Hong Kong Classic Mile | Horse Racing Free Tips

Diabolical Derby Draw for California Spangle

The connections of the speedy California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) were hardly doing cartwheels after their Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) winner was assigned gate 10 in a full field of 14 for Sunday's HK$24-million BMW Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin Racecourse.

The winner of six of his eight local starts, California Spangle made all in the Feb. 27 Classic Cup, having endured a tough trip when second to Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in the Hong Kong Classic Mile back in January. But jockey Zac Purton admits that the 10 hole is not exactly what the team had in mind.

“Unfortunately, we have a number of speed runners drawn inside us who are no doubt going to try and hold their positions,” Purton said. “If I fire him out of the gate from 10 at this start to get across, maybe it gives him that signal it's time to go and he might see that corner and think he's in a 1200-metre race. It could go horribly bad for us, it's a horrible draw for us– but it is what it is.”

Roles were reversed in the Classic Cup, when Romantic Warrior was trapped out deep from a double-digit draw for the entire trip and finished a brave fourth. The Hong Kong International Sale grad fared better this time around in pulling gate eight.

“Last time he did cover a lot of ground, he was the widest horse for the whole race and he still finished off nicely so this time we are in the middle of the track,” said jockey Karis Teetan. “So if we can get a good jump and get him in a decent position, I think he should run the distance no problem and I think he will show us his nice turn of foot this time.”

A course-and-distance winner–a rare commodity in this field–Senor Toba (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) gets the blinkers on for the first time from gate three. Trainer Caspar Fownes believes the gray can improve on his running-on fifth in the Classic Cup from barrier three, which has produced four Derby winners since 2000.

“We'll always take the stats if they're in our favour and if they're not in our favour, we'll try to change them,” Fownes said. “The horse is going to have the blinkers on for the first time, we took him to the gates this morning, he's starting to know how to jump better and know what we want of him.”

The Hong Kong Derby is carded as the eighth of 10 races Sunday at Sha Tin and jumps at 4.40pm local time (9.40am BST).

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Acclamation’s Romantic Warrior Remains Perfect In Classic Mile

by Alan Carasso

Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), a graduate of the unique Hong Kong International Sale, took his record to five-from-five with a tough victory over pacesetting California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in Sunday's HK$12-million Hong Kong Classic Mile, the first of three legs of the 4YO Series in the jurisdiction. The Irishman (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) rallied from midfield to finish a clear third.

Winner of five of his six starts, California Spangle–the top-rated galloper in the field–crossed and cleared his rivals from barrier 13 and set a reasonable gallop, as Karis Teetan aboard Romantic Warrior made full use of the rail draw to scrape paint down the back from a centerfield position. California Spangle, trying a distance beyond 1200 metres for the first time, went for home traveling nicely, but Teetan threaded the needle on Romantic Warrior at the quarter pole and was poised behind the pacesetter in upper stretch. A touch one-paced into the final furlong, Romantic Warrior knuckled down to split rivals and was doing his best work through the line. California Spangle, the only member of this 14-strong field without a BMW Hong Kong Derby entry, easily held second from The Irishman, who finished well while no menace to the top two. Turin Redstar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a two-time winner and sixth in the Brittania H. at Royal Ascot for John and Thady Gosden last June when raced as Mithras, made good ground from well back to be an eye-catching fourth at cricket-score odds.

“He had the draw and I think it helped him,” Teetan said. “I just wanted to follow California Spangle and I knew he would take me into the race but when this horse got the clear run, he really let down and I think he's got a very bright future. Man, the last 100 metres, when he got a clear run, he gave me a really good feel.”

Romantic Warrior was purchased by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for 300,000gns from the draft of David and Henrietta Egan's Corduff Stud at Tattersalls October in 2019 by a team headed up by legendary former jockey Mick Kinane. He is the third foal from his dam, a daughter of Folk Opera, whose biggest racetrack success came in the 10-furlong GI E. P. Taylor S. at Woodbine and whose resume also includes a victory in the G2 Darley Prix Jean Romanet. Folk Melody's last listed produce is a 2-year-old colt of this season named Operation Gimcrack (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}), who fetched 160,000gns from Bryan Smart Racing at last year's Tattersalls October Sale.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
HONG KONG CLASSIC MILE-LR, HK$12,000,000 (£1,149,106/€1,381,100/A$2,200,825/US$1,539,981), Sha Tin, 1-30, NH/SH4yo, 1600mT, 1:33.80, gd.
1–ROMANTIC WARRIOR (IRE), 126, g, 4, 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
1ST STAKES WIN. (300,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT; HK$4,800,000 2yo '21 HKJUN). O-Peter Lau Pak Fai; B-Corduff Stud & T J Rooney; T-Danny Shum Chap-Shing; J-Karis Teetan; HK$6,840,000. Lifetime Record: 5-5-0-0, HK$10,415,400.
2–California Spangle (Ire), 126, g, 4, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Pearlitas Passion (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire). 1ST BLACK-TYPE. (€150,000 Ylg '19 GOFORB). O-Howard Liang Yum Shing; B-M Enright; T-Tony Cruz; J-Matthew Chadwick; HK$2,640,000.
3–The Irishman (NZ), 126, g, 4, Tavistock (NZ)–Zeranti (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ). (NZ$170,000 Ylg '19 NZBJAN). O-Edmond Lee Man Bun; B-Sir Patrick & Lady Hogan; T-Francis Lui Kin-Wai; J-Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu; HK$1,380,000.
Margins: HF, 1 3/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 39-10, 18-5, 34-5.
Also Ran: Turin Redsun (GB), Ima Single Man (Aus), Sight Spirit (Aus), Setanta (Aus), Lucky With You (Aus), Blaze Warrior (Aus), Rocket Space (Aus), Master Delight (Aus), Fa Fa (NZ), Cobhfield (Ire), Packing Victory (NZ). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing.

WATCH: Romantic Warrior makes it five on the trot in the Classic Mile

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Friendless ‘Proposal’ Makes Amends in Hong Kong Classic Mile

Those who got stuck into Sunday's Hong Kong Classic Mile from a pari-mutuel standpoint very much adopted a 'what-have-you-done-for-me-lately' approach, failing to give the talented Excellent Proposal (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) the benefit of the doubt for a dismal last-out performance in Class 2 company Jan. 10. Dismissed at 22-1, a massive overlay given the promise he'd shown previously, the chestnut rallied wide beneath Blake Shinn and charged home to cause the boilover. Lucky Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) lasted for second from a desperately unlucky Tourbillon Diamond (Aus) (Olympic Glory {Ire}). The race was marred by an injury to the well-backed Enrich Delight (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), who took a bad step at the 1100-meter mark and was later euthanised, with multiple fractures in a fetlock, South China Morning Post reported.

Void of early speed from his high draw, Excellent Proposal raced with one or two behind through the opening stages and was forced to take some evasive action around the stricken Enrich Delight prior to the turn. Traveling deep, but with cover on the circle, he shifted out into the clear leaving the 600-metre mark and enjoyed a clean run through the lane en route to the victory. Lucky Express sat a good inside trip and weaved his way through to grab second, while Tourbillon Diamond was strung up in traffic from the 400m to the furlong grounds and flew home once clear for a luckless third.

“He has a very good temperament, he is a very quiet horse and he probably just missed the competition–he hadn't raced for three months and it looks like that is correct, because today he savaged the line, he knew what he was doing and he was there to win the race,” said trainer John Size, winning the Classic Mile for the third time in the last six years.

A winner of three of his four Australian starts for Richard and Michael Freedman, Excellent Proposal was second off a rating of 75 on local debut last season and won his first three this term before his headscratching 11th last time. That result helped push Joao Moreira onto Sky Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), the 23-10 favourite in the Classic Mile, but who could do no better than sixth.

Pedigree Notes:

Excellent Proposal is the 180th worldwide stakes winner for Exceed and Excel, whose five other Hong Kong stakes winners include the now-retired dual G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint hero Mr Stunning (Aus). The winner's dam was a daughter of the Leon MacDonald-trained Group 2 winner Dilly Dally and was raced as a homebred by Godolphin to victories at Deauville and Longchamp in 2011 ahead of a listed-stakes placing at Maisons-Laffitte. Exported to Australia in 2012, she produced foals by Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Medaglia d'Oro in 2013 and 2014, respectively, was barren for 2015 and was purchased by the Victoria-based Holloway Equine for A$180,000 carrying the colt that would become Excellent Proposal at the 2016 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. Procrastination produced the Vancouver (Aus) colt Potato Pete for Fernrigg Farm in November 2017, but passed away the following month, days shy of her 10th birthday.

WATCH: Excellent Proposal rolls home at 22-1 in the Hong Kong Classic Mile

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
HONG KONG CLASSIC MILE-LR, HK$12,000,000 (£1,128,669/€1,275,325/A$1,996,071/US$1,548,035), NH/SH4yo, 1600mT, 1:33.81, gd.
1–EXCELLENT PROPOSAL (AUS), 126, g, 4, by Exceed and Excel (Aus)
1st Dam: Procrastination (GB) (SP-Fr), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Dilly Dally (Aus), by Rubiton (Aus)
3rd Dam: Faricca (Aus), by Millionaire (Ire)
1ST STAKES WIN. (A$200,0000 Ylg '18 MMGCYS). O-Kenneth Chung Kin Shu; B-Holloway Equine Pty Ltd (Vic); T-John Size; J-Blake Shinn; HK$6,840,000. Lifetime Record: 10-7-1-0, HK$12,297,470.
2–Lucky Express (Aus), 126, g, 4, Toronado (Ire)–Il Diamante (Aus), by Testa Rossa (Aus). (A$145,000 Ylg '18 INGMAR). O-Larry Yung Chi Kin; B-C Jackson (Vic); T-John Size; J-Karis Teetan; HK$2,640,000.
3–Tourbillon Diamond (Aus), 126, g, 4, Olympic Glory (Ire)–Modave (NZ), by Montjeu (Ire). (A$7,000 Ylg '18 MMJUN). O-Shum Mak Ling, Jimmy Tang, Bennie Lau Yuk Lung & William Shum Wai Lam; B-Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd, Jungle Pocket Pty Ltd (NSW); T-Danny Shum; J-Alexis Badel; HK$1,380,000.
Margins: 3/4, NK, 3/4. Odds: 22-1, 15-2, 17-2.
Also Ran: Lucky Patch (NZ), Shadow Hero (Aus), Sky Darci (NZ), Healthy Happy (Aus), The Summit (Fr), Russian Emperor (Ire), Maximus (Ger), Beauty Joy (Aus), Celestial Power (Aus). DNF: Enrich Delight (Aus). Scratched: Tsar (GB). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing.

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Fownes Sends Out ‘Delight’-ful Duo In Classic Mile

Ten years on from his lone success in the Hong Kong Classic Mile with Lucky Nine (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), trainer Caspar Fownes starts two of the three top-rated gallopers in the first of the three legs of the 4YO Classic Series at Sha Tin Sunday afternoon.

Enrich Delight (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) will try to give his sire back-to-back winners of the Classic Mile, following on the success of Golden Sixty (Aus) last year, and has done little wrong in two Class 2 appearances over 1400 metres. A maiden winner and Group 3-placed for Anthony Freedman in Australia while racing as Chenier (Aus), the bay overcame a troubled trip to score on debut Nov. 29 and, after missing an intended start Dec. 13, finished a close, but luckless third, Jan. 10. Enrich Delight has the services of two-time Classic Mile-winning jockey Christophe Soumillon.

Sky Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) is the selection of Joao Moreira and won his first three starts of this term, including a defeat of Lucky Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) in a Class 1 over course and distance Nov. 29 and was a latest second to the reliable Champion's Way (Aus) (Hinchinbrook {Aus}) in open Group 3 company Jan. 1 after sitting a far inferior trip.

David Hayes sent out two Classic Mile winners during his previous stint in Hong Kong and tightens the girth around three runners Sunday. Shadow Hero (Aus) (Pierro {Aus}), whose sire accounted for 2019 winner Furore (NZ), was trained by Hayes to victories in the 2019 G1 Spring Champion S. and 2020 G1 Randwick Guineas, and hasn't been a true factor in two local runs after slow starts. To that end, Hayes is removing the blinkers and adding cheek pieces to the gelding, who ran on strongly to be third behind Tourbillon Diamond (Aus) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) Dec. 13. Zac Purton retains the ride.

The latter was well-tried in Australia for trainer Stuart Kendrick and closed out the 'Eric the Eel' portion of his career with a third in the G1 Australian Derby last April. His two local appearances for Danny Shum have been very promising, first storming home to be third behind Enrich Delight at 70-1 Nov. 29 before weaving through heavy traffic to be late on the scene last time.

Lucky Express has been in the top three in six of his eight Hong Kong starts and was a last-out third off a three-wide, no-cover trip over track and distance Jan. 1. He has place claims at rough odds.

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