The reality is the stake money is so good in Hong Kong there is little point campaigning in other countries, unless it is for mega-money races like The Everest, Cox Plate or something like the new Saudi Cup, in which Romantic Warrior was so narrowly beaten in February.
With Ka Ying Rising aiming for his 16th straight win today, Romantic Warrior trying to win the Hong Kong Cup for the fourth year running, and the pair ridden by superstars Zac Purton and James McDonald, if they win as expected, the cheers from the 70,000-strong Sha Tin crowd will be deafening.
But that enormous popularity and their obvious talents mean the pair will both start at near-unbackable odds and Kiwi punters will not even be able to fall back on taking a fixed-odds multi using the pair to boost their divvies, as there is tote-only betting on Hong Kong racing.
So for most watching this evening, it will be for the pleasure of seeing two champions rather than the chance to make money on the punt.
The first of the four Group 1s is the Hong Kong Vase over 2400m (R4, 7.10pm NZT). The race puts Melbourne Cup favourite Al Riffa, trained by Joseph O’Brien, and Los Angeles, trained by Joseph’s famous father Aidan, up against defending champion Giavellotto and Arc De Triomphe placegetter Sosie in a truly international contest.
The Hong Kong Sprint (HK$28 million/$6.19m) is next up as Race 5 and perhaps the best Ka Ying Rising’s rivals can hope for is the big horse getting pocketed away on the fence, but that is probably wishful thinking, even if it is their best chance of snapping his winning streak.
The Mile is Race 7 at 9pm NZT and features Voyage Bubble trying to go back to back after winning the race last year with McDonald in the saddle, but with Purton on board tonight.
McDonald rides Galaxy Patch and the local pair meet Docklands, the much-travelled English star who won the Group 1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot over tonight’s distance in June.
He is owned by OTI Racing, the international syndicator which now has established a presence in New Zealand.
Romantic Warrior then attempts to become the first horse to win the Hong Kong Cup (HK$40m) for the fourth straight time at 9.40pm NZT.
McDonald was understandably booming with confidence this week when discussing the horse he rates as the best he has ridden.
When making those assessments, though, McDonald always excludes Winx, whom he rode only once and he rarely discusses among his favourite horses, as he always calls her “Hughie’s Horse” in deference to his close friend and Winx’s regular jockey Hugh Bowman.
“He is a marvel this horse,” McDonald says of Romantic Warrior.
“What he did here last start in his first run for seven months was unbelievable and he should be even better on Sunday.
“I am looking forward to the whole day but any time I get to ride him is special and they love him up here.”
McDonald suggests punters should follow in the next race too, thinking he has a good chance with Star Rise (R9, No 3).
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
