Tag: Hong Kong

Record-Breaking Season Concludes in Hong Kong

The 2020/2021 racing season in Hong Kong concluded July 14, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club reporting turnover in excess of HK$130 billion (£12.1b/€14.2b/US$16.7b) for the first time.

A total of 88 meetings–one more than last season–were conducted between September and July, with no programs lost to the coronavirus. The HKJC staged 835 races at Sha Tin and Happy Valley Racecourses, and took 206 races from overseas for simulcasting purposes. Total turnover was HK$136 billion, representing a 12.1% increase over last season. The HKJC is the single largest taxpayer in Hong Kong, and the betting duty in 2020/2021 was HK$13.7 billion, a bump of 13.6% year over year. Handle on local races reached HK$129.3 billion, an improvement of 11% on last year, while betting on overseas races totaled HK$7 billion, a healthy hike of 37.7%.

“Given the circumstances confronting the Club, our overall season racing turnover of more than HK$136 billion is outstanding,” said HKJC Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. “The growth in turnover is testament to the quality of our product and the support of our customers. To achieve these types of figures underpins the importance of horse racing to Hong Kong and its people. We are also delighted with how popular our simulcasts are with Hong Kong customers and we are pleased that we will offer more next season.

He added, “We are delighted to have been able to again complete a full season with a clear focus of ensuring racing to continue while upholding the principle of protecting the public health and safety of our employees, stakeholders and the public. The remarkable season turnover has enabled us to contribute more for the betterment of our society.”

Racing resumes in Hong Kong in early September.

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Golden Sixty Named Hong Kong’s Horse Of The Year

Golden Sixty's outstanding exploits during the 2020/21 season earned the multiple Group 1 victor the Hong Kong Horse of the Year award at a special presentation function held at Happy Valley Clubhouse tonight, Tuesday, 13 July.

The Francis Lui-trained five-year-old was also named Champion Miler and Champion Middle-Distance Horse. In addition, the son of Medaglia d'Oro also secured the bulk of the public vote to claim the Most Popular Horse title for the second consecutive year.

The 2019/20 season's Champion Four-Year-Old showed further improvement this term, with a perfect record of seven wins from seven starts, with the last four wins all at G1 level. Since September 2019, he has maintained an unbeaten run of 14 and he is the first horse to capture the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), G1 Stewards' Cup (1600m), G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) and G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) in the same season, highlighting his versatility and brilliance.

Golden Sixty is the fourth horse in Hong Kong racing history after Good Ba Ba, Able Friend and Beauty Generation to win the Horse of the Year title in the same season as winning both the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile and G1 FWD Champions Mile. In addition to his four G1 wins, Golden Sixty also took the G2 Jockey Club Mile (1600m), G2 Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy (1600m) and the G3 Celebration Cup (1400m).

Hot King Prawn was named the season's Champion Sprinter. The John Size-trained six-year-old opened his G1 winning account in the Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) in January this year. The Denman gelding was a steady performer throughout the season, finishing out of money only once in his five starts since last October. He also won the G2 Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) last November.

Panfield was crowned Champion Stayer. The Tony Millard-trained Chilean import was already a G1 victor prior to his arrival in Hong Kong. After opening his Hong Kong winning account in a Class 2 event over 2000m, the Lookin At Lucky colt ran a gallant third behind Sky Darci in the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m). He then achieved a career-peak when defeating older rivals, including Exultant, in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) in May.

Sky Darci was the deserving winner of the Four-Year-Old Champion award. The Caspar Fownes-trained galloper won five races this season, including the BMW Hong Kong Derby, the final leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series and the G3 Lion Rock Trophy (1600m). In his final start of the season, he also finished a creditable second behind stablemate Sky Field in another G3 event, the Premier Cup (1400m).

Fantastic Treasure was named the season's Champion Griffin after remaining unbeaten with five wins from five starts in his rookie season in Hong Kong. The David Hayes-trained three-year-old achieved his career highlight to date in a Class 2 1400m contest at Sha Tin, defeating seasoned gallopers to achieve a rating of 94.

The John Size-trained Courier Wonder was named the season's Most Improved Horse. After starting the campaign on a rating of 52, the Sacred Falls gelding soared 55 points to a mark of 107 after remaining unbeaten with five wins from five starts.

Caspar Fownes was honoured with the Champion Trainer title. The battle for the championship was settled before the season finale and Fownes was most deserving of his fourth title, having led for the majority of the season before repelling a strong charge from 11-time champion, John Size.

Joao Moreira was crowned Champion Jockey for a fourth time. The Brazilian rider had a fantastic season of achievements, including becoming only the third jockey in history to notch 1000 winners in Hong Kong. He also won the public vote to earn the Most Popular Jockey of the Year accolade.

The winner of the Tony Cruz Award for the season's leading homegrown rider will be revealed and presented during racing at Wednesday's season finale (14 July) at Happy Valley.

Former Hong Kong Champions Beauty Generation and Exultant were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Awards for their great contributions to Hong Kong racing.

The winners for the 2020/21 season are listed as follows:

Award Winner Owner Trainer
Horse of the Year Golden Sixty Stanley Chan Ka Leung Francis Lui
Champion Trainer Caspar Fownes    
Champion Jockey Joao Moreira    
Champion Four-Year-Old Sky Darci Jessica Kwan Mun Hang Caspar Fownes
Champion Sprinter Hot King Prawn Lau Sak Hong John Size
Champion Miler Golden Sixty Stanley Chan Ka Leung Francis Lui
Champion Middle-Distance Horse Golden Sixty Stanley Chan Ka Leung Francis Lui
Champion Stayer Panfield Yue Yun Hing Tony Millard
Champion Griffin Fantastic Treasure Ken Leung Woon Kin & Leung Kwun David Hayes
Most Improved Horse Courier Wonder Mr & Mrs Chadwick Mok Cham Hung John Size
Most Popular Horse of the Year Golden Sixty Stanley Chan Ka Leung Francis Lui
Most Popular Jockey of the Year Joao Moreira    
Lifetime Achievement Award Beauty Generation Patrick Kwok Ho Chuen John Moore / David Hayes
Lifetime Achievement Award Exultant Eddie Wong Ming Chak & Wong Leung Sau Hing Tony Cruz
Most Admired Overseas Horse Almond Eye    

The post Golden Sixty Named Hong Kong’s Horse Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Golden Sixty Crowned Hong Kong Horse of the Year

Having secured champion 4-year-old honours in 2019-2020, courtesy of his sweep of the local Triple Crown, Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) capped a perfect 5-year-old campaign by being named the Horse of the Year in Hong Kong during ceremonies held Tuesday evening at Happy Valley Racecourse.

Bred in Queensland by Asco International Pty Ltd., Golden Sixty–an A$120,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling turned NZ$300,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run breezer, took his overall winning streak to 14 during the season and to 17 from 18 overall, using his trademark and devastating turn of foot to defeat the evergreen Southern Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) and defending champion Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) for a breakthrough Group 1 success in the Longines Hong Kong Mile in December (see below).

After narrowly besting Southern Legend to win the G1 Stewards' Cup over the metric mile, trainer Francis Lui elected to stretch Golden Sixty back out in trip for the 2000-metre G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup. In a slowly run affair, Vincent Ho set his mount alight three furlongs from home and looped the field, but fellow Derby winner Furore (NZ) (Pierro {Aus}) saved all the ground and the duo battled tooth and nail to the line, with Golden Sixty best by half a head (video). After giving serious consideration to taking on Japan in the G1 FWD QE II Cup in April, trainer Francis Lui stepped his charge back down for the G1 Champions Mile. It proved no easier, however, as his stablemate More Than This (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) ran him to a head in yet another nail-biting finish.

The lone finalist for champion miler, Golden Sixty was also named champion middle distance horse, earning the nod over Sky Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}). The connections of the latter did not leave Happy Valley empty-handed Tuesday, as they were rewarded for their victory in the BMW Hong Kong Derby with this year's champion 4-year-old prize. The NZ$160,000 NZBJAN graduate won five of his nine trips to the post for champion trainer Caspar Fownes and followed his Derby score with his first open stakes success in the G3 Lion Rock Trophy H.

 

WATCH: Golden Sixty becomes a Group 1 winner in the Longines Hong Kong Mile

 

In what would have been a hotly contested division, Hot King Prawn (Aus) (Denman {Aus}) was named champion sprinter on the strength of a long-overdue first Group 1 tally in the Centenary Sprint Prize in January, with champion jockey Joao Moreira in the saddle. The Torryburn Stud-bred veteran, an A$90,000 purchase out of the 2016 Inglis Sydney Classic sale,  left a pair of potential future champions in his wake, including G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize hero Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) and the unbeaten Courier Wonder (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}), who debuted–like all unraced newcomers–off a mark of 52 in October and finished on 107 after winning the G3 Sha Tin Vase H. in late May. Courier Wonder was named most improved horse for the 2020-2021 season.

Panfield (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky), a good third to Sky Darci in the Derby, clinched champion stayer honours with his season-ending success in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup over 2400 metres. The Chilean import could be set for the G1 Melbourne Cup, trainer Tony Millard told the HKJC press team Tuesday.

The David Hayes trained Fantastic Treasure (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) was unbeaten in five starts, including a Class 2 score in May, and was named champion griffin for horses aged two or three on the date of the first Hong Kong meeting of the season and which were unraced upon their import into Hong Kong.

The final fixture of the 2020-2021 Hong Kong season is set for Wednesday night at Happy Valley. Racing resumes in early September.

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Hong Kong Horse of the Year Exultant Retired

Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}–Contrary {Ire}, by Mark of Esteem {Ire}), arguably the best stayer to be based in Hong Kong and the jurisdiction's Horse of the Year in 2019-2020, has been officially retired from racing, according to information on the Hong Kong Jockey Club website.

Bred by Belinda Strudwick's Co. Kilkenny-based Ballygallon Stud, Exultant was raced by his breeder as Irishcorrespondent in Europe and was trained by Mick Halford to a third-place effort behind Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) in unsuitably soft ground in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas in 2017. Sold to Hong Kong as a Derby prospect following a fifth to Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G3 Hampton Court S. at Royal Ascot, Exultant was a running-on third in the Derby the following March, but hit his straps really and truly over further when taking out the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2400m) ahead of a runner-up effort to 'TDN Rising Star' Pakistan Star (Ger) (Shamardal) in the G1 Champions and Chater Cup over the same trip.

Exultant displayed the grit and determination that would come to define him during his next campaign, out-toughing future Japan Horse of the Year Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Ire}) for a breakthrough top-level success in the 2018 G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) (see below) while becoming just the third locally based galloper to take out the race. He carried that momentum into the second half of the season, adding the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) before the first of two successes in the Champions and Chater Cup.

 

WATCH: Exultant digs deep to win the 2018 Longines Hong Kong Vase

 

Only an undefeated season by Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) denied Exultant a Horse of the Year crown on that occasion, but he made amends during his next preparation, with four wins from seven appearances, including a tough-as-nails win over Derby hero Furore (NZ) (Pierro {Aus}) in the G1 FWD QE II Cup (2000m) (video) and a second straight Champions and Chater Cup. He was also third in the Hong Kong Vase after being forced to make the running from barrier 14.

Though he failed to greet the judge in his seven starts in 2020-2021, he was never disgraced, finishing runner-up to a primed Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Vase in December while finishing third to likely Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) in defence of his title in the QE II Cup and in the Champions and Chater Cup in his final career trip to the post May 23. Zac Purton, also the regular partner of Beauty Generation, rode Exultant in his final 19 starts and in 25 of his 32 local appearances.

Exultant enters retirement with an overall record of 13-11-6 with 10 black-type wins from 36 runs and earnings of $10,656,066.

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