By mid-April of 2017, Joao Moreira had ridden 134 winners during the Hong Kong season, an amazing 64 victories more than closest pursuer Zac Purton. A year later, there is quite a competition between the two.
In the last two years, Cheval Grand has finished third and second in the Grade 1 Tenno Sho at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan, losing both times to Kitasan Black. Sunday, Cheval Grand will be favored to win the $2.66 million Tenno Sho, a race that conveniently will not include his rival, who is now at stud.
Andrew Hawkins' Hong Kong selections and analysis for Sunday, April 29, 2018 - Sha Tin
The 5-year-old Seasons Bloom is having a career-best season in Hong Kong, having won half of his six races. Seasons Bloom has won two group stakes since last November, but neither was as prestigious as the $2.29 million Champions Mile on Sunday.
Since the first week of January, Ping Hai Star has won four straight races. Ping Hai Star won three consecutive minor handicaps in less than two months and his stakes debut in the $2.29 million Hong Kong Derby for 4-year-olds on March 18. Despite never having run in a group stakes, Ping Hai Star will be favored in Sunday's Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse.
The business structure of Hong Kong racing forced jockey Sam Clipperton to act fast to gain the mount on Mr Stunning for Sunday's Group 1 Chairman's Sprint Prize at Sha Tin Racecourse.
Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, Blue Point and Fine Needle start in the Group 1 Champion's Sprint Prize at six furlongs on turf. Blue Point tries for his first Group 1 win in the $2.04 million Chairman's Sprint Prize, and Fine Needle tries to show he can win outside of Japan.
Hong Kong jockey Nash Rawiller was suspended 15 months on Wednesday after betting on two horses that he rode and for accepting compensation for providing tips on his mounts, according to a statement released by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Beauty Only won the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile in 2016, but was nearly retired earlier this year after a series of disappointing races. A nose win in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy on April 8 ended that discussion and put Beauty Only on schedule for the Group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday.
The last few days have been physically tough on a few jockeys in Hong Kong.
