Local horse racing will see a series of fierce battles this week. Local elite horse Galaxy Patch will make his seasonal return at Sha Tin Racecourse this Sunday (27 September), headlining the HK$4.2 million G3 Celebration Cup (1400m Handicap). Currently rated 120 and trained by Clifford, Galaxy Patch has so far started 27 times in Hong Kong, securing eight wins, including victories at Group 2 and Group 3 levels. Although this seven-year-old was narrowly defeated by just one length to finish second in his first Group 1 attempt in 2024, and only managed one placing in his subsequent nine Group 1 challenges, his regular rider Karis Teetan remains full of confidence in him. Teetan hopes the horse can make a breakthrough this season and open his winning account at Group 1 level.
Karis Teetan said: “Galaxy Patch has immense quality and has competed against Hong Kong’s very best horses. Facts have proven that he deserves to win a major race in the near future.”
This year’s Celebration Cup features a star-studded lineup, with the winners of all three legs of last season’s Four-Year-Old Classic Series taking the field. These include Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) winner Bird Paradise, Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) winner Bauhinia Momentum, and Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner Egret Titan. In addition, Helios Express, Mobile Master, Copartner Prance, Lucky With You, and Solar Warrior are also expected to join the fray. Galaxy Patch’s final outing last season was a runner-up finish behind Bird Paradise in the G3 Premier Cup (1400m Handicap), and he will be seeking to reverse the form against his rival this time.
Facing strong opposition, Teetan admitted the race will be of a very high standard. He pointed out that while Galaxy Patch may slightly lack early speed and the 1400m distance is a bit short for him, his acceleration is astonishing: “As long as we get an ideal pace and a smooth run in transit, I believe he can unleash a powerful late charge just like his last run.” To prepare for Sunday’s feature, the horse was specially arranged to participate in a 1200m barrier trial at Happy Valley last Saturday (19 September) to add variety to his daily training routine. He finished second in a time of 1 minute 11.52 seconds. Teetan was satisfied with his closing effort, believing the horse has had plenty of rest during the summer break and is now in sharp form and ready to go.
Sources: HKJC