South China Morning Post - Racing

David Hayes ‘needs Beauty Generation to win’ after nearly losing his dog in hiking ordeal

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 00:04:38 GMT

David Hayes says he is “definitely going to need Beauty Generation to win” on Sunday after a hike this week ended with his beagle Bailey in intensive care.But while Hayes is now able to make light of the situation, it was far from a laughing matter when his dog was bitten by a bamboo viper during a walk in Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve on Wednesday.Hayes, his wife Prue and jockey Blake Shinn took turns carrying Bailey before he was rushed to hospital and treated with antivenom.“It was frightening,…

No Happy Valley, no worries for Caspar Fownes as he looks to paint Sha Tin Green

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 22:00:14 GMT

He may be the “King of the Valley” but championship-leading trainer Caspar Fownes has no hesitation taking his promising import Green Aeon to the wide expanses of Sha Tin on Sunday.The five-year-old impressed last week, bolting in at Happy Valley in just his second Hong Kong start, but has now become a victim of the fixture with no Class Two 1,200m races at the city track until November, leaving Fownes short on options.In his three starts in Australia, Green Aeon won over 1,200m and 1,400m but…

Hong Kong racing needs Golden Sixty to become its headline act

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 09:32:46 GMT

There is a lot riding on Sunday’s clash between Beauty Generation and Golden Sixty beyond bragging rights and the HK$3.5 million in prize money.The Jockey Club, and more broadly, Hong Kong racing, needs a new headline horse.Beauty Generation and Exultant have won the past three Horse of the Year titles between them and carried the can for a long time but the former is now eight and the latter will turn seven on January 1. It’s time for someone else to snatch the spotlight.The problem? There is…

Classique Legend to make Hong Kong move after Everest, Aethero suffers setback

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 08:24:41 GMT

Caspar Fownes has confirmed star sprinter Classique Legend will finally make it to Hong Kong later this year, with the Boniface Ho Ka-kui-owned five-year-old to relocate after running in October’s Everest in Sydney.Classique Legend was set to arrive in Hong Kong in March but his shipment was delayed, with Ho deciding to remain in Australia to focus on the Everest.The gelding was an electric winner of the Group Two Shorts (1,100m) at Randwick on Saturday and will slot straight in at the top end…

Douglas Whyte’s touch transforms frustrating duo at Happy Valley

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 16:09:59 GMT

Douglas Whyte’s development as a trainer is showing after enticing victories out of a couple of frustrating horses in Tashidelek and Amazing Kiwi at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.The 13-time champion jockey-turned-trainer collected 44 wins in his first campaign out of the saddle and getting positive results with gallopers who have disappointed in the past proves he’s on an upwards trajectory.Tashidelek has been a regular money-muncher for punters over the past two seasons in his 20 starts for…

Five facts for Happy Valley: has Cantstopthefeeling’s bad barrier luck turned?

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 04:02:27 GMT

A look at some of the more interesting aspects of Wednesday’s eight-race card at Happy Valley.Cantstopthefeeling’s bad barrier luckJimmy Ting Koon-ho’s five-year-old has had horrendous luck when it comes to barriers since arriving in Hong Kong from New Zealand. He’s had gate nine or wider in nine of his 10 starts and the one time he drew well – barrier four in a race at Happy Valley in June – he finished third. Cantstopthefeeling has come up with stall six on Wednesday night with Alexis Badel…

Beat The Clock’s Hong Kong Sprint defence in doubt as John Size provides update on stars

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 23:30:11 GMT

Star sprinter Beat The Clock is no guarantee to defend his crown in this year’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) on international day, with trainer John Size saying “everything would have to go correctly” between now and December 13.The four-time Group One winner hasn’t been seen at the races since his fifth in February’s Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup and he is yet to trial this season.“I’ve always been conservative about this season because of his age and the fact that he only had four runs…

Tony Piccone returns to Hong Kong on short-term deal

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 07:26:11 GMT

French jockey Tony Piccone will return to Hong Kong for a short-term winter stint this season.The 33-year-old will begin riding at Happy Valley on October 21 after completing a compulsory two-week quarantine in a hotel. Piccone is expected to arrive in Hong Kong on October 6.The 33-year-old has been granted a four-month licence which will see him compete through until the end of February.Crucially, Piccone will be riding in Hong Kong through December, giving the Jockey Club options for the…

Keith Yeung hopes Urban can dance on the track instead of in the gates

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 06:44:14 GMT

Keith Yeung Ming-lun reunites with one of his favourites in Dances With Dragon on Sunday but first he renews acquaintances with a horse that had him on his toes at Happy Valley a fortnight ago.Yeung partners Urban Dancer in the Class Three Deep Water Bay Handicap (1,650m) and is hopeful of smoother sailing this time around after getting thrown off the horse in the barriers at the city circuit two weeks ago.After the Tony Cruz-trained Flying Sword lunged at the gates, Urban Dancer reared before…

Tony Cruz’s top sprinter Thanks Forever forced into retirement

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 04:15:44 GMT

Hong Kong’s elite sprinting ranks have been dealt a blow with Thanks Forever being forced into retirement after bleeding for a second time.The five-year-old had two Group One placings last season – finishing second in the Centenary Sprint Cup and third in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize – while winning the Group Three Sha Tin Vase and was expected to be one of the main contenders in the feature short-course events this campaign.But those hopes were dashed on Tuesday morning, when Thanks Forever…

Macau border restrictions drive Jockey Club’s record betting turnover

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 07:51:50 GMT

Has the Covid-19 pandemic actually been good for the Jockey Club’s betting turnover this season? It sounds crazy, but it might be true.The volume of cash held by the Jockey Club across the first five meetings is breaking records and exceeding expectations.Turnover sits at HK$6.652 billion – up HK$386 million, or 5.86 per cent, from the corresponding meetings last year.Sunday’s meeting alone was up HK$129 million. Local turnover was up 7 per cent and international commingling increased by 20 per…

Chris So off to a flying start with some added polish from the John Moore stable

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 05:56:16 GMT

Popular trainer Chris So Wai-yin is enjoying one of his best starts to a season and he is doing so with some added polish from the legendary John Moore stable.With Moore forced into retirement by the Jockey Club at the end of last season, So was quick to pounce on his staff members, headlined by well-known track rider Romain Clavreul, whom So says has helped deliver some much needed feedback on some of his gallopers.Clavreul was Moore’s go-to man for the likes of Beauty Generation and Aethero…

Public seats at Sha Tin sell out in less than seven minutes

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 13:06:27 GMT

For the first time this season – (some) fans were back in the Sha Tin stands – and those keen to get back on track had to be organised with the 880 public tickets selling out in six-and-a-half minutes.With the Hong Kong government starting to relax restrictions after the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sunday was just the fourth opportunity members of the public had to attend the races since early February.The Jockey Club started taking bookings for the meeting at midday on Tuesday and it…

Joao Moreira ignites Sha Tin with scintillating six as Excellent Proposal fuels Classic Series push

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 12:34:49 GMT

Joao Moreira produced his most prolific day in the saddle in over three-and-a-half years with a scintillating Sha Tin six-timer on Sunday afternoon.Moreira’s dominant half-dozen marked the most winners he’d had in Hong Kong since his record-setting haul of eight in March 2017 and he pulled six victories clear of Zac Purton and Karis Teetan in the race for the jockey’s title – both of whom went winless for the first time this season.After riding 123 seconds to go with his 138 winners last season…

Frankie Lor relishes challenge of moulding untapped Winning Dreamer

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 12:09:17 GMT

Frankie Lor Fu-chuen has enjoyed phenomenal success with tried horses in Hong Kong but admits the challenge of moulding one of his own is especially rewarding.The fourth-season trainer has an exciting project in the progressive Winning Dreamer, who enhanced his reputation at Sha Tin on Sunday by winning the Class Three Kwai Fong Handicap (1,200m) in strong fashion.The four-year-old boasted a record of two-from-two going into the race and exits it with a plethora of options, with Lor considering…

Five facts for Sha Tin: Zac Purton proves punters’ pal amid sizzling winning streak

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 00:00:19 GMT

A look at some of the more interesting aspects of Sunday’s 10-race card at Sha Tin.Purton the punters’ pal after all?While you don’t have to be a genius to know that Zac Purton rides plenty of winners, a flat stake on each of his rides has sometimes netted a loss in previous seasons due to the short prices of many of his runners. Not so in 2020-21 – if you had bet $10 on each of his 34 rides so far you would find yourself HK$45.50 better off. On top of that, the star Australian has ridden…

Chris So backs Lakeshore Eagle to be his much-needed stable star: ‘I really want him to perform’

Sat, 19 Sep 2020 08:08:31 GMT

Lakeshore Eagle shoots for four consecutive victories at Sha Tin on Sunday and trainer Chris So Wai-yun knows he is the hope of a stable that has struggled for Class Two victories and Group exposure in recent years.Lakeshore Eagle is one of only three horses to win at Class Two level for So since the start of the 2017-18 season.He hasn’t had a Group runner since Fabulous One in October 2018 and has never won a Group contest in Hong Kong, something the affable trainer hopes his honest six-year…

Electric Winning Dreamer sheds ‘baby fat’ and Frankie Lor is aiming high

Sat, 19 Sep 2020 05:53:45 GMT

Frankie Lor Fu-chuen doesn’t yet know what season 2020-21 will hold for Winning Dreamer but he is sure of a couple of things – he’s the most exciting young horse he’s had and he’s improved markedly over the off-season.The electric four-year-old announced himself with two scintillating victories down the Sha Tin straight last season and Lor is confident punters will see a better horse again when Winning Dream tackles 1,200m for the first time in the Class Three Kwai Fong Handicap.“He’s been a…

Joao Moreira declares 150 winners ‘achievable but unlikely’ despite flying start to the season

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 05:22:12 GMT

Hong Kong’s champion jockey has notched 145 winners or more in five of the last six seasons but Joao Moreira believes it is unlikely it will take a haul of that size to snare this season’s title.Despite talk in the build-up about how 2020-21 was shaping as the most even season in years, Moreira, Zac Purton and Karis Teetan have exploded out of the blocks to win 24 of the 36 races between them.With eight winners each, the trio are hurtling along at an average of two winners a meeting – a speed…

Is there now a ‘big three’ in the Hong Kong riding ranks?

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 09:02:23 GMT

For years, Zac Purton and Joao Moreira have dominated the Hong Kong riding ranks and their head-to-head battle has been the headline act, but the two haven’t had it all to themselves so far this season.Karis Teetan has turned the duopoly into a “big three”– each of them snaring eight winners from the first four meetings.It is only a tiny sample size, but the championship table has a fascinating look to it.Between them, Purton, Moreira and Teetan have won 24 of the 36 races – two thirds of them…