Europe | Horse Racing Free Tips

HKJC To Offer Record Prize-Money For New Season

Record total prize-money and incentives of HK$1.62 billion, approximately £158.6 million, will be offered across the 2022/23 season, the Hong Kong Jockey Club announced on Wednesday. Overall purses will be bolstered by a record single-season increase of 11.5% (HK$167.2 million) and there are also increases in prize-money across middle-distance races and a new bonus system.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, chief executive officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, “The last two and a half years have been among the most challenging times in Hong Kong racing history. Despite this, we have been able to continue racing and we would like to thank everybody in the industry for working together to make it happen.

“With various kinds of COVID-19 measures including overseas travel restrictions, it has made it difficult for owners and trainers to go to the sales to source horses for two racing seasons. Furthermore, we are facing an increased competition to source good horses due to prize-money increases around the world, especially Australia which is the main source of our bloodstock. The popularity of overseas racing syndicates, which are less willing to sell horses as well as highly competitive power from Gulf countries also makes the issue harder.

“We recognise all of these factors, but firmly believe that the impacts of this will be short-term. We have seen Hong Kong emerge as one of the world leaders in racing both in terms of its quality and its international recognition. We have also successfully pioneered large scale international commingling, and now the World Pool. We firmly believe that Hong Kong racing will have room for further growth and we are fully committed to making the necessary investments to achieve this, both through major plans for significant capital investments in our racecourses and training facilities in Sha Tin and Conghua, as well as in a prize-money pool that rewards owners who invest in high-quality horses.”

Hong Kong now hosts the world's richest Group 1 turf races at 1200m, 1600m, and 2000m. In addition, the four Group 1 features at the Longines Hong Kong International Races will offer total prize-money of HK$110 million, approximately £10.7 million, an increase of HK$10 million on 2021. The three races that received prize-money increases are as follows:

The G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m) purse will increase to HK$34 million (+13.3%).
The G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile (1600m) purse rises to HK$30 million (+15.4%).
The G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) will be worth HK$22 million (+10%), and is now the sixth-richest Group 1 2400m event in the world.

“The Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) have been widely recognised as the Turf World Championships and the HK$110 million total prize-money also highlights the Club's commitment to attracting and rewarding the world's best,” said Engelbrecht-Bresges.

Other notable Group 1 races are the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m), with a purse of HK$12 million, the HK$20-million Chairman's Sprint Prize (1200m) on FWD Champions Day, and the HK$24-million Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m). The latter pair are the richest and second-richest 1200-metre turf races in the world. In addition, the purses for Hong Kong's Group 2 and Group 3 races have been boosted to HK$5 million (+5.3%)) and HK$3.9 million (+5.4%), respectively.

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Eydon Camp Mulls 2000 Guineas Option

The Listed bet365 Feilden S. hero Eydon (Ire) (Olden Times {GB}), emerged from his win in good order and is still under consideration for the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas, owner Prince Faisal's racing advisor Ted Voute revealed on Wednesday. Although the Roger Varian trainee has been left in the entries for that Newmarket Classic, his long-term target remains the G1 Cazoo Derby at Epsom on June 4.

“I went to see him on Monday and he looked magnificent, so I relayed that information to the Prince, who is still in Saudi Arabia and after discussions with Roger as well, we have left him in the Guineas for the time being to keep all the options open,” said Voute.

“The Prince has said the best trial for the Derby is the Guineas, so that is definitely on our mind, but it's just the timing from the Feilden to the Guineas is the shortest of all the options we have, so that's really why we're sitting and deliberating.

“Going down to Newmarket myself and having a look at him was one of the pieces of the puzzle, which I fed back into the system and as a result we've left him in. Sometimes you're forced to make decisions before you want to make them, but by leaving him in the race it buys us a week.”

He added: “Obviously, we've got the likes of Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and some very good horses to face up to, but you don't become the best unless you race against them and the Prince has never been shy, he likes to race them at the top table if they are good enough.

“He's 25-1 for the Guineas and I wonder if he was by Frankel (GB) out of an Olden Times mare he would be shorter in the betting, but he's by Olden Times out of a Frankel mare so he's 25s.

“He won the Feilden very nicely and he could be anything, but we've not ruled anything out and he was put in the [G2] Dante [S.] and all the right races in both England and France.”

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Racing Victoria Unveils Changes To Spring Carnival Exams

International horses flying to Australia for the Melbourne Spring Carnival will no longer be required to take part in a scintigraphy exam prior to flying to Australia, Racing Victoria announced on Wednesday. The stringent scans were started last year in an attempt to reduce the rate of injuries and fatalities. These tests were required to be paid for by the horses' owners, and led to fewer internationals participating at the iconic carnival.

Racing Victoria's statement read as follows: “Upon recommendation of the international working group, the RV Board has endorsed the use of scintigraphy scans in a targeted manner from 2022 onwards for international horses entering Victoria via the Werribee International Horse Centre, as opposed to a blanket order.

“The RV veterinary team will focus the use of scintigraphy scans on international horses where their mandatory CT or MRI scans; veterinary history; racing history; and/or pre-travel inspections indicate that the horse may be at a heightened risk of sustaining a serious injury.

“The change aligns European horses with Japanese horses, where a discretionary protocol was in place in 2021 due to the absence of such technology in Japan.

“The adoption of a targeted approach considers both the benefits and challenges on utilising scintigraphy scans on racehorses in active training, along with analysis of scintigraphy results from the 2021 Spring Racing Carnival and of ongoing research into the prevalent causes of serious injuries in racehorses.”

Racing Victoria's Chief Executive Giles Thompson added, “When we introduced the new veterinary protocols last year we committed to a thorough process after the Spring Carnival to review their implementation, consider any learnings and participant feedback and to understand any advancements in technology research that may be of further benefit.

“Our international working group recommended that to remain at the forefront of safety in world racing, Victoria should continue the mandatory CT or MRI scanning of all international horses travelling to Australia and CT scanning of all horses, both local and international, prior to the Melbourne Cup.

“They also recommended enhancements to our protocols through an increase in the number of pre-travel veterinary inspections for an international horse and the introduction of new gait analysis technology, along with enhanced veterinary oversight of horses travelling to Australia via alternative quarantine centres.

“Upon review of the use of scintigraphy scans, it was determined that they now be used in a discretionary manner by our veterinary team in circumstances where the mandatory CT scans; veterinary history; racing history; and/or pre-travel inspections of any international horse indicate that it may be at a heightened risk of a serious injury.

“In doing so, our vets will remain vigilant and not hesitate to use a scintigraphy scan where needed to protect the safety of horses and riders.”

He added, “In making this announcement, I would reiterate that we remain focused on attracting the best horses, trainers and jockeys to compete in Victoria, as we do on ensuring that those visiting compete safely and return home in good health.

“International participation has been a feature of our Spring Racing Carnival for close to 30 years, and the win of State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in last year's G1 Cox Plate demonstrated both the competitiveness of international horses in our elite races and their ability to travel here, satisfy our veterinary protocols and perform at an elite level.”

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Goresbridge Breeze-up Catalogue Now Online

The catalogue for the sole Irish sale of 2-year-olds, the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze-up Sale, has been released and features 215 horses to be sold on Thursday, May 19.

Among the group of juveniles is an Invincible Spirit (Ire) half-brother to the five-time group winner Banimpire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) to be offered as lot 42 from Katie Walsh's Greenhills Farm draft.

The only juvenile by French champion sire Siyouni (Fr) in the catalogue is a filly out of American stakes winner Clenor (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) from the Longways Stables consignment (lot 158).

Sea The Stars (Ire) is represented by two lots, including a colt out of the G2 Blandford S. winner Tarfasha (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and thus a full-brother to the Listed winner Rakan (Ire). Catalogued as lot 100, he is consigned by Tally-Ho Stud and descends from a Ballymacoll Stud family which includes Group 1 winner Gamut (Ire) and Goodwood Cup winner Saddler's Rock (Ire).

Among the first-season sires with 2-year-olds catalogued are Havana Grey (GB), who already has three winners to his credit, Tasleet (GB), Kessaar (Ire), Sioux Nation, U S Navy Flag, Harry Angel (Ire), Saxon Warrior (Jpn) and Massaat (GB).

Seventy-eight of the horses in the sale are qualified for the Swedish Derby and Oaks series, while a further 18 are eligible for French owners' premiums. The 2-year-olds will breeze at Fairyhouse Racecourse on Wednesday, May 18 from 10am, and the sale takes place the following day at the Tattersalls Ireland complex starting at 10.30am.

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