Hong Kong Sprint | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Legend’ Unluckiest Among Favorites at Longines HKIR Draw

A total of 39 horses representing Hong Kong, Japan, Ireland and France were entered and barriers drawn Thursday morning for Sunday’s HK$95 million Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Although Boniface Ho’s Classique Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) has yet to win a race at Group 1 level–he is a multiple Group 2 winner in Australia–he is one of the marquee horses of this year’s HKIR, having arrived in Hong Kong on the back of a dominating victory in the A$15-million The Everest at Randwick Oct. 17. Having come good in his recent trackwork for trainer Caspar Fownes, he figures to jump favourite for Sunday’s G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, but his chances were done no favours by pulling gate one as the last horse out of the box at the draw.

“I was really hoping for gate five, to tell you the truth, all the way before the draw started,” Fownes told the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Leo Schlink. “He’s a horse that needs a bit of room. Anyway, it is what it is. Most people won’t complain about draw one. He’ll be ridden to get his chance and we’ll see it happens. Just going to hope that the legendary Hong Kong pace is on, like it always is, and then it’s up to [jockey] Vincent [Ho] to ride his race.”

Ballydoyle’s Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will also begin from the pole position as she faces seven other rivals-including three from Japan–in the day’s richest event, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m). Ryan Moore takes the ride on the bonny mare as she tries to exact revenge on Win Bright (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn), who got just the better of the Moore-piloted Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in last year’s Cup. The latter will be having the final start of his career Sunday and carries Masami Matsuoka from barrier four.

Moore and Aidan O’Brien will also team up with Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), who looms the main danger to reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the first of the four internationals, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m). A barnstorming winner of the G1 Grand Prix de Paris in September, he was a fair fifth behind a modest pace when last seen in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland Nov. 7. He landed gate four. Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won the Vase in 2015 and 2017 for Ballydoyle. Exultant, winner of this race in 2018 before a tough-trip third in his title defence last December, was beaten on the square by leading Cup chance Furore (NZ) (Pierro {Aus}) at both his previous starts this season, each over trips short of his best and at something less than peak fitness. He begins one stall to the outside of Mogul in five.

It was lucky seven for Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro) in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile as he goes in search of a first Group 1 himself and an 11th win on the bounce. To do so, he will have to take down the colors of Japan’s Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), who became the rare 3-year-old to win the Mile 12 months ago. Moore takes the ride from Christophe Soumillon, who has been stood down owing to COVID-related issues (see related story) and will have to work out a trip from the widest alley in the field of 10.

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‘It’d Be Pretty Special’: Chad Schofield Seeks To Emulate His Father In Hong Kong Sprint

Chad Schofield has the chance of producing a significant piece of history this Sunday at Sha Tin when he partners Rattan with the hope of joining his father Glyn on the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint honor roll, which would be a Hong Kong first.

Dad won the race in 2005 aboard Natural Blitz at 27-1 by 1 3/4 lengths, the only win of the horse's career, and this weekend son Chad will look to emulate his father's heroics in the HK$22 million (US$2.84 million) sprint contest when he pairs with Rattan.

“I do remember the day, I was here somewhere jumping for joy – it'd be pretty special and I'll be doing my best on Sunday,” Schofield said.

Chad spent four years of his youth here while his father Glyn was contracted to ride in Hong Kong from 2002 to 2006, before returning in 2014 with a contract of his own after forging an impressive career in Australia, notching four G1s including a major, the 2013 W.S Cox Plate aboard Shamus Award.

But Schofield and Rattan go back nearly four years to their first pairing in January, 2017, and since then the 26-year-old has been in the plate a further 18 times, including his 2019 G2 Sprint Cup success, as well as his half-length defeat to Beat The Clock in last year's G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize.

“If there ever a horse I was to be able to win the race on I would love it to be Rattan for Richard (Gibson) and his owner.

“They've been great to me for a number of seasons now and in particular this horse, we started in Class 4 together as a PPG (Privately Purchased Griffin) so it'd be very special to win this big race aboard him,” Schofield said.

The talented and appealing jockey is well entrenched among the upper echelon of Hong Kong's best, last season finishing fifth in the jockeys' championship table with a personal best 43 wins, five more than his previous high.

“I worked him (Rattan) this morning and he felt terrific, Richard (Gibson) has got him I think right where he wants him and, hopefully, we can get a good gate, get him out of the barriers cleanly and I think he's going to run a really big race,” Schofield said.

Having his fifth run back this term, the New Zealand-bred has posted two solid third-placed efforts in his most recent two runs, the G2 Premier Bowl Handicap and G2 Jockey Club Sprint.

“His last run was very good, he closed of really well – he's an older horse now and he's lost a bit of his early speed which he once had but he's certainly running well from the back – he's closing off his races really strongly,” Schofield said.

But while closing off nicely, the Richard Gibson-trainee has shown a tardiness from the barriers, twice bouncing awkwardly to the rear of the field in both runs.

“I'm surprised his gate jumping has deteriorated so badly but he's been hitting the line very strongly – his sectional times have been good,” Gibson said.

They have been good – he clocked the second fastest final 400m split in the Premier Bowl (22.32s) behind only Wishful Thinker, the winner of the race, before logging the fastest final 400m split last time out, a slick 22.34s.

“We're delighted with his physical condition, he's peaking really nicely for this time of the year – he's such a consistent and straightforward horse to train, it's nice to see him in good shape,” Gibson said.

Now a 7-year-old, he has HK$18.7 million (US$2.41 million) to his name from 33 starts, and still appears near the top of his game although nearing the twilight of his career.

“With age he's certainly gotten slower in the first quarter of the race but it's nice that he still has the willingness to finish strong,” Gibson said.

As for Schofield, he and father Glyn became the first father-son duo to ride against each other in the same race in Hong Kong, but this Sunday Chad will aim to join dad with another Hong Kong first, as winners of the same G1.

The post ‘It’d Be Pretty Special’: Chad Schofield Seeks To Emulate His Father In Hong Kong Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hot King Prawn, Waikuku Take Sha Tin Trials Ahead of HKIR

Hot King Prawn (Aus) (Denman {Aus}), recent winner of the G2 Jockey Club Sprint, and his John Size stablemate Waikuku (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) signaled their readiness for the Dec. 13 Longines Hong Kong International Races with victorious barrier trials at Sha Tin Dec. 4.

Waikuku, runner-up to the re-opposing Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Ire}) in last year’s G1 Hong Kong Mile and a latest third in the G1 FWD Champions Mile in April, came with a wide run from far back on the turn and kept on well to take the day’s opening trial over 1200 metres (video), while the naturally speedier Hot King Prawn sat handier to the pace, took over a furlong and a half from home and was under little urging to score in the morning’s third heat, with fellow Hong Kong Sprint aspirant Wishful Thinker (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) third (video). Waikuku and Hot King Prawn were put through their paces by Joao Moreira, who has the call on both horses on international day.

Size famously sent out Glorious Days (Aus) (Hussonet) to win the 2013 Mile off a lengthy layoff and believes Waikuku can be in the finish yet again.

“He’s making some progress so go to the races and just hope he gets a sweet run,” the conditioner said. “He might grab some prizemoney. He’s first-up for a long time and he’s had some interruptions, but if you could get some prizemoney, I’m sure we’d be happy with that and we could proceed to the Stewards’ Cup.”

Waikuku defeated Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) in the 2020 Stewards’ Cup for a maiden Group 1 win.

Hot King Prawn, second to the now-retired ex-stablemate Beat The Clock (Aus) (Hinchinbrook {Aus}) in the Sprint, looks to be holding his form as he seeks a first top-level tally.

“He seems OK. He’s sort of improving all the time. He’s needed the racing to bring him on,” Size said. “He’s a fairly gross horse and you can’t push him, you’ve just got to wait for him and I think he looks OK to me.”

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Magical Looks To Exact Revenge at Longines HKIR

It has been 12 months since Ballydoyle’s Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was just beaten to the wire by Japan’s Win Bright (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup, but that outfit’s globetrotting Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will try to turn the tables as the marquee name among 15 foreign raiders for the Longines Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin Racecourse Sunday, Dec. 13.

No fewer than 17 international Group 1 winners are set to compete.

“The Longines Hong Kong International Races is firmly established among a select handful of the world’s greatest international racing occasions,” said Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “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.”

Magical, who took her career earnings to nearly US$6 million with her runner-up effort to Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Nov. 7, should be suited by the cutback to the 2000m for the Cup, a distance at which she defeated world’s top-rated runner Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in September’s G1 Irish Champion S. and future G1 Cox Plate hero Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) for a title defence in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup this past July. A victory would make her the winningest Ballydoyle runner at Group 1 level with eight.

Ballydoyle has supplemented GI Breeders’ Cup Mile upsetter Order of Australia (GB) (Australia {GB}) to the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile and he is joined by Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who completed an Aidan O’Brien 1-2-3 sweep. G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), fractionally disappointing when fifth in the Turf, looks to become a third winner of the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase for O’Brien, while G1 Irish 1000 Guineas victress Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) joins Magical in the Cup.

Up-and-coming French trainer Jerome Reynier has two runners engaged for the HKIR. The underrated Skalleti (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) has finished out of the top three just once in 16 career starts and exits a runner-up effort–with Magical third–to the soft-ground loving Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) in the G1 QIPCO British Champion S. Oct. 17. Royal Julius (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) adds Hong Kong to his passport, having finished second in the HH The Emir’s Trophy in Qatar before winning the 2019 Bahrain International Trophy. He’ll take his shot in a compact field in the Vase.

Win Bright looks to run his record over the Sha Tin 2000 metres to three-from-three as he attempts to give Japan a fourth Cup in the last six runnings, and tries to join California Memory (Highest Honor {Fr}) as just the second horse to go back-to-back in the day’s richest event. Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), one of three Japanese-based winners last year, looms the chief threat to locally based Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro) in the Mile, and Danon Premium (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), second to Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), and G1 Victoria Mile winner Normcore (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) line up in the Cup. Danon Smash (Jpn), a son of two-time G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint winner Lord Kanaloa, and Godolphin’s Tower of London (Jpn) (Raven’s Pass) are entered for the 1200-meter dash.

Inferno (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) represents Singapore and faces a big ask against the likes of Classique Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) and Hot King Prawn (Aus) (Denman {Aus}) in the Sprint. He has conquered all before him at Kranji and has earned the right to compete at this level.

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