.

The LONGINES HKIR is the sport's global year-end spectacular and features the HK$28 (US$3.61) million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m, about 1 1/4 miles), the HK$25 ($US3.23) million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m, about one mile), the HK$22 (US$2.84) million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m, about six furlongs), and the HK$20 ($US2.58) million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m, about 1 1/2 miles). The Cup, Mile and Sprint are the world's richest G1 races on turf over their respective distances.

Magical is one of five in a powerful cohort from O'Brien, and victory in the Hong Kong Cup would set her apart from fellow O'Brien-trained seven-time G1 winning champions Rock Of Gibraltar, Minding, Yeats and Highland Reel as the Irish handler's most prolific winner at the top level.

Also among O'Brien's Ballydoyle brigade is G1 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Order Of Australia (Mile). Four-time G1-placed Lope Y Fernandez also heads for the Hong Kong Mile after a strong third in that Keeneland race, while this year's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Peaceful takes to the Cup. G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Mogul eyes the Vase, and victory would give O'Brien a record-setting third win in the Vase following the heroics of Highland Reel (2015 and 2017).

The exciting fields for the four Group 1 features include big-name Japanese contenders: the six-strong squad from Japan includes last year's Hong Kong Cup winner Win Bright, unbeaten at Sha Tin having also claimed the 2019 FWD QEII Cup, while Admire Mars returns to defend his Hong Kong Mile crown.

Also from Japan, G1 winning sprinter Tower Of London features, as does Danon Smash, who returns for a second tilt at the Hong Kong Sprint. Last year's G1 Victoria Mile winner Normcore features in the Cup along with Danon Premium, a G1 winner as a two-year-old and runner-up to Almond Eye in last year's G1 Tenno Sho Autumn.

Singapore will have sole representation in the form of two-time SIN G1 winner Inferno in the Sprint. The talented speedster has won eight of his nine career starts, and his Lion City Cup (1200m, about six furlongs) success came in race-record time (1:08.28), a half-second outside the course record set by dual Hong Kong Sprint winner (2007 and 2009) Sacred Kingdom in the 2009 KrisFlyer International Sprint over the same distance at Kranji Racecourse.

France has two entries, spearheaded by last-start G1 QIPCO British Champion Stakes runner-up Skalleti who is entered for the Cup. A 12-time winner from 16 starts for up-and-coming trainer Jerome Reynier, the five-year-old has three G2s and two G3s to his name, including a defeat of the subsequent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass at Deauville in August, while stablemate and 2019 Bahrain International Trophy winner Royal Julius joins him but contests the Vase.

A strong Hong Kong team is headed by Golden Sixty, whose G2 Jockey Club Mile success on Sunday (Nov. 22) made him only the fourth horse in Hong Kong racing history to win 10 consecutive races after Silent Witness, Beauty Generation and Co-Tack. Hong Kong's reigning Horse of the Year Exultant and dual previous Horse of the Year Beauty Generation bolster local hopes as they bid for their second and third respective wins in the Vase and the Mile, while top-level winners Waikuku and Southern Legend will also be in action.

The 2019 BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Furore will take to the Hong Kong Cup after defeating Exultant in the G2 Jockey Club Cup, while steely grey Hot King Prawn will face off with fellow grey Classique Legend, who arrives in Hong Kong rated 125 on the LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings as the joint-highest rated sprinter in the world. He has joined the Caspar Fownes yard after an impressive conquest against seven individual G1 winners in the 2020 The Everest at Randwick Racecourse.

Andrew Harding, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Executive Director, Racing, said: “The LONGINES Hong Kong International Races is firmly established among a select handful of the world's greatest international racing occasions. To have entries of this calibre in any year would be notable but this year's standard is remarkable given the challenge of the pandemic and all its attendant travel and quarantine issues.

“We are delighted that the quality of the selected runners for this year's LONGINES Hong Kong International Races is in keeping with our long-held commitment to deliver sporting excellence and Magical's participation is particularly exciting when you think of the significant slice of history that she could create for Aidan O'Brien.

“Exultant will look to recapture his Vase title, while the old marvel Beauty Generation adds intrigue to the Mile. Add in some top-class Japanese raiders and our leading local hope Golden Sixty and everything surely points to a thrilling afternoon of sport on Dec. 13.”

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“We are delighted to have such strong nominations for our four Group 1 races in December,” said Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing for the HKJC. “Considering the current climate in regard to the COVID-19 situation, it just reiterates that the Longines Hong Kong International Races are recognised the world over as one of the global sport’s truly great events. This is something that we are extremely proud of and this year we anticipate another phenomenal day of elite sport.”

Japan fields a top-class team year in and year out and the 23-strong challenge could be headed by former Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). Withdrawn on the eve of last year’s G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup, the 5-year-old resumes in defence of her crown in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) this weekend, having defeated the Cup-nominated Danon Premium (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) at Tokyo 12 months ago. The globetrotting Addeybb (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) holds an entry for the day’s richest race and has three Group 1s to his name this season, the Ranvet S. and Longines Queen Elizabeth S. on a very successful Australian raid and a latest tally in the G1 QIPCO British Champions S. at Ascot. Aidan O’Brien has entered five for the Cup, including last year’s runner-up Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}); third to Addeybb last time and headed to the Breeders’ Cup meeting; G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}); and MGSW Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who exits a second in the G1 W S Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who beat Addeybb in the G1 Prince of Wales’s S. at Royal Ascot, is also engaged.

Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro) has yet to strike at the top level, but nevertheless looms the favourite for the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile. Winner of nine straight and 12 of 13 overall, he could square off against defending champion Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), the O’Brien-conditioned G1 Queen Anne S. winner Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Australia’s Alligator Blood (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}), whose top-level success came in the Australian Guineas the the 1600-metre distance. Two-time Mile winner Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock {Aus}) also represents the home team.

The locals struck their lone blow in last year’s G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, a race they have dominated down the years, and Beat the Clock (Aus) (Hinchinbrook {Aus}) and Hot King Prawn (Aus) (Denman {Aus}) could square off again. That duo could be threatened by the very talented Classique Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}), exiting a towering victory in The Everest, while four-time G1SW Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}) is the lone Australian speedster entered. Olekasandra (Aus) (Animal Kingdom), who carried the Team Valor silks to a defeat of the boys in the GI Jaipur Invitational S. in June, and 2019 GII Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Four Wheel Drive (American Pharoah) are the two HKIR entrants from America. Inferno (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Aus}) who cemented his status as the top horse in Singapore in last weekend’s Lion City Cup, has also been entered, as has Glen Shiel (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who carried Hollie Doyle to a 16-1 upset of the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint Oct. 17.

Reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) kicks off a Longines Hong Kong Vase preparation in Sunday’s G3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse H. as he looks to add to his victory on HKIR day in 2018. The form of the Oct. 17 G1 Caulfield Cup could be on display in the Vase, as that event’s top two placegetters–Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) and Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})–could each press on to Sha Tin. In Swoop (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}), winner earlier this season of the G1 Deutsches Derby, is a potentially very interesting raider for Francis-Henri Graffard, having run Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) to a neck in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Oct. 4, while G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Prix de l’Opera victress Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) could represent the Dermot Weld yard.

Added Harding: “To attract global stars like Almond Eye and Magical, is testament to how appealing Hong Kong racing is in the eyes of the world’s leading horsemen. Hong Kong stages superb sport with excellent prize money and on 13 Dec., Sha Tin will take centre stage with the excitement of four world class championship races.”

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In the first digital presentation released Monday as part of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) annual conference, a panel of racetrack officials and racing authorities gathered to talk about the challenges and lessons from the pandemic so far. This year's 54th international conference is being conducted virtually for the first time, with conference materials being released gradually over the next two weeks. This year's focus will be on COVID-19 and its impacts on racing. In most years, the IFHA conference is held on the day after the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at the France Galop offices in Paris.

Readers are familiar with the challenges faced by American racetracks starting in March and April, as some had to shut down, close to fans, or delay major races. In other countries, cross-border travel restrictions caused significant headaches even when racing resumed.

“If one of [the stewards] were to become infected, in normal circumstances they'd all be sitting in the same room together. In one fell swoop, we'd lose all our stewards,” he said, pointing out that would be the end of racing while officials were quarantined.

Hong Kong jockeys were divided into four clusters and had their jockeys' quarters separated to keep riders in bubbles. Stewards were also given separate rooms to minimize the risk of disease spread. Additionally, licensees were required to provide Hong Kong racing officials with a daily log of their temperatures. Jockeys were required to provide officials with an activity schedule so they could be advised what their potential risk for exposure might be, and to provide a guide for contract tracing should a COVID-19 positive occur.

In the United States, many racing fans have become frustrated by what seems like an uneven application of government regulations to different businesses. For a period of time this spring, Santa Anita Park was closed to fans and required jockeys to live on-site to reduce exposure, while crowds of people poured into the Los Angeles County Arboretum across the street. William Derby, chief executive and clerk of course at York Racecourse, told panelists the same is true in England, where he's aware of nearby bars and pubs beginning to bustle while fans are still not permitted at the track. In fact, York had to erect 3.5 kilometers of fencing to keep people away from the racecourse despite it being on public land. Still, Derby pointed out, local and national governments are overwhelmed, dealing with basic safety questions for hospitals and schools, and patience is key.

“Sport takes its place in the queue, despite the fact [racing] is a very important employer; 18,000 jobs in the UK rely on it,” he said.

Still, some good things have come out of the pandemic. Stephen Cook, director of content for IMG Productions, said that as soon as racing fans were barred from coming to the track, his team had to think of ways to recreate the experience for them remotely — including filming horses whenever possible in their stable yards and in workouts to create a sense of familiarity before they headed to the track.

“It's helped us jump probably a couple of years ahead on something we'd be behind on if this hadn't happened,” said Cook.

Of course, racing was one of very few live sports that was able to carry on or return quickly after initial shutdowns in the spring. Olivier Delloye, CEO of France Galop, said that after racing resumed in France, it took just five weeks for handle to regain its 2019 averages. From early June until now, wagering has consistently been up 10 to 20 percent over last year.

“We didn't expect that,” Delloye said. “We were all worried that even if the betting shops would reopen, even if people were opening new digital accounts, people would think of many other things than going to bet on horse racing.”

The panelists are certainly not seeing a cloudless sky ahead, however. Delloye and Derby both worry tremendously about ownership retention, as owners have been hit particularly hard in the wallets by the spring shutdowns. For Cook, questions remain about whether racing will be able to capitalize on its time in the spotlight and turn temporary interest into long-term loyalty once the virus is controlled and other sports return. In the more near term, Harding worries about how many racing authorities can outlast the ongoing disruptions COVID-19 is causing.

'”As hard as it's been in the UK and France, there are some countries where they haven't been able to operate in a manner that's profitable,” he said. “How long that's sustainable is troubling to me. That will have an impact globally.”

Hong Kong has no breeding program of its own, so potential future impacts of the current economic downturn on the international foal crop is another long-term concern.

All in all, Keeneland president-elect Shannon Arvin said she looks to the future with a mixture of realism and optimism, uncertain of what comes next, but hopeful racing's new lessons will carry it through.

“We don't know how long this will last,” she said. “Somebody asked me this morning, 'Will we have fans back in April?' I don't know the answer to that.

“I think there are definitely silver linings to the pandemic, and I think we need to keep looking for them. I think the perseverance that so many in our industry have shown and that resiliency is shining through ad showing us the silver linings. Winston Churchill said, 'Never let a good crisis go to waste.' I think about how the Keeneland sales actually started, which is during World War II, because we weren't able to ship horses up to New York so we started our own sale. Now of course, that's such a critical part of our business as well as a key piece of the industry and the marketplace. I'm excited to see what innovations come of this.”

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The first panel was entitled ‘Sustaining the Business of Racing and Sports in the Midst of a Global Pandemic and Economic Uncertainty.’ Hosted by media personality Rishi Persad, it featured Shannon Bishop Arvin (Keeneland Association), Stephen Cook (IMG), Olivier Delloye (France Galop), William Derby (York Racecourse) and Andrew Harding (Hong Kong Jockey Club).

The panelists set the scene by describing some of the less visible challenges they have faced throughout the pandemic. Delloye took it back to the early days of the pandemic when the covering season in France appeared under threat.

“At some stages we were very worried that the covering season would have to be put to an end,” he recalled. “And of course in March it would have been a disaster for the whole industry. That would have cost the whole industry fortunes for many years. There was a lot of discussion and negotiation with the government to ensure the basic [elements] of our industry were not jeopardized.”

Derby described the challenges of operating on public land.

“It’s been a huge undertaking for all racecourses,” he acknowledged. “A unique circumstance of York is that the centre of the racecourse is a public area of land so we had to put up 3 1/2 kilometres of fencing to allow people access to the centre of the course but to keep them away from the racing surface so we could keep up with the protocols of behind closed doors racing.

“We, like a lot of people, had lots of different operating plans depending on what the government would be announcing going forward like welcoming back crowds under pilot schemes, which then didn’t happen at the last minute. So there’s been a huge amount of aborted work to try and anticipate what might happen in this fast-evolving situation.”

Arvin said Keeneland has faced similar challenges in being a cherished element of the local community in Kentucky.

“Our plans have been responsible and well thought out, we’ve submitted them in advance to our government authorities so that they understand we’re being responsible,” she said. “Keeneland is a place that is generally open to the community. We have a lot of people that come here to walk their dogs and enjoy coming to watch the horses work and the sales have always been open to the pubic. So it was a difficult decision for us to have to close our grounds.

“I would say all the tracks in Kentucky have done a great job communicating with each other, with government authorities and the racing commission. We were able to have our race meet in July with the cooperation of Ellis Park because everybody realized it was in the best interest of everybody for Keeneland to be racing those days.”

Derby described some of the challenges racing in the UK has experienced as a crossover between the sports, agriculture and hospitality industries which has been ultimately forced to identify as a sport only.

“We have to stick with one department to speak with government and that has been DCMS [Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport] for the UK,” he explained. “They wouldn’t be one of the biggest departments unlike in France with the department of agriculture, so we have to fight for time with the minister and time with the senior government, and obviously they’re dealing with a pandemic which we have to understand. They’re dealing with schools re-opening and hospitals, so sports takes its part in the queue.

“We got back early racing behind closed doors which was vitally important for the sport but in the UK restaurants and bars have re-opened, and in the York city centre not more than a mile away there is a busy, vibrant feel to the bars and restaurants, but we have huge restaurants on the racecourse that we have not been able to re-open so that’s been a frustration, it feels like a contradiction and a slight unfairness.”

In identifying the greatest challenges that still face the racing industry in the midst of the pandemic, the retention of owners and fans were a common theme.

“Taking care of owners, and keeping as many owners as possible on board [will be the greatest challenge],” Delloye said. “We’ve all witnessed the damage of the pandemic on owners and the yearling market is evidence of this. These people need some visibility on when they can enjoy going back racing.”

Derby added, “Building on Olivier’s point, I think relevance as the world emerges from the pandemic and people get busier and maybe get out of the habit of watching or betting on racing. It’s ensuring that racing seizes the opportunity that has presented itself this summer of limited other sports and people at home.”

Cook, who brought an outside perspective to the panel as the director of content for IMG Studios, said, “my job is all to do with revenue and profitability, and it’s not going to be just the average person on the street that will have less to spend off the back of this, but federations and broadcasters themselves are going to be looking to cut their cloth accordingly. So I think for us it’s a need to continue telling great narratives, great stories, and hope that when crowds do return that the broadcasters and federations will have the money to spend again on the product.”

Harding took the focus of looking at the health of some of the smaller industries that provide a backbone to the larger racing nations.

“I think the greatest challenge globally will be how long it takes for us to get back to normal and whether in some jurisdictions that’s going to be too long,” he said. “As hard as it’s been in the UK and France there are some countries where they just haven’t been able to operate in a manner that is profitable. How long that’s sustainable is something that is terribly troubling. That will have an impact globally in terms of things like the foal crop. That is something that has an impact on Hong Kong. We don’t have a breeding industry, everything that races here is imported, so we do depend on a strong racing ecosystem in other countries.”

Reflecting on what silver linings have emerged from a terrible situation with the pandemic, Arvin reflected on innovations that can emerge in times of crisis.

“Somebody asked if I was an optimist. I think I’m a realist with an optimistic spin, and I think there are definitely silver linings to come out of the pandemic and I think we have to keep looking for them,” she said. “I think the perseverance that so many in our industry have shown and that resiliency is shining through and showing us the silver linings. Winston Churchill said, ‘never let a good crisis go to waste’ and I think of how the Keeneland sales actually started, which was during World War II because we weren’t able to ship horses up to New York so we started our own sale and now it’s such a critical part of our business and a key part of the industry.”

Derby and Harding each touched on the opportunity to get racing into the national spotlight.

“I think from our perspective it’s been that focus on the horse and really using digital platforms and getting behind the scenes access to the racehorses that are at the heart of our business,” Derby said. “We did a big project building up to our flagship meeting, meeting the horses in the yard, traveling with them to the races, seeing them unloaded, really trying to get the fans to see the characters and unearth the personalities both human and equine. I hope we hold onto that going forward, the behind the scenes access.”

Harding added, “as an Australian and as part of the international federation what I see is that globally it has given racing a monopoly on attention. I certainly know that was true in Australia-for a long period it was the only sport you could watch. The viewer numbers went up and people that used to like racing remembered why they liked it and people that hadn’t previously taken an interest in it were exposed to it.”

Cook described how the pandemic and other sociopolitical issues in 2020 have allowed an opportunity to reassess how businesses are run.

“I think it’s helped us reset the dial a little,” he said. “It’s enabled us to look at the structure of our business and ask, ‘are we doing things the right way?’ There have been lots of other things happening around the world while this pandemic has been going on. The Black Lives Matter movement has helped us look at, ‘are we as diverse and inclusive as we should be as an organization?’ Probably not, and we’re going to work on that. We’ve also looked at sustainability. We’re part of an initiative called Green To Screen that looks at our carbon footprint. All these things that get put to one side when you’re on the wheel of making television day in and day out.”

The next video in the International Conference of Horseracing Authorities series, to be released on Tuesday, will feature the conference’s keynote address from Pete Giorgio and Alan Switzer from Deloitte.

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“At a time when prize money levels are being cut worldwide, the prize money increases announced by the Hong Kong Jockey Club are very welcome news, and a testament to the strength, resilience and buoyancy of Hong Kong racing, even in these very difficult times,” said Chew Fook Aun, president of the Hong Kong Racehorse Owners Association.

A record HK$1.4 billion (£142.9m/€160m/A$261m/US$181m) will be up for grabs next season over the course of 88 meetings at Sha Tin Racecourse and Happy Valley Racecourse and represents an overall increase of 4.9% over the current season. The Hong Kong Derby, the final leg of the 4YO Classic Series and a race coveted by many Hong Kong owners, will offer prize money of HK$24 million, while the two lead-in races–the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup–also see purse hikes of 20% to HK$12 million. Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro) became just the second horse to complete a Classic sweep this past March. The Hong Kong Derby will be the world’s second-richest Derby, trailing only the Japanese equivalent.

Five of Hong Kong’s 12 annual Group 1 races will be contested for prize money of HK$12 million next season, a 20% boost, while the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint goes from HK$20 million to HK$22 million, a 10% hike.

“Hong Kong is already home to the world’s richest turf races at 2000 metres, a mile and 1400 metres, and, while our Group 1 prize money is strong, we have nonetheless identified a specific need to increase the prize funds for six of our Group 1 races, notably the Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), which regains its status as the world’s richest Group 1 turf sprint,” said Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, for the HKJC.

Group 2 purses will rise a total of 5.9% (HK$4.25m to HK$4.5m) and Group 3 races will carry prize money of HK$3.5m (up from $3.25m), an increase of 7.7%. The increases will also spill into all classes of handicap races. Class 1 races will be funded to the tune of HK$3m (+7.1%) and Class 2 races will be worth HK$2.2m (+4.8%). Classes 3 through 5 each get purse increases of 3.4%.

“Hong Kong racing is among the best in the world and part of what makes it such a competitive sports environment is the excellent prize money available from Class 5 right up to Group 1,” Harding said. “Despite the issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty in world economies, we will continue our successful strategy of recent years to increase purse levels as necessary in order to reward and encourage our owners and to ensure Hong Kong’s elite races are attractive to overseas competitors. This approach has been a core element in Hong Kong being able to maintain its position as a world leader in providing quality horseracing and has enabled us to achieve between 20 and 26 horses in the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for each of the past seven years.”

Three-time champion UK jockey Silvestre de Sousa is a frequent visitor to Hong Kong on short-term contracts, having ridden 14 winners at his most recent stint.

“It was amazing to wake up this morning and read the news about record prize money increases in Hong Kong,” he said. “It just shows how forward-thinking the Hong Kong Jockey Club really are and it’s happening against a backdrop when the rest of the world are doing the exact opposite and tightening their belts.”

The Club also announced a bonus incentive for trainers in an effort to increase the quality of horses for the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley in December. The scheme will offer HK$200,000 to the most successful trainer, HK$100,000 to the runner-up and HK$50,000 to third, with points awarded in similar fashion as the jockeys’ challenge.

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