FWD Champions Day has once again brought a truly international feel to Sha Tin, and after being on the ground throughout the week, the build-up has had all the ingredients of a major racing occasion.
The international horses have arrived, the local champions have gone through their final pieces of work, and the atmosphere around Sha Tin has steadily built towards one of Hong Kong racing’s biggest days. Three Group 1 races will headline the meeting — the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, the FWD Champions Mile and the FWD QEII Cup — and each race carries its own storyline.
This is not just a meeting about prize money or prestige. It is a meeting that gives Hong Kong the chance to showcase its best horses against international opposition, and this year there are two local stars in particular who will command global attention.
Ka Ying Rising has become the horse everyone wants to see. Romantic Warrior is already one of the great names of Hong Kong racing. Both have looked well during the week, both appear to have handled their preparations professionally, and both have the chance to add another major chapter to their careers on Sunday.
The Chairman’s Sprint Prize will be all about Ka Ying Rising. He has taken Hong Kong sprinting to another level and now carries the expectation that comes with being the world’s leading sprinter. Watching him through the week, the most impressive part has not been anything flashy. It has been how calm and professional he looks in everything he does and the team are very confident they have him on song.
Great sprinters can sometimes carry nervous energy, but Ka Ying Rising gives the impression of a horse who knows exactly what is required. He has the speed to put himself wherever Zac Purton wants him, but he also has the strength to sustain it. That is what separates him from very good sprinters. He does not just quicken but he keeps going.
This race is another chance for him to build on what is already becoming an extraordinary winning sequence taking it to twenty straight wins. The pressure is there, but he has continued to answer every challenge placed in front of him. From what he has shown in his races and what he has looked like this week, there is no obvious reason to suggest he is ready to come back to the field.
Satono Reve brings the strongest international challenge. The Japanese sprinter is a genuine Group 1 horse, he has travelled here before, and he has the class to make his presence felt if Ka Ying Rising is even slightly below his best. He looked to go through his work well during the week, and Japan’s sprinters always command respect when they travel.
Helios Express is another runner who deserves respect. He has been racing honestly and has the local form to run well again but has been unlucky to run into a generational talent that is Ka Ying Rising, while Raging Blizzard, Beauty Waves, Fast Network and Tomodachi Kokoroe give the race further depth. Comanche Brave adds something different from the overseas angle and will be watched closely.
But in reality, they are all trying to bring down one horse. Ka Ying Rising is the benchmark. If he runs to anything like his best, the Chairman’s Sprint Prize should be his race to lose.
The FWD Champions Mile looks the most open of the three Group 1 races and could easily be the race where tempo, luck and positioning decide the result. A full field gives it a very different shape to the other features, and there are several runners with legitimate claims.
Voyage Bubble is the proven Hong Kong Group 1 miler and comes into this race with the right profile. He has been a terrific horse for local racing, and his best form over this course and distance is strong enough to win again. He has looked well in his work and appears to have come through his preparation in good order even after a niggling issue but connections are happy with him and he will take his place.
This is his chance to step back into the spotlight. With Romantic Warrior staying at 2000 metres, Voyage Bubble gets the chance to be the main local force over the mile. He has the tactical speed to hold a position, which is always important at Sha Tin, and if he gets the right run, he will be hard to hold out.
Jantar Mantar brings serious Japanese quality to the race. He is a proper miler, he has the class, and his form reads strongly enough to make him one of the key winning chances. Japanese horses have a long history of travelling well to Hong Kong, and he has the profile of a horse who can make an impact if he settles into the race and produces his turn of foot.
Docklands is also interesting. The Royal Ascot winner has already shown he can be competitive at Sha Tin and he is the type of horse who could be strongest late if they overdo it in front. He may not have the same headline profile as some others, but he is certainly not here to make up the numbers.
Lucky Sweynesse adds another layer of interest. He was once the dominant sprinter in Hong Kong, and his move towards the mile has given him a new storyline. It is never easy for a horse to change his racing pattern at this level, but class can take a horse a long way, and he still has plenty of that.
The Champions Mile is the race where I would be most cautious about being too confident. Voyage Bubble has the local Group 1 credentials, Jantar Mantar has the international class, and Docklands looks the one who could be finishing strongly. The race may be decided by who gets the cleanest run at the right time.
The FWD QEII Cup is where Romantic Warrior again takes centre stage. He has been the face of Hong Kong middle-distance racing for several seasons now, and the chance to win this race for a fourth time gives Sunday another layer of significance.
Few horses have carried expectation as well as Romantic Warrior. He has travelled, returned, backed up big performances, and continued to turn up at the elite level. That is what makes him so special. It is not just his talent, it is his consistency and professionalism.
Watching him this week, he looks like the same seasoned champion. He went through his work with purpose, and there was nothing to suggest he has gone backwards. Danny Shum has managed him with great care throughout his career, and James McDonald knows exactly how to get the best out of him.
The challenge this year is real. Masquerade Ball comes from Japan with strong credentials and looks the main threat. He has the profile of a serious 2000-metre horse and has the right jockey booking in Christophe Lemaire. If Romantic Warrior is going to be tested, this is the horse most likely to do it. His second placing to the worlds best horse Calandagan in the Japan Cup was exceptional and his rider has hinted ‘he could be one of the Japan greats’. From a rider that has ridden plenty of them that is some wrap.
Sosie also brings major European form into the race. He was excellent in Hong Kong in December when winning the Vase, and while dropping back to 2000 metres is a different challenge, his class and stamina make him a dangerous runner if the race becomes a genuine staying test. He has been tested in his trackwork during the week but his condition is glowing and he will look a danger at some point down the Sha Tin straight.
Royal Champion arrives with confidence after his win in Saudi Arabia, and he is another who has shown he can travel and perform. Giovanni, June Take, Rubylot and Numbers add depth, but the race still revolves around whether Romantic Warrior can again produce his best at Sha Tin.
The champion has been here before. He knows this race having won it multiple times, he knows the track, and he has made a habit of delivering when the pressure is at its highest. Masquerade Ball gives the race a genuine international edge, but Romantic Warrior remains the horse they all have to beat.
FWD Champions Day has shaped as a meeting with real global appeal. Ka Ying Rising is trying to continue one of the great winning runs in modern sprinting. Voyage Bubble leads the local hopes in a strong and competitive Champions Mile. Romantic Warrior is chasing another piece of history in a race he has made his own.
The international runners have added quality and intrigue, but after watching the build-up during the week, the strongest impression is that Hong Kong’s headline horses look ready. They have carried themselves like top-class racehorses, and now they get the chance to prove it again on one of the biggest stages in Asian racing.
By Scott Bailey from Sha Tin
