The Year of the Horse has truly captured Hong Kong’s imagination with dynamic, inspiring and spectacular activities and entertainment which celebrate the powerful connection between human and horse.
Since January, a series of world-class events including the Chinese New Year Night Parade & Float Display, the Prosperity Gallops Across Hong Kong” Year of the Horse Fireworks Display, the Heavenly Horses: Masterpieces from the Palace Museum” Exhibition, the LONGINES Hong Kong International Horse Show and the CAVALLUNA – Gate to the Otherworld Asian premiere, among many others, have transfixed and inspired our community.
The campaign honours the timeless bond between humans and horses and connects people from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and around the world in the spirit of respect, admiration and gratitude.
In Hong Kong, our world-class racing is an enduring symbol of excellence and evidence of the city’s ambition, resilience and ‘can-do spirit.’
At Sha Tin today (Sunday, 13 September), we honour the Club’s association with the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, which was the first charitable organisation founded in Hong Kong in 1870.
The Tung Wah Group is a familiar name in the global Chinese community with its mission to “heal the sick and to relieve the distressed, to care for the elderly and to rehabilitate the disabled, to promote education and to nurture the youngsters, and to raise the infant and to guide the youth.”
Committed to community welfare, the Tung Wah Group continuously innovates and expands its scope of services in healthcare, education, social services, culture heritage preservation and traditional services.
Today, the Tung Wah Group operates more than 400 service units, making it the largest and most diversified charitable organisation in Hong Kong. While most of its recurrent expenses are subsidised by the HKSAR Government, the Tung Wah Group relies on the generous donations of its board members, the general public, as well as the Hong Kong Jockey Club, to sustain its services development.
At Sha Tin, we will see some talented four-year-olds who could make the next step in their careers to become Rising Stars. One of them is SOLID STATE, who was a AU$1.75 million yearling (approx. HK$9.81 million).
He won his Hong Kong debut over 1200m in very impressive style by over five lengths and today returns to the track in Race 8, the Class 3 Wah Fu Handicap, over a shorter distance of 1000.
Another competitive highlight is the Class 3 Yiu Tung Handicap, which is carded as Race 10 and will be run over 1400m at 5.45pm with prizemoney of HK$1.86 million.
The speed will be good to fast with RUN RUN SMART (Nichola Yuen) likely to lead from gate five, with MEANINGFUL DRAGON (Britney Wong), who also likes to race on the pace, going forward from a wide draw to settle outside the leader. ALL OUT FOR SIX (Matthew Chadwick) and AEROVOLANIC (Andrea Atzeni) should settle close to the front pair.
FLOW WATER FLOW finished out of the placings for the first time in his six-start career when he finished fifth to LUCKY SAM GOR and AMAZING PARTNERS over 1600m on 1 July, but he looked ready to go when placed in a trial last week. FLOW WATER FLOW still has lots of upside, is drawn ideally in gate four and, with new rider Brenton Avdulla aboard, is a win and place chance for trainer John Size.
SOVEREIGN FUND moved to Brett Crawford’s stable mid-season and won at his first start for the new trainer over 1200m. SOVEREIGN FUND had a very easy trial at Conghua last week in preparation for his return to racing. He has a perfect draw in gate three and is a place chance for Karis Teetan, who has started the season in excellent form.
BIG RETURN won three races in a row over 1600m in Class 4 last season and maintained his form when rising in class, placing at two runs. BIG RETURN has spent the entire break at Conghua and also had an easy trial there last week and, with Lyle Hewitson taking the ride for the first time, is a place chance.
Zac Purton rode NYX GLUCK for the first time on 1 July, choosing to go back from an outside draw before storming home from last on the turn to beat BEAUTY AWARD over this course and trip. Zac retains the ride and this time has an inside draw to contend with. If NYX GLUCK he gets clear room early enough in the straight, he can run into the placings after an impressive trial win last week.
RISING PHOENIX (Matthew Poon), FLYING KNIGHT (Derek Leung), RUN RUN SMART, MONARCH COUNTY (Luke Ferraris) and MEANINGFUL DRAGON can all figure in the placings.
Irish St Leger Day completes a fantastic weekend of international racing with the first of four races to be simulcast from the Curragh Racecourse in Ireland from 9.50pm.
The G1 Irish St Leger is carded as S4-4 and will be run on yielding ground over 2800m at 11.35pm.
Aidan O’Brien has three of the seven runners – SCANDINAVIA (Ryan Moore), QUEENSTOWN (Wayne Lordan) and JAN BRUEGHEL (Ronan Whelan) – while Joseph O’Brien also has three runners – TRUSTYOURINSTINCT (Declan McDonogh), TENNESSEE STUD (Colin Keane) and LEINSTER (Joseph Sheridan).
William Haggas and Tom Marquand combine on the sole visitor, ARABIAN FORCE.
SCANDINAVIA has won his past seven starts in a row, including the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, and has dominated the British and Irish staying division. He is a clear win and place chance.
JAN BRUEGHEL, winner of the 2024 Doncaster St Leger winner, will appreciate stepping up to 2800m and is a place chance along with TRUSTYOURINSTINCT, winner of the G2 Curragh Cup (2804m) in July.
I have had the pleasure of engaging in a host of wide-ranging, entertainment and community activities during the Year of the Horse and it was a privilege to attend a performance by the Chinese Beijing Opera Art Foundation on Friday night (11 September).
To celebrate the 77th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Beijing Opera Art Foundation organised a third “National Essence in Hong Kong” performance. The initiative aims to foster greater appreciation of traditional Chinese culture among Hong Kong audiences.
A key highlight of this year’s edition is that the three flagship Beijing opera programs will be especially curated around horse-themed stories, which creates a strong synergy with the Club’s Year of the Horse initiatives. The Club is the Exclusive Sponsor of the event.
Source: Hong Kong Jockey Club