Christophe Soumillon ranks as one of the world’s leading jockeys. He doesn’t need you to feel badly for him. Still, it’s been a rough six weeks for Soumillon. The good news is the Swiss-born, France-based veteran reinsman has recovered from COVID-19. The bad news – for Soumillon, at least – are the horses he missed riding because of COVID.
This Sunday (20 December) at Sha Tin, two-time champion trainer David Hayes will unveil smart four-year-old Conqueror, who is looking to lay out his BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) credentials in the Class 2 Bellflower Handicap (1400m).
Sidelined from two of the most prestigious meetings in the world because of COVID-19, Belgian ace Christophe Soumillon is anxious to make up for lost opportunities – and time – when he resumes with a full book of rides at Sha Tin on Sunday (20 December).
Truly Great was a 17-1 chance when he beat even-money favorite Inspirational Girl in the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic at Ascot Racecourse in Perth, Australia, on Dec. 5 for his seventh win in his 12th start. Saturday at Ascot, Truly Great will be the heavy favorite in the Group 2 Ted Van Heemst Stakes at 1 5/16 miles, the top race of the day in Australia.
Declan Schuster's Hong Kong Selections and Analysis for Sunday, December 20, 2020 at Sha Tin.
Since the first of October, the handicap rating of the 4-year-old Australian-bred gelding Knight has risen steadily, boosted by two wins in his last three starts.
On consecutive days earlier this month, Amica and Secretly Awesome won handicaps at 1 1/8 miles in Australia by less than a length. For Amica, a 4-year-old Australian-bred mare, a win on the Kensington course at Royal Randwick on Dec. 4 was her second in three starts and fourth of her 10-race career. A day later at Newcastle, Secretly Awesome won for the third time in his sixth career start, his first victory since May. Amica and Secretly Awesome meet for the first time on Thursday in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles on the Kensington course.
Reinvigorated after a two-week break, Blake Shinn is optimistic Handsome Bo Bo can reprise a distant habit of building winning streaks with a strong performance in the Class 3 Cochrane Handicap (1000m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday (16 December).
Swift Witness will have her career debut in Wednesday’s $150,800 Magic Millions 2-year-old Classic at Wyong Racecourse in Australia with the expectation of immediate success.
Vindicating Aidan O’Brien’s long-held faith, Mogul has emphatically underlined claims as heir apparent to Ballydoyle’s throne after claiming victory in the HK$20 million LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m).
