Hong Kong horses are stepping onto the international stage once again! This Sunday (September 6), the Group 3 Korea Sprint (1200m, sand) will take place at Seoul Racecourse in South Korea. Hong Kong representative Beauty Waves has already arrived and is actively preparing for the race. Trainer Tony Cruz is highly satisfied with the star horse’s condition, believing he is well-prepared to become the third Hong Kong horse to win this race, following Super Jockey and Remake!
Beauty Waves, along with two other Hong Kong representatives—Manfred Man’s defending champion Self Improvement and Danny Shum’s Gorgeous Win—departed for Seoul on August 25. Although this is Tony Cruz’s first time sending a horse to race in Korea, he is confident in his horse’s adaptability. He stated that Beauty Waves was calm during the journey, with a gentle temperament, and did not appear overly excited. Although he lost a bit of weight initially, he has now fully recovered. On the morning of his departure, the horse participated in a 1050m dirt barrier trial under jockey Jerry Chau, crossing the line first and demonstrating excellent form.
Regarding sand and track adaptability, Tony Cruz offers great reassurance. Although Beauty Waves has only raced on dirt once in Hong Kong (finishing third), he has extensive experience training on the surface. Since arriving from Ireland in early 2023, he has crossed the line first in 15 dirt barrier trials at Sha Tin and Conghua! Furthermore, during his time in Ireland, the horse won on an all-weather track and has experience racing on left-handed tracks. Tony Cruz pointed out that this will be a significant advantage in adapting to Seoul’s left-handed track, and he believes performance will not be an issue. The horse is also scheduled for a gallop on Thursday to further acclimatize to the local track.
In terms of the draw, Beauty Waves has drawn barrier 13, while Self Improvement and Gorgeous Win have drawn 9 and 16, respectively. It is worth noting that jockey Jerry Chau, who will be riding Beauty Waves in this race, is the same jockey who steered Remake to victory in this race last year! This year, he will partner with the six-year-old chestnut gelding in hopes of securing another glorious win.
However, the path to the championship is not without its challenges. In the eight editions of the race since its inception in 2016, Japanese horses have won four times, while Hong Kong and Korean representatives have each won twice. This year, the Japanese team is fielding the formidable Duo Dragon and American Stage. Tony Cruz also acknowledged that Japanese horses have an excellent track record in Korea and are undoubtedly the main competitors in this race.
The Korea Sprint will jump at 3:20 PM Hong Kong time on September 6. Will Beauty Waves be able to break through under Jerry Chau and add another international victory for Hong Kong? Let’s wait and see, and cheer for the Hong Kong representatives!
Source: Hong Kong Jockey Club