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Romantic Warrior, ridden by James McDonald, winning the G1 Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin
Four of the world’s highest rated turf horses will be representing the home Hong Kong home team and it is very possible, if not likely, that the home team will occupy the top spot on the podium in all three races. At the minimum, they will be favored in all three races.
The G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize features Lucky Sweynesse, who has emerged as the dominant sprinter in Hong Kong. Last season, he was a progressive horse that won five of his first seven starts including his first three at Happy Valley. This season, he came out with an easy win in a Class 1 then he held on for second in the G2 Premier Bowl Handicap when he was run down by Wellington.
Next time out in the G2 Jockey Club Sprint, he sat off the pace and rallied to win by a nose in 1:07.55 seconds while getting five pounds from Wellington. Wellington got his revenge in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint when Lucky Sweynesse had all sorts of traffic problems in the stretch.
But since then, Lucky Sweynesse won two straight Group 1 stakes races and a Group 2 to prep for this. Left in his wake two starts back was California Spangle in the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup going 1400m in 1:21.12 seconds as much the best. Only aged four, Lucky Sweynesse is the fastest of the fast and looks to have the sprint division at his mercy for the foreseeable future.
With four superstar local runners and three Group 1 stakes races, something had to give and the G1 FWD Champions Mile is the beneficiary. Horse of the Year Golden Sixty has won this race the past two years and beat California Spangle in last year’s renewal. California Spangle is fast enough to try the Sprint but I think Lucky Sweynesse might have changed his connections’ mind.
Instead, he will take on Golden Sixty at a distance where he was able to beat him in December’s G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile. Golden Sixty reversed that decision in the G1 Stewards’ Cup going Sunday’s distance and then came back to beat Romantic Warrior in the G1 City Hong Kong Cup going 2000m. He is an amazing 12 for 14 going a mile and even at the age of seven he shows no signs of slowing down. No matter the circumstances, Vincent Ho is able to find a gear that gets him home; something they have done 24 times.
It will be fascinating to see what tactics Zac Purton employs aboard California Spangle. Yes, he did set a dawdling pace in the Hong Kong Mile to hold off Golden Sixty’s late surge but I still feel that his best chance is to use his brilliant speed to open up as big a lead as possible turning for home. The third 400m split will be the key, not the fourth one in my humble opinion.
That said, I’m going with California Spangle to grimly hold on in the stretch duel that we are all hoping for.
The G1 FWD QEII Cup at 2000m has the strongest international field of the three races and as good as Romantic Warrior is going this distance (4 out 5), he could get beat. Dubai Honour is a world traveler from William Haggas that won the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Australia last start going this distance on soft ground.
Danon the Kid was a distant second here in December in the G1 Hong Kong Cup and ran well last out in Hanshin going this distance in super time. Prognosis is a lightly raced son of the immortal Deep Impact that has a wicked finish and is still improving in only ninth career start. Geraldina is a daughter of the immortal seven-time G1 winner Gentildonna that was third to Equinox two starts back to finish last year and had an easy prep for this last out.
If there is going to be an upset in the Champions Day G1 trio, it will come in this race and I think Geraldina can fly the flag for Japan as they continue to thrive on the international stage.
