3 minute read

Racing and Sports staff preview some main chances and feature races on Sunday’s QE11 meeting at Sha Tin.

Santa Ana Lane

Santa Ana Lane is bidding to cement his position at the top of the world rankings in 2019.

The Anthony Freedman trained gelding has been dominant in the Australian sprinting division over the past eleven months and booked his first overseas trip scoring an emphatic three and a half-length victory in the G1 T J Smith Stakes at Randwick over 1200m at the start of April. It was the same race that Chautuqua won en route to Chairman’s Sprint Prize glory in 2017 – the fast finishing grey became the first international raider to claim victory in the big event.

Santa Ana Lane has now won in excess of five million Australian dollars proving himself to be versatile in a range of different conditions. Success has come on both right and left handed tracks and claimed victory on soft, heavy and good ground. The form from his T J Smith Stakes win was given a boost after fifth placed horse Pierata won the G1 All Aged Stakes at Randwick last weekend with second placed horse Osborne Bulls taking the runner up spot again.

With Santa Ana Lane winning four G1’s in four different Australian states over the course of the last year, there is little concern about travelling the Lope de Vega gelding. Stable spokesman and trainer’s son Sam Freedman said “He thrives when we travel him. He settles into any new environment very comfortably and, if anything, he does better on the road. He has his regular track rider Will Stewart by his side and I couldn’t imagine there’s any horse better equipped to travel than him.”

Regular riders Mark Zahra and Ben Melham are suspended however Anthony Freedman has booked a worthy substitute in Hugh Bowman and is looking to the future with his star sprinter. “We'll do Hong Kong…and we'll worry about the Everest down the track,” he said, “You've got to have the right horse to make those trips. And I think he's the right horse. He's in peak form, he's in peak condition, so if he's going to go, this is the year to go.”

Eminent

Sir Mark Todd is a legend of the equestrian world. What he isn’t known for is training racehorses and yet the Olympic Gold medallist is now looking to add another first to his illustrious career sending Eminent to Hong Kong for Sunday’s feature race, the G1 FWD QEII Cup.

A two-time World Champion, Todd is better known for his exploits in the sphere of three-day eventing, where he has represented New Zealand at seven Olympic Games. He retired from international competition after the Sydney Olympics where he won an individual bronze medal and returned to New Zealand to concentrate on breeding sports horses. In 2008, Todd announced a comeback and subsequently became the second oldest New Zealand Olympian in history representing his country in Rio 2016.

Sir Mark Todd has been supported throughout his career by the principal of New Zealand Bloodstock, Sir Peter Vela, who has owned several of Todd’s high-class event horses. It seemed an unusual, albeit logical, step to move Eminent from Martyn Meade’s yard to the Todd base at Badgerstown when Vela and bloodstock agent Hubie de Burgh bought Meade out of the horse in February. The intention was simple – Eminent would be sent to stud in New Zealand after contesting some of Australia’s richest races.

Simple is a word that hasn’t been used to describe Eminent. A well-bred son of Frankel, expectations were high in the Martyn Meade camp that a Classic victory was well within Eminent’s grasp during his three-year-old campaign, especially after his win in the G3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket. A fourth in the Epsom Derby was the best the colt could offer and although he picked up a G2 in Deauville towards the latter end of the season, connections couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Unable to make the frame in four starts during 2018, an Australian campaign was planned for the newly named He’s Eminent in 2019. The first task was the G1 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill where he produced a brave performance in heavy ground to finish second behind mudlark Avilius. A clash with Winx in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes beckoned but He’s Eminent could only manage eighth of nine. Todd blamed himself for the addition of eamuffs, saying “I made the stupid decision to run He’s Eminent in earmuffs, because he does get quite wound up and there was a huge buzz and atmosphere because of Winx. The earmuffs completely switched him off.”

With Sir Mark Todd looking for his first G1 winner as a trainer and Eminent bidding to keep his racing career alive, Hong Kong will be an opportunity for the duo to make a little piece of equestrian history.

Chairman’s Sprint Preview

The G1 Chairman’s Sprint at Sha Tin Racecourse is a strategically well-placed prize in the Hong Kong racing calendar that has welcomed international competitors since 2016. It was opened to horses outside of Hong Kong replacing the discontinued International Sprint in Singapore as the fourth leg of the Global Sprint Challenge. It has become an ideal stepping stone for those who are looking to travel to Royal Ascot and Australia later in the season.

The Chairman’s Sprint Prize is now ranked as equal 34th in the World’s Top 100 G1 Races and comes with an illustrious history. Legendary sprinter Silent Witness was able to win back to back renewals and extended his unbeaten streak to sixteen when taking his second Chairman’s Sprint in 2005. Dim Sum has the notoriety of being the longest priced winner in the race’s history scoring in 2009 at odds of 50/1. Global recognition was earnt when the fast finishing Australian grey Chatauqua claimed the first edition of the race where international horses were welcome putting in one of the greatest performances ever seen in a G1 sprint race at Sha Tin.

With the attraction of a prize fund worth sixteen million Hong Kong dollars, it is no surprise that the native horses face considerable international opposition in this year’s renewal, headed by the world’s highest rated sprinter Santa Ana Lane. The Australian sensation has won four G1 in four Australian states over the past year and is travelling overseas for the first time. He is accompanied by fellow Australian Viddora who comes to Hong Kong following a solid fourth in Dubai’s G1 Al Quoz Sprint over 1200m behind Blue Point. New Zealand will be represented by Enzo’s Lad who was able to complete back to back victories in the G1 Telegraph (1200m) at Ellerslie in January.

The home defence is led by Mr Stunning and Beat The Clock who finished second and third respectively in this race last year. They top the Hong Kong sprint division this year and Mr Stunning is looking to recapture the form which led him to success in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint in 2017 and 2018. Beat The Clock is consistent having never finished out of the top three in twenty starts, including a neck second to Rattan in the G2 Sprint Cup where he was conceding 2kg to the winner.

With twelve G1 between them, the field of ten brings together the top sprinters from all over the world for what is likely to be the best speed race ran in 2019 so far.

Hailing from a country which has produced some of the best race-mares of the generation including Winx and Black Caviar, Viddora has a big task ahead of her to emulate those great Australian females in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin Racecourse on Saturday. She joins fellow Australian sprinting star Santa Ana Lane in seeking to win the prize which Chautauqua claimed in 2016 when becoming the first internationally trained winner of the race.

Viddora had a mixed year in 2018 with connections hoping to build upon her first G1 success in the Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes in December 2017. She had to produce a big effort after no luck in running to finish second in the Irwin Stakes in April and was unsuited by connection’s attempts to ride the mare more forwardly in her subsequent race in the G1 Goodwood. Despite some issues with recovery after races, Viddora bounced back to form in tremendous style claiming the second G1 of her career in the Charter Keck Crame at Moonee Valley in September.

The Lloyd Kennewell trained mare was put away after two disappointing efforts towards the back end of 2018 with the intention of reviving her to good heart for a successful international campaign in 2019. She resumed with an eighth place in the G1 Oakleigh Plate and booked her flight to Dubai with Kennewell saying “I wanted to make sure she came through her first-up run and make sure she's in good order because I'm putting the horse first and foremost.” Viddora produced a credible effort on Dubai World Cup Night to finish best of the Australian hopes in fourth behind Blue Point. Her next trip was planned – this time, she’d be heading to Hong Kong.

Viddora doesn’t lack for support with her regular track rider Paddy Bell speaking of her in glowing terms, “Her stride is big, she’s powerful and she breathes fluently with a good set of lungs. All that put together, I think she’s a very good horse. She was up against horses like Blue Point [in Dubai] who’s a world class sprinter who’s already won a G1 King’s Stand at Royal Ascot and the two Americans who finished second and third are very smart horses. She was making ground late and I think her run was terrific. Here on better ground around the corner I think she’ll be very competitive.” As the track rider for Black Caviar throughout her own illustrious career, Paddy Bell knows what he’s talking about and perhaps Viddora can claim her own little piece of Australian race-mare history.

Champions Mile Preview

The 2019 renewal of the FWD Champion’s Mile is a Hong Kong only affair with international rivals choosing to avoid competing against Beauty Generation in his own back yard. In fact, the world’s joint top-rated racehorse will only face six opponents in his bid to become the fourth horse in history to complete the Hong Kong Mile and Champions Mile G1 double in the same season.

The FWD Champion’s Mile is the only G1 race held in Hong Kong to be created after the turn of the millennium and it was designed to be a finale for native milers. With an increase in prize money to eight million Hong Kong dollars, the Champions Mile opened invitations to international contenders in 2005. It took nearly fifteen years for a non-Hong Kong miler to win the race and South Africa’s Variety Club gained international acclaim landing the prize in 2014 for Mike de Kock. The Champion’s Mile purse now stands at nearly eighteen million Hong Kong dollars, which is nearly four times the amount on offer in 2001.

The list of entrants is dominated by Beauty Generation who has been unbeaten in eight racecourse starts since winning the 2018 renewal of the Champion’s Mile. He cruised to yet another victory three weeks ago making all in the Chairman’s Trophy and trainer John Moore said “We didn't squeeze him too much for the run so there’ll be further improvement for the Champions Mile. That’s three weeks away and we’ll keep him ticking over.” With a record breaking seventh victory coming in last year’s renewal of the Champion’s Mile, supporters can be assured that Moore knows how to prepare a horse for the race.

Only six opponents will face the world’s highest rated miler and Australian bred Conte leads the charge. He’s proven to be a high-class horse over a mile and broke through in Group company landing the G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap earlier this season. Conte has chased home Beauty Generation on his last two outings and could sit behind the favourite for a late run. Other rivals of note include Hong Kong Classic Cup winner Singapore Sling and Rise High who is progressing through the ranks.

It’s going to be a difficult task to unseat Beauty Generation from the top of the mile division in the Champion’s Mile on Sunday. If he wins – and it looks likely – Beauty Generation will become the first horse to win eight races in a Hong Kong season and break Viva Pataca’s all-time prize money record.

QEII Preview

A large and even field will be contesting this year’s renewal of the FWD QEII Cup and it is Japan who is looking to add a fifth victory with a host of leading contenders. Many of the runners are returning to Sha Tin Racecourse after successful visits to the Hong Kong International Races in December and the list of entrants suggests a competitive race is in store on Saturday.

The QEII Cup was established in 1975 when Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Hong Kong for a state visit. In her honour, the Hong Kong Jockey Club held the first running of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Happy Valley and the contest continued as a handicap for the next seventeen years with the distance changing multiple times. By 1997, the 2000m trip was firmly established and the QEII Cup gained international interest with the newly established Godolphin operation claiming the 1996 renewal.

Hong Kong’s Viva Pataca and Japan’s Eishin Preston are the only horses in the race’s history to have won the QEII Cup twice. This year local hero Pakistan Star is bidding to be the third. A social media sensation, Pakistan Star caught the imagination of racing fans across the world when going from last to first on debut in a tremendous display and infamously stopping mid-race when long odds on. Owner Kerm Din made the bold decision to switch the horse from Tony Cruz to Paul O’Sullivan for the 2019 season in the hope of a revival and his third behind Beauty Generation in the Chairman’s Trophy suggests he’s still capable.

The Japanese threat is led by Lys Gracieux and Deirdre, who proved their ability at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races in December. Lys Gracieux was competitive throughout her classic season in 2017 and produced what could be considered a career best performance finishing second in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase. Deirdre flies to Hong Kong after another good effort in Dubai where she finished fourth behind Almond Eye in the G1 Dubai Turf. Both mares are fully capable of taking the prize home for Japan.

The Hong Kong home team includes Hong Kong Derby winner Furore who seems to be improving with each racecourse start and has emerged as Hong Kong’s top four-year-old. Dark Dream is an Australian import who chased Furore home in the Hong Kong Derby and has benefitted from each racecourse experience at Sha Tin. Neither of the four-year olds could be dismissed in this year’s renewal.

With Group winners from all over the world congregating at Sha Tin for the 2019 running of the QEII Cup, it will undoubtedly fulfil it’s billing as the feature race on Saturday’s card.

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