Divine Boy fresh for Hong Kong Shipowners Association 60th Anniversary Cup

Divine Boy has had a consistent, but light, campaign since the Hong Kong season began in September.

In four starts, Divine Boy has not been worse than third, with one win in a minor handicap on the all-weather surface at Sha Tin Racecourse in October. The win will make Divine Boy a factor in Saturday’s $237,775 Hong Kong Shipowners Association 60th Anniversary Cup at about a mile on the all-weather track at Sha Tin.

Trained by Me Tsui Yu-sak, Divine Boy was a fast-closing third in a handicap at about a mile on turf at Happy Valley on Nov. 15 in his most recent race. A 6-year-old gelding, Divine Boy has won 5 of 40 starts in his career. Divine Boy will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli and will carry 123 pounds in a field of 12.

The 131-pound highweight is Classic Emperor, a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Medaglia d’Oro who was purchased for $110,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale. Classic Emperor was a winner on the all-weather surface on Nov. 1 and was third after a late rally in a similar race on Dec. 3.

Classic Emperor has won 5 of 27 starts in his career, all in Hong Kong.

Fight Hero, second in the weights at 128 pounds, won his last start at Sha Tin in a six-furlong handicap on the all-weather in a 21-1 upset. Fight Hero has run Saturday’s distance on one occasion, finishing 12th in a handicap in March 2016. His four career wins have come at six furlongs.

The Shipowners Association Anniversary Cup will be the second start in Hong Kong for Zilong, the winner of the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate at Doomben Racecourse in Australia last March when racing under the name Shocking Luck. Zilong will carry 122 pounds.

Horses frequently have their names changed when they begin racing in Hong Kong.

The Shipowners Anniversary Cup is the seventh race on a 10-race program that begins at midnight Eastern, or 9 p.m. Pacific, on Friday.

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