Daring Tact looks to get back on winning track in Queen Elizabeth II at Sha Tin

Daring Tact did something last month common to nearly all racehorses in the world, but a first for the Japanese filly: She lost consecutive starts.

The two-race losing streak may only be a temporary blip on her record. Daring Tact is widely expected to win her first start away from Japan in Sunday’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.

The $3.22 million Queen Elizabeth II Cup is one of three Group 1 races on a strong program at Sha Tin that includes the $2.57 million Champions Mile and the $2.31 million Chairman’s Sprint Prize at six furlongs.

Daring Tact was unbeaten in her first five races, including a sweep of the Japanese Triple Crown for fillies last year. Last November, Daring Tact was beaten for the first time in the Japan Cup.

The champion 3-year-old filly of 2020, Daring Tact finished behind two other champions of 2020 in that famous race – Horse of the Year Almond Eye and champion 3-year-old male Contrail.

In her 2021 debut, Daring Tact closed well to be second by a neck to 226-1 Gibeon in the Grade 2 Kinka Sho at 1 1/4 miles on yielding turf on March 14 at Chukyo Racecourse.

“She had excuses that day, ground conditions were a bit unusual,” jockey Kohei Matsuyama told Hong Kong publicity earlier this week.

“She is a great filly, an outstanding horse. She cannot compare with anyone else.”

Trained by Haruki Sugiyama, Daring Tact has won at distances ranging from a mile to 1 1/4 miles and tends to run from off the pace.

Daring Tact heads a field of seven in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, which is likely to be dominated by Japanese runners.

Glory Vase, fifth in the Japan Cup and fourth in the Kinko Sho, and Loves Only You, who was third in the Group 1 Sheema Classic on March 27 at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, are other prominent starters from Japan.

Glory Vase is not certain to start. He was under veterinary observation for soundness on Thursday, according to a statement from the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Glory Vase has excellent Hong Kong form, having won the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase at 1 1/2 miles at Sha Tin in December 2019.

The Hong Kong-based runners are led by Exultant, the Horse of the Year for the 2019-20 season, who has struggled this year with five second- and third-place finishes in as many starts. Exultant was second as the odds-on favorite to the Irish runner Mogul in the Hong Kong Vase last December.

The star runner in Hong Kong this year has been Golden Sixty, who will be a heavy favorite against five rivals in the Champions Mile.

Trained by Francis Lui, Golden Sixty has won 13 consecutive starts since the beginning of the 2019-20 season, including the Triple Crown for 4-year-olds in early 2020 and three consecutive Group 1 races this season – the Hong Kong Mile against an international field in December, the Stewards’ Cup at a mile in January, and the Hong Kong Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles in February.

The Hong Kong Mile field included Order of Australia, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland last November who could only finish sixth.

A 5-year-old Australian-bred by Medaglia d’Oro, Golden Sixty is a danger and a short price from off the pace for regular jockey Vincent Ho.

Mighty Giant and Ka Ying Star, seventh and eighth behind Golden Sixty in the Hong Kong Mile last December, have the best chances to complete the exacta, if Golden Sixty runs to expectations.

The Japanese sprinter Danon Smash will have his third start in Hong Kong in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, which drew a field of 13. Despite a large field, Danon Smash is expected to be a strong favorite on the basis of a win in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin in December and a win in his lone start this year in the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at six furlongs on March 28 at Chuyko Racecourse.

A winner of 11 of 23 starts, Danon Smash was eighth in the 2019 Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin.

The Chairman’s Sprint Prize will be the Group 1 debut for the improving Wellington, who was fifth in the Group 2 Sprint Cup in his group-level stakes debut April 5, finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind Amazing Star.

Jockey Alexis Badel told Hong Kong stewards after that race that Wellington’s performance was “disappointing” and that he was surprised the 4-year-old gelding did not finish well. Wellington, who won his two previous races, started from post 12 in the 13-runner Sprint Cup, but has a more favorable draw in post 3 in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize. Badel retains the mount.

Amazing Star ended a five-race losing streak in the Sprint Cup, a span that included an eighth in the Hong Kong Sprint in December and an 11th in the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup in January.

First post for the 10-race program at Sha Tin is 12:45 a.m. Eastern on Sunday, or 9:45 p.m. Pacific on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com