(Pictures: Kong Kong Jockey club)
By Sean Trivass
Some overnight rain in Hong Kong (and when it rains here, it chucks it down) would have given hope to the connections of a few of Sunday's runners here at Sha Tin, not least Ed Walker's Stormy Antarctic. However, punters expecting soft in the gong description would have been in for a shock as the course here drains like lightening and it would need sustained downpours all day to have that much effect.
That didn't happen, but it must have taken a bit of the sting out of the ground at the very least and as we arrived at the track, hopes were high of a big run at the very least from both British challengers, though I had decided to watch the times of the preceding races to get a better idea of the true conditions.
With a long list of unfathomable handicaps (well, to me at least), I had just the two questions to add to the going question – how many winners would Joao Moreira win after taking half of the ten last Sunday, and how accurate would the Hong Kong jockey Club App prove to be? That deserves a little clarification to be fair and basically they have a free app that can be amended as you see fit that then runs a “cartoon” version of the race and has, in the past, been pretty accurate.
As a punter looking for any edge if he can find it, I admit to a fascination and will record (in brief) how they got on in the hope I can still use it accurately once I get back to “Blighty”. Those following the app ended up with an unplaced in the opener, but interestingly (considering it was officially good to firm), the top of the turf was kicking up considerably and I got the feeling (from the race time as well), that a little bit of moisture had got in to the ground after all.
With the app very kindly sending me in the direction of complete poverty thanks to three losers and three places, we waited for the first of the two main races, but it failed to be what we all hoped with the gloss taken off of the race by favourite Rapper Dragon breaking down early in the contest to the absolute horror of all of us here.
History will show that 25/1 chance Contentment won for trainer John Size and jockey Brett Pebble, but despite the reputation of some gamblers, winning or losing seemed to pale in to insignificance while we awaited any news.
Stormy Antarctic did finish best of the Brits but pulled way too hard and had to be rushed up in to the front rank before he took his jockeys arms out of their sockets. Although unplaced he wasn't disgraced in my eyes and can return to Europe untarnished ahead of what could well be a rewarding summer back home.
The Chairman's Sprint was all we hoped for (other than the result) with speed a-plenty from the front, a fast finishing favourite and more hard luck stories than you can shake a stick at.
Mr Stunning was my selection and thus unlucky in my eyes, but even a brief watch of the race replays shows Joao Moreira looking for room and being baulked a few times before flying late on to be beaten a neck at the line. Well done to Lucky Bubbles who took the prize for jockey High Bowman, combining to ruin my bets and win his first ever Group One in the process.
Returning to the app for the last two races on a day that didn't go to well on the punting front but we had a winner as Little Giant became the easiest winner on the entire card winning hard held.
He has won two races in New Zealand and is clearly no mug and is well worth adding to any trackers on this display, landing a Zac Purton treble for his fans, wrappjng up the Jockey title for the day in the process. He will win again if the handicapper isn't too harsh on him and may well need to step up to a Class Two very shortly, which may still not be enough to stop him.
One last race before the long flight home and the magic of technology told me that My Darling was the one to be on, even though Joao Moreira was no longer on board having cried off with a hip injury, leaving Brett Pebble picking up the spare ride. As you would guess it just wasn't to be as he came home third proving once again that there is no substitution for good old fashioned hard work when it comes to finding winners but then again, that keeps me in a job.
Sean Trivass was a guest of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and would like to thank them for their hospitality and assistance.
