Sha Tin

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...

Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will not make the trip to Hong Kong for Sunday week's G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m), South China Morning Post reported Friday. Ninth to Japan's Loves Only Your (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in last year's G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m), the last of an eight-race campaign that saw him compete on three continents, the bay was given a chance to make a return trip to Hong Kong in the Listed Churchill S. at Lingfield Nov. 12, but he failed to shine, finishing fourth...

Invitations for this year's Longines Hong Kong International Races were made public prior to the start of the Happy Valley meeting Wednesday, with a total of 24 overseas horses--five more than last year--from Australia, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan and Singapore among the invitees. In the history of the HKIR, only one horse--Good Ba Ba (Lear Fan)--has managed to score three victories at the meeting. More history could be made this year when two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) and Japan's Glory Vase (Jpn)...

Further easing in the local COVID restrictions meant that the biggest crowd since January--better than 13,000 racegoers--took in Sunday's BOCHK Jockey Club meeting at Sha Tin in person and were they ever rewarded. Making their seasonal debuts and having a single prep towards next month's Longines Hong Kong International Races, both two-time defending Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) and last year's champion 4-year-old Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) were outstanding in taking out the G2 Jockey Club Mile and G2 Jockey Club Cup, respectively, while Lucky...

Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) joined the likes of Hong Kong legends Fairy King Prawn (Aus), Silent Witness (Aus), Ambitious Dragon (NZ) and Beauty Generation (NZ) in being named Horse of the Year in Hong Kong for the second consecutive season during ceremonies held Friday evening at the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Happy Valley Clubhouse. The 6-year-old won his first two starts of the year, including a facile defence of his title in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile in December, but suffered just the second loss of his career...

The mental strain and inner turmoil that COVID-19 has caused in Hong Kong over the past 26 months dictate that the talented Blake Shinn will return to Australia at the end of the current racing season. The 34-year-old, winner at home of the 2008 G1 Melbourne Cup and 2016 G1 Golden Slipper, among other feature races, decided to give Hong Kong a go a couple of years back, and while it has not always been smooth sailing, Shinn has done the hard yards. He improved from 15 wins in his...

by Alan Carasso There were no surprises among the winners on Sunday's FWD Champions Day program at Sha Tin Racecourse, as the betting favourites in each of the afternoon's three Group 1 affairs each prevailed with a fair bit of authority. Fittingly, the winners will each take down year-end honours in their respective divisions, even as the award for Hong Kong Horse of the Year figures to remain an open and much-debated question for the next 2 1/2 months. Romantic Warrior Dusts Elders in QE II Cup... In one of...

While the ongoing complications caused by COVID-19 have resulted in no overseas competition, Sunday's FWD Champions Day meeting at Sha Tin will not lack for intrigue, as the region's top horses face a real challenge from the first two home in last month's BMW Hong Kong Derby. Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) is the afternoon's pin-up horse as he seeks an unprecedented 21st career victory when he goes in defence of his crown in the G1 FWD Champions Mile. The 6-year-old suffered the second and third losses of his career...

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...

Call Me Teddy (Uncle Mo), who won the Listed Doncaster S. when trained by Aidan O'Brien as Lipizzaner, is set to make his Hong Kong debut in Saturday's Class 3 Tai Mei Tuk H. over the straight 1000-metres at Sha Tin Racecourse. Bred in Kentucky by the Irish Lights Syndicate, the bay gelding was runner up in a paid of Naas maidens in the spring of 2020 before a low-odds fourth behind The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) and Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) in the G2 Norfolk S....

by Alan Carasso The jury was very much out on California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) going into Sunday's HK$12-million Hong Kong Classic Cup as to whether the speedy 4-year-old would be suited by an 1800-metre trip after just failing to see out the Hong Kong Classic Mile a month ago, albeit from a miserable draw. It took less than 107 seconds to deliver the verdict, as the joint-highest galloper in the field took command at once from a middle barrier and proved not for catching. Away without incident from gate...

European-sourced Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) has answered every question that has been asked of him in his five racetrack appearances to date and will look to keep the ball rolling as the horse to beat in Sunday's HK$12-million Hong Kong Classic Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse. A 300,000gns purchase by the Hong Kong Jockey Club at Tattersalls October in 2019 and later re-sold for HK$4.8 million at the unique Hong Kong International Sale, Romantic Warrior annexed his first three starts, each over six furlongs, and proved easily best when...