Hong Kong Champions day review by Sean Trivass

When they put on top quality (Group One) racing in Hong Kong they simply do not mess about.

Ten races, three of them Group Ones, International jockeys and challengers, huge prize money (by UK standards), strong betting pools, clean spacious surroundings, affordable entry fees, and sensibly priced food and drink quite frankly leave us in the shade and although I love British and Irish racing with a passion, that does not mean we cannot learn from our contemporaries.

With the exception of keeping an eye on anything remotely connected with the United Kingdom and Europe I wasn’t overly bothered by the seven handicaps that accompanied the feature contests, though that didn’t mean I failed to lap up the atmosphere and enjoy a bite to eat/ice tea while basking in the afternoon sunshine.

Amusingly, the Hong Kong Jockey Club have this fascinating app that runs the actual race in cartoon form before the off time, a gimmick in some eyes and one I always forget until after the first race or six. Suffice to say they had plenty of winners and places on the card including Beat The Clock who took the big sprint, with the odds on Santa Ana Lane left with way too much to do in my opinion in a slow run race before finishing a full of running fourth. In his defence Hugh Bowman hadn’t ridden the horse in three years but as one of the local journalists confided, “I hope you Australians keep sending your sprinters over, better prices for us”, which says it all.

On to the mile and no odds at all for Beauty Generation here in Hong Kong which came as a surprise I confess. He looked a picture in the paddock before the race, went down like a dream, and came back like tiger, floating over the surface and making all the running for a hard-held success that had to be seen to be believed. There is a thought that he may go to Japan next (personally I doubt it), and the fact is he was value for a lot further than the official winning distance of a length and a half, with jockey Zac Purton looking out for non-existent dangers all the way up the straight.

One more G1 to go and congratulations to Oisin Murphy who took the European riding honours with a third in the QEII Cup on board Japanese raider Lys Gracieux yet three-quarters of a length behind fellow Japanese Win Bright. The winner deserves every accolade thrown at him and had a bit in hand at the line to be fair, but I am still awaiting an explanation for Deirdre, fourth in the Dubai Turf but a poor sixth here after a tardy start before running on through beaten horses without ever getting in a serious blow at the leaders.

The course record fell which tells us just how good a contest this really was and makes Win Bright a horse to follow, with the scenes of celebration among the thousands of travelling flag-waving Japanese fans a heart-warming addition to the day and a reminder just how much this sport means in the Far East in 2019.

Concluding an article has never been my strong point, but suffice to say a crowd of over 44,000 and betting turnover of about £144.9 million is not to be sniffed at (when you consider Beauty Generation was effectively a no bet race for 99%) and serves as a reminder that whatever they are doing at the Hong Kong Jockey club is working – perhaps some of their better ideas may be implemented over here one day to make racing more successful all round?

Picture courtesy of HKJC

Sean Trivass writes a brief weekly blog at www.writesports.net

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