Hong Kong: Despite losing streaks, Savaquin and Money Catcher are contenders

A couple of 14-race losing streaks are on the line in the featured third race Wednesday at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong.

Savaquin, the top-rated horse in this 1,800-meter Class 2 handicap for horses rated 100-80, has lost all 10 of his starts during the 2021-22 Hong Kong season and has failed to win since April 2021. Four-year-old Money Catcher, racing in New Zealand at the time as Jason Belltree, won his career debut in September 2020 but proceeded to lose his next seven races in New Zealand, and since being purchased and exported to Hong Kong the gelding has gone zero for seven.

Thing is, both horses are pretty good and either could come out on top in this seven-horse field.

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Savaquin, carrying top weight of 127 pounds, including leading Hong Kong rider Joao Moreira, finished second, beaten a half-length, in his most recent Happy Valley start over this 1,800-meter (about 1 1/8 miles) distance. Problem is Savaquin’s most recent outing, on May 25, produced a last of seven finish going 1,650 meters at Happy Valley, a performance notably bad enough that Moreira had to answer a series of questions from Hong Kong Jockey Club stewards regarding the dull showing. Savaquin, trained by the eminently capable John Size, has however quickly bounced back from poor past showings.

Money Catcher last raced May 29, finishing a well-beaten fifth as the 2-1 favorite in a Sha Tin Class 2 handicap over 2,000 meters, which likely is farther than ideal. Winless in Hong Kong, Money Catcher also hasn’t finished second since being imported, but a string of four consecutive third-place finishes this season included the Hong Kong Classic Cup over 1,800 meters and the Hong Kong Derby at 2,000 meters. The concern is that Money Catcher, who outran his odds in those starts, already has peaked, though he ought to get a favorable trip tracking likely pacesetter Soulmate.

Soulmate is a threat to race wire to wire if he shakes loose on an easy lead. Five-year-old Soulmate made his first 11 Hong Kong starts at Sha Tin and has shown a strong affinity for Happy Valley late this season, posting a win and two seconds in his three starts there. Soulmate, though, has been campaigned as a miler and has yet to race beyond 1,650 meters; stamina concerns exist.

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Zac Purton, chasing Moreira in the race for leading rider, lands Wednesday on Beluga, a horse he rode regularly and with success last season in Hong Kong. Beluga, like Soulmate, has mainly raced at Sha Tin and made his last four starts there despite two good winter runs over the Happy Valley course. Beluga does stay 1,800 meters and is a live runner.

Charity Go, Tianchi Monster, and Gorytus are the others in a race where the weight spread is unusually small by Hong Kong handicap standards, just nine pounds between Savaquin and Gorytus, the race’s lowest-rated starter.

Post time for the feature is 7:45 a.m. Eastern on a nine-race card that starts at 6:45 a.m. You can catch all the action, and get a wager down, at DRFBets.com.