(Pictures: Hong Kong Hockey club)
By Sean Trivass
I like to try and balance my International reviews as part racing report, part trip advice and this is no different with Hong Kong putting on the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Sunday afternoon, plus a nine race supporting card.
As mentioned in the preview there was precious little European interest throughout the day (other than a few lucky journalists, myself included), but that should not take away from the importance of the day in World terms, and we must all get used to be being a little less insular as racing finally lives up to all the hype with co-mingling in various pools from South Africa to Hong Kong, and money to be made for those who like to play the exotics.
With cheap course entry, and affordable food and drink options plus every piece of information available to the punter from videos of past races to the horse's weight on the day, Sha Tin was busy, but like everything in Hong Kong, organisation is key and the day went smoothly from start to finish.
As mentioned, the European interest here on Sunday was muted a little though “our” jockeys still got a look in, with Neil Callan taking the opener on Bossiee at odds of 9/2 (or thereabouts), but popular as he is, the crowd went ballistic when golden boy Joao Moreira took the second race on board Relentless Me at odds of 11/4 ish and landed plenty of bets for the man they back whatever he is riding.
Doug Whyte, Moreira again, Hugh Bowman, Moreira (yet again), and then Matthew Poon took the next races (I thought he rode Kingsfield impressively to hold off Moreira in race seven, though to be fair without his ten pounds claim it would have been a very different result).
On to the big race and that is what we came here for, and I am delighted to say it did not let us or anyone down with an absolute classic that it was a privilege to watch.
My concept that Neorealism would make all the running was shot down in flames as Joao Moreira seemed to be pulling him back when the gates opened (though I suspect he had nowhere to go), and others made the running to my horror, and at a pedestrian pace as well.
The ability to make an instant decision may be what defines the best from the rest and with over four furlongs left Joao decided the pace wasn't good enough and made an instant maneuver to take his horse to the front after which he was never headed.
Yes they did close on him at the end of the race and yes he was totally flat out to the line, but he held off the fast finishing Pakistan Star by a neck with Werther a short head behind in third, giving us the winner and the first three home, all be them in a different order.
I have to say, the more I see him the more I think Joao may just be the best jockey in the World today, and I wonder if he has already been approached by one of Europe's top owners with a “name your price” kind of deal – and turned them down to continue living the good life in Hong Kong where he seems settled and happy?
Although it always feels like a bit of an anti climax, we still had two more races to go, and the first of the plaudits for them went to Dylan Mo and Shamal at odds of 15/2 or so.
Seasons Bloom was the hot shot to end the card with a third winning favourite, this time for jockey Zac Purton, but it wasn't to be and that man Moreira was at it again, this time booting home Eastern Express at about 5/2 for a ridiculous five timer at combined odds of 885/1 for those lucky enough to have backed him in that manner though sadly, that wasn't me!
