The season's first Group races at the National Day meeting on October 1 at Sha Tin intriguingly blend established and potential champions; those that have been there clashing with the wannabes.
Combined, the National Day Cup (Gr.3-1400m) and the Sha Tin Sprint Trophy (Gr.3-1000m) feature seven individual Gr.1 winners. Still, the young pretenders are likely to attract the lion's share of wagering.
Green Birdie, for example, debuts over 1400m. Trainer Caspar Fownes hopes Monday's test will be a first step towards the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile in December.
“His run over 1200m in the Chief Executive's Cup was very strong - the leaders had it all their way that day and ‘The Birdie' was the only one to make up ground. I'm looking forward to him going up in distance because he settles well and can clock some serious final sectionals. He's in great form and he's just an exciting horse; a star of the future, we hope,” said Fownes, who also saddles The Duke for his first run of the campaign.
“The Duke has had a couple of problems that come with being an eight-year-old and he'll benefit from the run,” the champion trainer added.
Like the probable pacesetter Egyptian Ra, the John Size-trained Pocket Money has climbed from Class 3 in the latter part of 2006/07 to tackling the best in town. Felix Coetzee has a perfect three-from-three record on the five-year-old at this trip - including a track record-equalling of 1 min 20.4 sec - and he believes more is to come.
“This season he's been winning with light weights and that's what we have again in the National Day Cup. Of course he has to make another improvement to this high level but we have the advantage of race fitness, two wins under our belt already this year,” Coetzee observed.
“He'll race hopefully with some cover towards the rear again and then try to kick hard. I think we have a cheeky chance of being in the finish.”
Darren Beadman, on the first day of his retainer with John Moore, hits the ground running with a choice mount on Joyful Winner, twice successful in Gr.1s at the distance and he remarked: “I rode him in a barrier trial the other day and he seemed pretty forward, definitely good enough to do himself justice first up.
“I've also finished second on him in the Champions Mile last season and third in the Yasuda Kinen last year. He's a straightforward ride and he should perform well.”
Moore also saddles Gr.1 victors in the shape of Champions Mile ace Able One (Zac Purton) and Tiber, the mount of Howard Cheng, partner of three of the last four winners of this prestigious contest (Flaming Lamborgini 2006, Fokine 2005 and Prime Witness at odds of 70/1 in 2003).
In the Sha Tin Sprint Trophy just over half an hour prior, Sacred Kingdom, with five wins from six starts in his maiden season, is sure to attract plenty of backing.
“He has done well over the summer break and he's the type of horse that doesn't need a lot of work to get fit. I was happy enough with barrier trial on the dirt last week but he enjoys the turf much more,” trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fai said.
“Everything he did last season was on pure talent alone. I think he's a better, more mature horse and he'll run well in this race at 1000m, even if I think he'll be better at 1200m on his next start.”
Sunny Sing, Able Prince and Scintillation – the last three winners of this Gr.3 dash - should provide Sacred Kingdom with a thorough examination, not to mention the course specialist and 2005 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint champion, Natural Blitz.
Returning to the track after an absence of eight months, Scintillation has to shoulder top weight, but trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing is just glad to have his stable star back.
“He had a hoof injury and it was pity that it ended his season just when he had won a Gr.3 and a Gr.1 at 1000m. He's come back well, though. Anyone who saw his barrier trial last week would say that he's still got it,” Shum smiled.
Natural Blitz, meanwhile, limbered up nicely for his reappearance with a riverside gallop on Thursday for Coetzee who was impressed with the work.
“I haven't ridden him in a race before but the Riverside hitout was pretty good,” he said. “I guess it will be us and Adaikali going full bore from the start.”
28 / 09 / 2007
Jockey Shane Dye fit to resume riding
|
Jockey S Dye has today forwarded to the Stewards a medical certificate from a further examination of the injury he had sustained in the area of his ribs on the right hand side. The medical certificate stated Jockey Dye is clear to resume riding track work on 1 October 2007 and to ride in races from 7 October 2007.
|
|
 |
28 / 09 / 2007
國慶盃賽馬日週一舉行
本季首兩場分級賽上演
本年度馬季首兩場分級賽，將於十月一日在沙田舉行的國慶盃賽馬日上演。國慶盃（三級賽 -1400 米）及沙田短途錦標（三級賽 -1000 米）兩場賽事，共有七匹一級賽冠軍參與角逐。多匹新晉佳駟將與戰績彪炳的名駒一較高下。
上季新星「綠色駿威」將角逐第九場賽事國慶盃，首次出爭千四米途程。練馬師方嘉柏希望今仗是此駒邁向十二月國泰航空香港一哩錦標的第一步。
他說：「牠上仗在香港特區行政長官盃中的走勢十分凌厲，當日形勢對放頭馬有利，而『綠色駿威』則是唯一能後上追前的馬匹。牠能夠穩定走勢，而且末段能交出很快的時間，所以我打算讓牠逐漸增程競逐。牠的狀態極佳，我對牠寄予厚望。」
對於今季首次上陣的其廄另一匹參戰馬「星運爵士」，方嘉柏說：「牠畢竟已年屆八歲，不免會有些毛病，今仗將有助牠提升狀態。」
與今仗可能會前領的「再領風騷」一樣，蔡約翰馬房的「零用錢」亦於上季末逐漸由第三班贏至頂班。高雅志三次為「零用錢」主轡角逐此程均能獲勝，其中一次更以一分二十秒四打破場地時間紀錄。
高雅志認為此駒實力尚未見頂。他說：「牠今季兩捷均勝在輕磅，而是次跑國慶盃亦有輕磅之利。當然今仗的對手強得多，但季初已有兩捷在手，可見牠正處於最佳狀態。我希望再次將牠置於後列有遮擋的位置，留力衝刺。我認為我們有力跑入三甲。」
這次重臨香江擔任約翰摩亞馬房主帥的白德民，選騎兩次在此程勝出一級賽的「勝利飛駒」。他說：「日前我策騎此駒試閘，牠似乎火氣十足，絕對有力一出即勝。我上季夥拍牠在冠軍一哩賽中取得亞軍，去年則在安田紀念賽中跑獲季軍。我們已十分合拍，應能交出好表現。」
摩廄今仗還有一級賽冠軍「步步穩」（潘頓）及「勁闖」（鄭雨滇）作代表。值得留意的是，鄭雨滇與國慶盃甚為有緣，近四屆頭馬有三屆由鄭雨滇取得（ 2006 年「火焰之星」、 2005 年「富盈」及 2003 年「精明大師」）。
而在第八場賽事沙田短途錦標中，上季六戰五勝的「蓮華生輝」則被一致看好。
練馬師姚本輝說：「此駒在暑期進度良好。牠是那種毋須大量操練的賽駒。我對牠上週在泥地試閘中的走勢感到滿意，但跑草地當然較合其腳法。」
「牠上季憑優厚潛質取得佳績。牠今季更加成熟，而且狀態有進，今仗跑一千米途程，應會有優異表現，雖然我認為牠下次出爭千二米，演出會更佳。」
「新力升」、「步步勇」及「燦惑」均為此賽盟主，加上 2005 年國泰航空香港短途錦標冠軍「電光火力」，「蓮華生輝」今仗將須面對十分嚴峻的挑戰。
久休八個月復出的「燦惑」，今仗負頂磅出賽，但練馬師沈集成很高興此駒能夠重返戰陣。
沈集成說：「牠上季贏了一場三級賽、一場一級賽後，便因蹄部受傷而要休戰，很是可惜。不過現在牠已康復。看過牠上週試閘的人，都知道牠的實力仍在。」
「電光火力」週四在高雅志胯下在河畔跑道試跑，走勢甚佳。
高雅志說：「我今仗首次策騎此駒上陣，但牠在河畔跑道試跑的表現良好。我預期『電光火力』及『至勇名駒』將會放頭競跑。」
28 / 09 / 2007
騎師戴勝傷愈
可以恢復出賽
首席受薪董事薛天華發出通告如下：
騎師戴勝經醫生進一步檢查其右邊肋骨的傷患後，今天向受薪董事小組提交醫生證明，表示他已康復，可於十月一日恢復策馬進行操練及於十月七日策騎出賽。
