Hong Kong’s season opener roaring sucess

[ADJMK]

Supreme Win all round as season kicks off with bumper attendance and high turnover

08/09/2012

at Sha Tin today, Saturday 8 September, attracted the biggest first-day crowd for almost 20 years as 63,570 race fans turned up to enjoy the 10-race card, pushing turnover for the fixture to its highest point since 2000. Hong Kong SAR Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor struck the ceremonial gong to mark the beginning of the 2012/13 season.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Officer Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges was delighted with the day, which saw Supreme Win take an exciting renewal of the day’s feature race, the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup.

“We had a fantastic start to the new season,” he said. “Normally, a switch from a Sunday to a Saturday means less attendance and turnover. This is the first time in 15 years that our opening meeting has been held on a Saturday and still we had more than 63,000 people in attendance. We had the highest first-day turn-out in 20 years, with a 2% increase on last year, and our turnover was extremely good - almost 2% up on last year at HK$929 million.

“A good start to the season is always important and I am delighted with the start we have made to this new season, and with the support of our racing fans.”

Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges was encouraged by the response to the new facilities at Sha Tin Racecourse, part of the ongoing Racecourse Master Plan developments.

“I went to the grandstand where the new facilities have just opened and I got a very encouraging response from our customers, who were very complimentary,” he said.

On the sporting side, the Manfred Man-trained Supreme Win caused an upset in the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup with a determined stretch run to snatch victory by a last-gasp short-head under Zac Purton.

“That was better than I expected,” revealed Man. “I knew he would run well but I wasn’t sure he could win. The jockey rode him very sensibly.”

High expectations had accompanied hot favourite Arrived Ahead onto the track for the 1200m Class 1, but the pace-setting grey had no response when new boy Richard Fourie took the lead at 300m atop the Derek Cruz-trained Cerise Cherry. However, with Fourie’s mount tiring in the final strides, it was Purton aboard the ground-devouring Supreme Win who took the season’s first feature, nabbing Cerise Cherry on the line in a time of 1m 09.11s. The John Moore-trained Able Speed was three and a quarter lengths third with Arrived Ahead fourth.

“In the middle stages he was off the bit and a touch outpaced,” said Purton, who notched a treble on the day. “I kept him rolling and when I pulled him out in the straight, the fact that it was his first run and the give in the ground just meant that he took a little time to pick up into full stride. I was always confident he was going to win but he’s probably better at 1400m now too.”

After going so close in the feature, Fourie only had to wait a little over an hour to open his account as he steered the Cruz-trained Well Fit to success in the 1000m Harcourt Handicap.

“You’ve got to start with a bang and hopefully that will work in my favour,” said the South African rider.

The Club’s new apprentice, Dicky Lui, had a promising first day, his three rides yielding a second and a third.

[my miss storm cat]

Good for Zac.

Lucky Nine injured but supposedly not too terrible.

At this point it looks like he'll still be going to Japan or last I heard anyway.

[my miss storm cat]

Little Bridge left for Japan yesterday...

Lucky Nine didn't (next week?).

Good luck to Bullish Power on Sunday. Class 5 cellar dweller but hey I'd imagine Wong Wing Keung (best owner evah!) could have sold him if he had wanted.

How sweet that he hasn't.

(Oh and good luck of course to Beauty Flash in his race. Wish he had been retired but here's hoping I'm a paranoid moron and he wins)!

[my miss storm cat]

Lucky Nine had a pretty nice trial and it's all systems go.

Green Birdie slightly injured... this was to be his last season.

We'll have to wait and see.

[my miss storm cat]

Sunday looks great!

http://campaign.hkjc.com/en/2012-lon...111301506.html

[my miss storm cat]

Some fields!

Good luck to California Memory in the Cup, Xtension in the Mile (I think he beats Ambitious Dragon), every single horse in the Sprint (but I'd be happy to see Lucky Nine take it much as I love Little Bridge, Captain Sweet et al), and lest I forget Humongus in Race 3. It's a Class 5, he is 7 years old and has 4 wins from 31 starts.

With Chadwick up... this will be his 5th win.

[my miss storm cat]

California Memory wins!

Lucky Nine wins!

Humongous 6th, Corp. Jones who I didn't know was entered 4th... HOY Ambitious Dragon beaten by Glorious Days (Xtension 5th).

[my miss storm cat]

16!

http://www.horseracingintfed.com/res...ldRankings.asp

http://www.hkjc.com/english/corporat...011501917.html

[my miss storm cat]

Military Attack staying home for the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup... now only 2 HK Raiders to Dubai: Frederick Engels (Golden Shaheen) and Eagle Regiment (Al Quoz Sprint). Xtension not invited (will target Champions MIle) and Lucky Nine declared out about a week ago.

[my miss storm cat]

Brett Prebble on his mount Lucky Nine in the upcoming Queen's Silver Jubliee Cup (which will be epic) on Derby Day...

"“He’s got a heart as big as a lion, he just fights and I love him,”

Awww.

[my miss storm cat]

Dubai mounts...

Tye Angland - Joy and Fun
Olivier Doleuze - Eagle Regiment
Weichong Marwing - Frederick Engles
Gerald Mosse - Red Cadeuax
Zac Attack Purton - Mr. Big

HK Raiders leave for Dubai...

Eagle Regiment:






Joy and Fun:

[my miss storm cat]

Wow those are sure big!

[my miss storm cat]

Wishing luck to all the connections, safe trips for all the kids and happy last race, Joy and Fun.

(He gets to go home to NZ for a life of leisure although I'd imagine he'll be farewelled at Sha Tin first).

Go, Hong Kong Raiders!

[my miss storm cat]

HKJC:

Courageous defeat as Hong Kong's speed stars go close in Dubai
Press release, no author listed

31/03/2013

It was almost a fairytale outcome, but not quite. That said, Joy And Fun and Eagle Regiment gave Hong Kong a good deal to shout about in the desert on Saturday night (30 March) as the pair crossed the finish line in second and third places behind South African star Shea Shea, who for the second race in succession lowered the 1000m turf track record at Meydan, Dubai.

Eagle Regiment headed into the G1 Al Quoz Sprint under a cloud after twice pulling a shoe off his left fore hoof in the lead-up to the Dubai World Cup meeting. Joy And Fun meanwhile was looking to recover some spark after a couple of modest recent efforts.

When the gates crashed open shortly after 7.05pm Dubai time, it was Joy And Fun under Tye Angland who caught the eye, breaking fast on the front end centre track, with Eagle Regiment also smartly away from his disadvantageous one gate.

As if conscious that time is ticking on his storied career, Joy And Fun showed blistering dash to vie for the lead. With 300m to go, Derek Cruz’s nine-year-old was in the clear and appeared destined for a second victory in the race, one that would have enhanced his 2010 triumph when the contest was staged as a G3 over 1200m.

“So close! I really felt like I would win it,” was how Angland summed it up.

Eagle Regiment, meanwhile, was making his own courageous bid for glory on the far side of the Meydan straight. Jockey Olivier Doleuze had driven the five-year-old into contention and for a brief moment the race seemed at the mercy of the Hong Kong duo. The illusion was fleeting however, as Christophe Soumillon pounced to spoil the party atop the Mike de Kock-trained Shea Shea, who stopped the clock in a searing 56.41s to win by three quarters of a length from the gallant Joy And Fun with the same back to Eagle Regiment.

“I felt like I was one of the quickest ones out,” continued Angland. “I was in the group in the middle of the track and he felt the winner the whole way. When I quickened him he let down but Shea Shea was just sitting behind us waiting and just blew us away. I could see him coming but the winner was just too good. It’s a great honour to run a place here – he’s an old fighter!”

Joy And Fun, who now has a complete set of “medals” having finished third in last year’s race, could race on despite the inference in the lead-up to the race that this could be his last start.

“He jumped great and we had them all covered except one,” said Cruz. “It was a great run and the time was good. We’ll keep him around a bit longer and see how he is before making any decision on retirement.”

Eagle Regiment will likely return in 2014 with a point to prove after missing work in the build-up to tonight’s contest.

“We’ll come back next year,” said trainer Manfred Man. “I’m happy the horse has run well after so many accidents. He lost his shoe twice and he got a little bit of an infection, so missing two days work was no help. That has cost him today, that and the one draw was a terrible draw, he’s lost a length with that. We’ll come again next year.”

Jockey Doleuze is also looking forward to returning in 12 months: “He ran a good race, it’s a shame we couldn’t train him for those couple of days – that made the difference but what can you do? I wish I’d drawn in the middle of the track because I was alone and he always hangs inside. He was isolated, he had nobody around him and I think he needed some company from other horses a bit today. But he’s a great horse and we will come back. What he did today was very good!”

William A Nader, The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Director of Racing, said: “Joy And Fun is an incredible horse. He now has a silver medal to go with his Al Quoz gold and bronze. He seems to thrive in this environment and it is amazing how he finds the speed to lead against top opposition. Eagle Regiment was courageous in defeat. To run third despite having to run on the wrong side of the track and having missed two days of training is a testament to his quality.”

In the very next race, the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, Hong Kong’s hopes were firmly pinned on Frederick Engels. John Moore’s charge had not only drawn what seemed to be the perfect berth in gate one, he had also enjoyed a smooth preparation and had relished the Tapeta track during morning exercises.

But all of that unraveled in the first strides of the 1200m when the four-year-old missed the kick and endured a torrid run thereafter to finish eighth behind the impressive winner, Reynaldothewizard, from Satish Seemar’s Dubai stable.

“That was a disaster,” said a disappointed Moore. “The starter let them go when he was up in the air and then the horse in front of him, Gordon Lord Byron, kept baulking him in the run. It was game over when he missed the start.”

Jockey Marwing was equally disappointed by events saying: “I asked the starter to wait, but he has pulled the gates and you could clearly see that the horse is up in the air. Our starter back home waits – if you ask them to play the tape you can hear me screaming ‘wait, wait, wait’ – the horse was up in the air and has cost himself any chance in the race.”

[my miss storm cat]

Cheers to Terry Wong for getting his first win of the season (#129 is the charm) on the Wong Wing Keung (applause)-owned, Tony Cruz trained Bullish Friend.

[my miss storm cat]

Cheers to the legendary Doug Whyte for winning 6 yestrday!

[my miss storm cat]

HK$30 million in the hole as software glitch stings punters

http://racing.scmp.com/freeservice/n...20130408aa.asp

[my miss storm cat]

Press release (no author), HKJC...


World class contenders unveiled for Audemars Piguet QEII Cup

11 Apr 2013 | Hong Kong Jockey Club

Stunning sport in hand with chic glamour at an occasion worthy of the world stage was in every way evident at Thursday's selection announcement for the HK$14 million G1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup, which takes place at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday, 28 April.

And expectations remain unwaveringly high for the showcase raceday after 14 exciting runners, including six international G1 scorers, were unveiled for the prestigious 2000m contest, with Hong Kong model, actress and racehorse owner Michele Reis on hand to help with proceedings. Mr William A. Nader, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Director of Racing hailed the upcoming occasion as “a sparkling uptown social event that showcases the best of Hong Kong to the world.”

Ambitious Dragon is a head turner by any measure and Hong Kong’s reigning Horse of the Year will face a raft of talented home-based challengers, as well as four top drawer overseas contenders hailing from Japan, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Eishin Flash represents Japan and brings stellar form to the event. The G1 Japanese Derby winner in 2010, Hideaki Fujiwara’s charge won a strong renewal of the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) last season and was within three quarters of a length of the mighty Orfevre when third in the G2 Sankei Osaka Hai Stakes over the distance recently.

Sajjhaa from Saeed bin Suroor’s Godolphin stable has been a revelation in Dubai this year and the top-class mare saw off stellar rivals to win the recent G1 Dubai Duty Free. Behind Sajjhaa on that occasion was South Africa’s champion mare Igugu who showed that she was running towards peak form when fifth in that Meydan contest. The latter’s stablemate Treasure Beach, winner of the G1 Secretariat Stakes in 2011, also heads to Sha Tin after finishing behind Animal Kingdom in the G1 Dubai World Cup on the same card.

Ambitious Dragon will attempt a second APQEII Cup win having lifted the trophy in 2011 for trainer Tony Millard. California Memory, second that day, has since won the most recent two renewals of the G1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) for his handler Tony Cruz, while what is destined to be a fascinating clash brings to the table two of Hong Kong racing’s emerging forces, Military Attack and Akeed Mofeed, both of whom have posted eye-catching wins at the course and distance.

Military Attack from the John Moore stable unleashed a brilliant turn-of-foot to win the HKG1 Hong Kong Gold Cup in February and the highly-regarded star four-year-old Akeed Mofeed landed the HKG1 Hong Kong Derby for Richard Gibson in March.

“This year’s race has again attracted some of the world’s highest calibre racehorses and it will be intriguing to see how they match up against what is an outstanding home team,” said Mr William A. Nader, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Director of Racing.

“The world class standard of Hong Kong horses is apparent in the fact that our home-grown heroes have proved the equal of their international counterparts in winning five of the last ten editions, thanks to the memorable performances of River Dancer, Vengeance Of Rain, Viva Pataca and of course our brilliant two-time Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon, who will be tough to beat once again. This renewal will be one of the best ever.”

In what will be Hong Kong’s first big clash of the generations this season, Akeed Mofeed is joined in the field by fellow four-year-olds Ashkiyr and Crackerjack.

Last year’s runner-up Thumbs Up is engaged while fellow Hong Kong G1 regular Irian also lines up alongside Wrath Of Fire and the 2012 G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup second, Zaidan.

[my miss storm cat]

Congrats to Mr. Tony Cruz on his incredible 900th win as a trainer... a huge achievement (with the diminutive California Bounty. I have no idea how this horse beat Little Cow but I guess stranger things have happened).

He had 946 wins as a jockey...

I'd imagine he'll match that number before long.

[my miss storm cat]

The Champions Mile...

http://campaign.hkjc.com/en/2013-cha...-cm-index.aspx

On Mufhasa...

http://racing.scmp.com/freeservice/n...s20130503c.asp

Great field and while I love so many and especially Mufhasa I do believe Xtension will win it for the third year in a row.

Brett Prebble, on Packing Whiz...

“I’m happy with the draw, He’s going to sit last – I remember Bullish Luck, he’s the same sort of horse, it doesn’t matter if you draw one or 14 you’re going to be in the same position.”

Lock of the day is in the Queen Mum... Fay Fay will annihilate the field.