Exultant was the champion middle-distance horse and champion stayer in Hong Kong for the 2018-19 season, which ended last July. He may win those titles this season, pending how he runs in Sunday’s Group 1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Sha Tin Racecourse.
Exultant, who won the 2019 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup for the second of his three Group 1 wins last season, is expected to be an odds-on favorite.
Andrew Le Jeune:
R1: 6-11-1-3
R2: 10-11-3-8
R3: 4-5-1-9
R4: 10-2-5-4
R5: 4-3-1-7
R6: 2-10-7-4
R7: 8-2-12-3
R8: 10-11-1-8
Best: R8 N10 Victory In Hand
Each/way: R2 N10 Dragon Bolt
Play: R8 1-10-11
Tom Wood:
R1: 5 – 1 – 2 – 6
R2: 11 – 3 – 2 – 4
R3: 4 – 8 – 5 – 9
R4: 2 – 4 – 8 – 5
R5: 4 – 3 – 10 – 7
R6: 5 – 4 – 6 – 7
R7: 2 – 9 – 8 – 1
R8: 10 – 8 – 1 – 3
Californiadeepshot turned an easy lead into a comfortable victory in his Hong Kong debut in a handicap at Happy Valley Racecourse on Jan. 29.
The win left Californiadeepshot unbeaten in three starts, a career that began with two wins at Kembla Grange Racecourse in Australia last August and September. The Happy Valley win also exposed Californiadeepshot’s dangerous tactics.
Andrew Le Jeune:
R1: 6-4-8-2
R2: 13-4-5-11
R3: 3-1-11-2
R4: 6-12-1-2
R5: 4-13-5-10
R6: 5-6-3-4
R7: 7-5-2-11
R8: 9-11-14-2
R9: 6-1-9-10
R10: 3-9-14-6
Best: R7 N7 Preciousship
Each/way: R8 N9 Hercules
Play: Q/QP R8 9-11-14
Tom Wood:
Preciousship has made considerable progress since he finished last of 14 in a seven-furlong handicap at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong in September.
Since that defeat, Preciousship has won three of four starts and was a troubled second on Dec. 8. The success has left Preciousship with a career-high rating of 93, a ranking that determines race eligibility in Hong Kong’s handicap system.
