It’s one of the most highly anticipated meetings in world racing every year, and all eyes will be on Sha Tin on Sunday for the 2023 Hong Kong International Races!
Four huge Group 1 feature races headline the program, but there is a total of 10 events on the program, and gallopers from every corner of the globe engaged.
I’ve run the rule over the lot, and you can find my complete 2023 Hong Kong International Races Tips right here.
Zac Purton jumps into the saddle of Gorgeous Win in the first at the Hong Kong International Races, and I am confident the horse can break his maiden.
Gorgeous Win trialled well prior to his only career start to date, and he was decent through the line over this route a few weeks ago.
I like that he has been back to the trials since that race, and he’ll take plenty of natural improvement into this.
Star Club returned a winner here at Sha Tin last month, and something like this looks the next logical target for him.
The Star Turn gelding has made only four appearances at the races so far and was unlucky not to break his maiden during his first campaign, but got the monkey off his back under Brenton Avdulla first-up.
That hoop understandably retains the ride this week and getting out to the 1400m looks ideal for the horse second-up.
David Hayes looks to have a really nice winning chance at the Hong Kong International Races this year with Global Harmony.
The former Aussie has hit the ground running since arriving in Hong Kong, and won over 1200m here first-up last month before hitting the line to fill the minors last time.
He’s another that should relish getting out to 1400m this week and he does look up to something of this quality.
Just nine horses have accepted into this year’s Hong Kong Vase field, but there is a couple that I have my eye on.
The first is early Hong Kong Vase betting favourite, Lebensstil.
Lebensstil has been racing in excellent form since debuting, winning three of five starts in his native Japan and placing on the other two occasions.
His last start performance and win in Group 2 company at Nakayama was dominant, and he was set for this race immediately afterwards.
The other galloper that interests me in this field is West Wind Blows.
Australian racing fans got a taste of what this galloper can do during the recent Spring Carnival, and he finished second in both the Turnbull Stakes and the Caulfield Cup most notably.
At Hong Kong Vase odds of $11, he does look the value in my opinion.
Lucky Sweynesse has opened a popular favourite in Hong Kong Sprint betting, and I think he’ll be winning again.
The Sweynesse gelding has been nothing short of outstanding throughout his career so far, becoming easily the best sprinter in Hong Kong, and among the best in the world.
Winning fourteen of twenty starts so far, placing a further five times and saluting at the highest level on several occasions, he really doesn’t know how to run a bad race, we know he’ll relish the conditions, and Zac Purton obviously adds further confidence as well.
I thought that James McDonald could see Silver King right into the finish of the sixth at the Hong Kong International Races on Sunday.
Silver King has certainly stamped himself as one to watch since debuting, winning two of three starts during his first preparation, and returning this time to fill the minors over a mile here last month, finishing just half a length behind the winner.
With improved fitness and getting out to the 1800m this week, I really can’t see too many negatives in his chances.
This is the race that I am most looking forward to at the Hong Kong International races this year, and an outstanding international contingent will face off with leading local Golden Sixty in the Hong Kong Mile!
I absolutely understand Golden Sixty’s popularity and favouritism in 2023 Hong Kong Mile betting – he is a champion, he has the runs on the board and he could come out and blow them away again, but I am actually keen to take him on with the Japanese mare, Namur.
Namur has been a very good horse for trainer Tomokazu Takano since making her debut, but there’s also no doubt that she has continued to improve with each preparation.
I was trackside in Tokyo back in March when she was only just denied in the Group 3 Shimbun Hai; the ride on Win Carnelian beat her that day, but she has returned an even better horse again this time, winning each of two starts, including her first Group 1 last month. Just have a look at that performance, she comes from nowhere:
NAMUR! 💨
The filly defeats SOUL RUSH to win the G1 Mile Championship 🇯🇵
Will we see either in Hong Kong for #HKIR? 🇭🇰#競馬 | #マイルチャンピオンシップ | #ナミュールpic.twitter.com/Qk5KoOfxCm
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) November 19, 2023
William Buick jumps into the saddle this week, and the $13 about her in Hong Kong Mile betting at publish is over the odds, in my opinion.
Hong Kong champion, or perhaps more widely recognised in Australia as the 2023 Cox Plate champion – Romantic Warrior will step out in the Hong Kong Cup on Sunday, and he has unsurprisingly attracted big interest in the market.
Romantic Warrior has done just about all there is to do in Hong Kong, winning 10 of 14 starts here and placing a further three times, and with sights set on a trip to Australia in spring, things perhaps didn’t start as expecting when he ran fourth in the Turnbull Stakes.
Fast forward to his major target, however, and Romantic Warrior was given a perfectly timed ride by James McDonald to beat Mr Brightside on the line.
McDonald is in Hong Kong to ride, and anything close to his best will likely see Romantic Warrior crowned the 2023 Hong Kong Cup winner as well!
Galaxy Patch has won two of three since resuming this time and is up to winning the penultimate at the Hong Kong International Races as well.
The Wandjina gelding has actually only made four career appearances so far, winning three times, and he returned to winning form with a dominant effort here last time out.
He’s hard fit, Karis Teetan knows him well, and I think he’s going to take plenty of beating again.
I’m going to have an each way play on Fantastic Treasure in the last at the 2023 Hong Kong International Races.
Fantastic Treasure doesn’t win out of turn, but he also rarely turns in a poor performance, and he returned from a break to finish a credible fifth in Group 2 company here last month.
With natural improvement and amongst similar company this week, I’m expecting him to be fighting it out late.