By Paul Ryding
Hong Kong fans will finally get the chance to see global superstar Romantic Warrior back on home soil on Sunday (23 November), almost a year after he last stepped out at Sha Tin.
The winner of 10 Group 1 races was last seen locally easing to victory in the 2024 edition of the G1 HK$40 million LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) but returns in Sunday’s HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m).
The local star Watch Me Rock will be a solid favorite to win his Group 1 debut in Saturday’s $967,800 Railway Stakes at a mile at Ascot Racecourse in Perth, Australia.
Finding the exacta is more problematic.
As of Thursday, five runners – Cosmic Crusader, Diamond Scene, Osipenko, Super Smink, and Western Empire – were between 6-1 and 8-1 in early betting. Cosmic Crusader was on the also-eligible list, however.
By Leo Schlink
David Hayes has sounded an ominous warning over Ka Ying Rising’s form as the world’s best sprinter bids to extend his winning streak to 15 consecutive races in the HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (23 November).
By Andrew Le Jeune
Umberto Rispoli was a familiar face in Hong Kong for several years. With his infectious smile and engaging personality, he enjoyed success at the very highest level. But returning to Happy Valley, a venue where he spent a significant chapter of his career, Rispoli isn’t on a sentimental journey; he’s here to compete.
By Daryl Timms
Champion Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira will make a sentimental return to the venue and event which catapulted him to worldwide acclaim when he rides in the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley on 10 December.
Moreira was Singapore-based when competing in the 2012 edition of the championship, when the title was still up for grabs going into the last leg of the four-race competition with Great Britain’s Ryan Moore and local champion Zac Purton among those still in contention.
By Leo Schlink
The battle between Vincent Ho and Jerry Chau for a prized berth as Hong Kong, China’s leading homegrown rider in next month’s LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) intensified at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (19 November) as the pair traded blows with doubles.
Chau temporarily took the lead in the standings with a race-to-race double for David Eustace to claim the lead as the top eligible homegrown jockey ahead of the 10 December LONGINES IJC before 2023 LONGINES IJC champion Ho fired back with a brace of his own.
By Declan Schuster
Sunday’s (23 November) Bank of China, Hong Kong (BOCHK) Race Day sees the jurisdiction’s preeminent horses clash at Sha Tin in three important lead-up races: the HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m), HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) and HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m).
David Hayes heads into Sunday’s (23 November) HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin with perhaps the two leading chances: Hong Kong Horse of the Year (2024/25) and five-time Group 1 winner, Ka Ying Rising, plus seasoned veteran, Tomodachi Kokoroe, who has embarked on a stunning rise from Class 2 to Group 2 with three wins from three starts this season.
