HKJC Enjoys Biggest Result In 25 Years

The Year of the Rabbit got off to a racing start for the Hong Kong Jockey Club as its Lunar New Year meeting pulled in HK$2.06 billion (US$255 million) in bets–the biggest daily take since the city's return to Chinese rule in 1997, the South China Morning Post reported.

Punters wagered across the 11 races at Sha Tin on Tuesday and, although the take was beaten by a distance by the record HK$2.54 billion gambled in June 1997, it was a healthy 10.1% increase on last year's event.

“We are absolutely delighted with today's race meeting. The atmosphere was really fantastic and it brought back what we always felt–that Lunar New Year is a very special race meeting,” Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

Almost 80,000 people clicked through the Sha Tin turnstiles and the official crowd stood at 84,394–79,354 at Sha Tin and 5,040 watching from Happy Valley–the biggest turnout since the 2019 Lunar New Year races.

The Lunar New Year card drew a bigger crowd than the prestigious Longines Hong Kong International Races last month, with fans shoulder to shoulder in front of a packed grandstand after they flocked to see a pre-races performance by Cantopop star Joey Yung Cho-yee.

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Loves Only You Finishes Career With Hong Kong Cup Victory

Loves Only You set the perfect seal on one of international racing's most colorful careers with a spellbinding success in the HK$30 million Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) on Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.

Yoshito Yahagi's globetrotting mare has flown the Hinomaru flag from Dubai to Hong Kong and on to the USA then back to Sha Tin again in 2021, leading home a Japanese 1-2-3-4 in the G1 FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) in April and then creating history by becoming the first horse from her nation to score at the Breeders' Cup.

Hong Kong's richest race had been nominated as the final race of the Deep Impact mare's career soon after she crossed the line in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (2200m) at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., on November 6.

Her fifth long flight of the year took her annual distance covered to over 20,000 miles but Loves Only You was produced in perfect condition and completed the final leg of her global odyssey with a last-gasp success under the coolest of rides from Yuga Kawada.

The 36-year-old rider, who was extremely fortunate not to be brought down when previous winner Danon Smash was badly hampered in a dramatic G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) earlier in the day, was understandably thrilled to record his first HKIR success. “Thank you very much, I'm very proud,” he said.

“She jumped well. The pace was a bit slow but then she relaxed and I was able to find a good position. She's given me two big presents and is the best female horse I've ever ridden. I hope she will be a good mother.”

Sent off the 2.6 market leader, Loves Only You jumped alertly from stall four and was soon traveling keenly just behind a steady early pace set by Mac Swiney, Ka Ying Star, and the wide-running Bolshoi Ballet.

Russian Emperor made a bold move to hit the front as a packing field jostled for position early in the home straight but last season's BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) runner-up edged right with his tongue lolling out as he did so, placing Loves Only You in a pocket on the inner at a crucial point.

Hishi Iguazu produced a storming run from the rear on the outside soon after under Joao Moreira to draw level briefly well inside the final furlong.

However, Kawada had Loves Only You in full stride by this stage and the five-year-old repeated her Del Mar heroics, quickening valiantly between horses under pressure to lead close home and beat her fellow Japanese raider by a short head.

Russian Emperor ran the race of his life for Douglas Whyte and Blake Shinn to finish a length away in third, while British raider Dubai Honour never looked like becoming the first European runner to win the Cup since Snow Fairy in 2010 but stayed on powerfully for fourth once in the clear for William Haggas and Tom Marquand.

Three years on from seeing his star filly Lys Gracieux beaten narrowly by Exultant in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m), winning trainer Yoshito Yahagi was completing an incredible end to 2021 which has also produced a 50-1 Breeders' Cup Distaff success for Marche Lorraine and a commanding Japan Cup success for his superstar colt Contrail.

The colorful 60-year-old was unable to accompany Loves Only You on the final leg of her journey but his stable representative Yusaku Oka was on hand to savor a perfect finale.

“I'm so glad to win this race for our trainer, who is watching on in Japan,” he said.

“She won the Breeders' Cup very well and in the spring she came over here and had a good result, so we were always confident she would run well.

“She's got a good pedigree – so we are looking forward to the next stage of her career – and as we have quite a lot of good horses in the stable we hope we will be back in Hong Kong with them in the future.”

Dusk was gathering over Sha Tin as an elated Kawada left the racecourse on a day that illustrated every aspect of the joy and pain that defines racing at the highest level.

The sun is also setting on Loves Only You's racing career but, if the 2021 edition of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races confirmed one thing, it is that the Land of the Rising Sun is now a true powerhouse on the global racing stage.

Following in the footsteps of A Shin Hikari, Maurice, Win Bright, and Normcore, this success for Loves Only You means Japan has now won five of the last seven Hong Kong Cups and four of the eight HKIR races run in the last two years.

HKJC racecaller Mark McNamara summed up the latest thrilling finish to Hong Kong's most cherished prize by saying: “It's Japan 1-2, Loves Only You says sayonara with the Cup!”

Leave them wanting more is never a bad motto. But, who knows, maybe Japan's latest Cup queen will have a son or daughter to represent her on the LONGINES HKIR stage in years to come.

The post Loves Only You Finishes Career With Hong Kong Cup Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Sky Field Wins Hong Kong Sprint Marred By Four-Horse Spill; Two Runners Euthanized

Caspar Fownes and Blake Shinn were left with conflicting emotions after Sky Field steamed to success in the HK$24 million Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), fending off world-class opposition from Japan to continue Hong Kong's dominance in the event.

Shinn, 34, slotted his first G1 triumph in Hong Kong but the Melbourne Cup-winning jockey's thoughts – and those also of Fownes – were with Pixie Knight (Yuichi Fukunaga), Lucky Patch (Zac Purton), Naboo Attack (Karis Teetan), and Amazing Star (Lyle Hewitson), who fell on the home turn.

Shinn and Sky Field avoided the incident before staving off Resistencia (Christophe Soumillon) by three-quarters of a length in 1:08.66. Courier Wonder (Joao Moreira) was third, one and a half lengths from the winner.

Shinn's faith in Sky Field, a son of Deep Field, was rewarded on the highest stage and came three seasons into the Australian's Hong Kong stint.

“I have mixed emotions for winning this race today. Obviously, the first emotion is that my feelings are with the fallen jockeys and horses out there,” said the quietly-spoken Australian said.

“It's gut-wrenching for any rider to see a horse go down. What's happened today, it's a real bittersweet win and in a way, it's a hard win to take in the circumstances.

“All credit to Caspar Fownes, he's given me the opportunity to ride this lovely animal over the previous season and this season.

“We've always had faith in him but on the big stage, things haven't always gone this way. Today, he performed to his best today and still beat a handy horse in chasing down a top-line horse in Courier Wonder and the Japanese horse (Resistencia).

“He's a great horse and hopefully he can keep going forward.”

Fownes, 54, has built a strong alliance with Shinn, who struggled initially to cope with the demands of Hong Kong racing.

The reigning champion Hong Kong trainer, Fownes posted his third HKIR victory with Sky Field joining 2006 Hong Kong Mile winner The Duke and 2011 Hong Kong Sprint victor Lucky Nine on the stable's honour roll.

“Definitely watching the run live, it was nasty and we've got mixed emotions there,” Fownes said. “One hand, you've got a horse that is trucking along; at the same time, in your mind, you're thinking about 'I hope the boys are alright and the horses'.

“It was nice to get that result with that particular horse, especially for Blake – he's been riding really well and again today another good performance, so well deserved.

“I've said it for a while that he's (Sky Field) pretty special and I think he's got his best racing ahead of him. We've got something really nice to work with and it's nice to see him do that today”

Soumillon, who finished third in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) on Ebaiyra, had to be content with another minor placing at the highest level.

“The filly (Resistencia) ran well. Unfortunately, we had a bad movement in the turn. I had to shift in to run away from the fallen horses,” the Belgian champion said.

“The winner pushed me out in the straight. She gave me a very good effort. It nearly looks a bit short for her today. I think over 1400m, she will be even better.”

Ryan Moore, who piloted Hot King Prawn into an honourable fourth, said: “My horse ran respectably. Maybe he might be happy going longer now.”

Damian Lane, who rode Computer Patch into sixth place, said: “He tried hard, he had a little bit of pressure early but travelled well mid-race. He just couldn't quite sprint with the winner at the end.”

(Editor's note: according to media reports, Amazing Star, who was the first to fall, and one of the trailing horses, Naboo Attack, were euthanized. Lucky Patch and Pixie Knight apparently escaped serious injury. Jockeys Zac Purton, Lyle Hewitson and Yuichi Fukunaga were taken to a nearby hospital and reported to be in stable condition. Karis Teetan rode later races on the card and was uninjured.)

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Golden Sixty Becomes Hong Kong’s Winningest Horse With HK Mile Victory

Golden Sixty stands alone as Hong Kong's most prolific winner in history after he successfully defended his Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) crown at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong Dec. 12.

Nailing yet another heart-stopping win under jockey Vincent Ho, Hong Kong's champion savored the 19th win of his career to set a new record in town, surpassing the previous mantle of 18 he shared with Silent Witness and Beauty Generation, dating back to when the professional era of Hong Kong racing commenced in 1971.

Smashing a fine field of 10 others from Japan, Ireland, and Hong Kong including this year's G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) winner Danon Kingly, Golden Sixty enhanced his earnings to a mouth-watering HK$95.453 million with victory, just HK$10.78 million shy of the record mark in Hong Kong set by Beauty Generation (HK$106.233 million).

Racing in the silks of Stanley Chan Ka-Leung and trained by Francis Lui, Golden Sixty – 'The Pride of Hong Kong' – delivered a performance worthy of status as the world's best miler.

“I feel very happy, he's my champion, and I have to say thank you to my team and Vincent (Ho) and the owner – they support me,” Lui said.

Extending his winning sequence to 16, Ho dropped the Medaglia d'Oro gelding back to the second half of the field on the fence; in the straight, Ho weaved for an out, eventually taking a split at the 300m mark before his sparkling dash carried him to a one and three-quarter length victory in a time of 1:33.86.

“I knew he was at his best, gate two was a little bit tricky, I didn't want to be stuck on the inside but eventually the race panned out well and the pace was genuine,” Ho said.

More Than This filled the second spot while Salios and Mother Earth grabbed third and fourth, respectively.

“It was much better today because the pace was on, he actually relaxed very well, and as a 6-year-old, he's more mature, so it's even better,” Ho said.

The success is the second at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races for both Francis Lui and Vincent Ho, while today's performance sees Golden Sixty remain unbeaten since September 2019.

“It's all about teamwork as well, without anyone from the stable we couldn't do this,” Ho said.

A six-year-old – Golden Sixty – boasts eight wins over 1200m and 1400m, while twice he has stepped up to 2000m successfully, claiming the 2020 BMW Hong Kong Derby and 2021 G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup.

“He's such an aggressive horse so he doesn't mind going through horses,” Ho said of the gelding's tenacity.

Sunday, Ho savored the win in front of an adoring crowd, which throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been absent at times or in a smaller capacity.

“Last year, it wasn't like this, I got to enjoy it with the crowd and it's such a great atmosphere, I just hope the other guys are ok, it's hard to enjoy it completely,” Ho said, also reflecting on the mishap that occurred earlier in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m).

Hong Kong racing continues this Wednesday, December 15, at Happy Valley.

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