Many of Hong Kong’s leading horses are involved in Group One races this weekend, but not in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Sprint winner, Aerovelocity tackles the Takamatsunomiya Kinen in Nagoya, Japan, while the Hong Kong squad for Dubai World Cup night amounts to seven, with triple representation in both of the sprint events and Designs On Rome taking on big time European and Japanese 2,400m horses in the Sheema Classic.
With Zac Purton away in Japan, Joao Moreira looks to have the run of Sha Tin on Sunday. Like Douglas Whyte and Brett Prebble, Moreira will fly back from Dubai overnight to the Sha Tin meeting but isn’t able to take a ride in race one as he has later commitments in Dubai and takes a later flight.
He more than makes up for the lost race with powerful winning chances afterwards in most races, including likely strong favourites like Bossiee and Eroico, which look his best.
Craig Williams comes in to help out with jockey numbers as there are a few suspended and away, and the highlight of his rides is Khaya for John Size in the day’s Group Three 1,800m feature. It’s a strong race with quite a few dropping back to handicap conditions after contesting top grade races like the Gold Cup or Stewards’ Cup unsuccessfully.
And new club jockey Damian Lane goes into his first day with a surprisingly good book of rides for a jockey unknown to local trainers.
John Moore has given him chances in Rewarding Star and Let Me Go, but his best hope of an opening day winner probably comes from Benno Yung.
Yung has booked Lane for four mounts and engaged the young rider for a winning hope in race one with Archer’s Bow and an even better one deputising for Purton on impressive last-start winner Wild Boy in race eight.
By Nathan Mody
