Hong Kong racing hardly could have hoped for more from the four group 1 races of the Longines Hong Kong International Races staged Dec. 11 at Sha Tin Racecourse.
The two 4-year-olds promising to become the Hong Kong stars of the future both won. The two-time local Horse of the Year put up a dramatic battle before finishing second to one of the youngsters. And while local horses won three of the four events, Japan's triumph in the fourth lent hope to raiders eyeing future exploits in Hong Kong.
Into the bargain, relaxed pandemic rules had nearly 45,000 fans rocking the Sha Tin grandstand for the first time in more than two years—not to pre-pandemic levels, perhaps, but enough to see a return to "normal" just over the horizon. Two years earlier, amid strict lockdowns, attendance was 271.
All in all, a good day indeed.
"Six weeks ago we were not sure what we were going to do and how we would do it," said Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. "We are all more than delighted."
The Longines Hong Kong Mile (G1) was the most highly anticipated race of the day, pitting the two-time local Horse of the Year, Golden Sixty, against his younger challenger, California Spangle. It did not disappoint, despite the defeat of the champion.
As usual, California Spangle and jockey Zac Purton shot right to the lead. Vincent Ho, as usual, kept Golden Sixty comfortably off the pace. California Spangle briefly ceded the lead to a longshot but was back in front with a daylight advantage well down the Sha Tin Racecourse stretch.
As usual, along came Golden Sixty, gobbling up ground until he finally ran out of it, finishing second, a neck back of the three-years-younger rival. Laws of Indices, in from Australia for the day, was third.
California Spangle had finished second to Golden Sixty twice in similar scenarios and was getting to the point of needing to justify his standing as the budding champ in waiting.
"Golden Sixty, maybe age has come to catch up with him," winning trainer Tony Cruz said of his 7-year-old rival. "I expected to win an International race one day with this horse."
Purton credited his rival's accomplishments.
"Golden Sixty is the best horse I've seen," he said. "You do get into a mindset after being caught a couple of times that it might happen again. But as we got to the 200 (meters), then the 100, I thought, 'Maybe this is the time.'"
Win Marilyn Captures the Hong Kong Vase
The group 1 quartet kicked off with a rousing upset as Win Marilyn overcame a crawling pace, rallied outside rivals in the stretch and captured the Longines Hong Kong Vase (G1) by 1 1/2 lengths over French invader Botanik.
Two-time winner Glory Vase, also representing Japan, had every chance in the final 100 meters but could only salvage third, while the hot favorite, Stone Age, last seen finishing second in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Keeneland, reported fifth. Locally based Panfield was fourth, best of Hong Kong runners.
Win Marilyn, a 5-year-old mare by Screen Hero, had not particularly distinguished herself in Japan while running shorter than the 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) of the Vase but showed promise when second in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at 2,200 meters Nov. 13.
"After that, we decided she would be better at 2,400 meters and we decided to bring her here," said winning trainer Takahisa Tezuka. "(Damien Lane) gave her a very good ride. It wasn't exactly the tactics we talked about before the race, but it was a very good ride."
It was the first HKIR victory for both trainer and jockey.
Asked if Win Marilyn might return at age 6, Tezuka said, "I hope to very much, but it will be up to the owners."
Wellington Wins the Hong Kong Sprint
One race later, another heavy favorite went down to defeat as 6-year-old Wellington, the reigning local sprint champion, rallied outside rivals in deep stretch to win the Longines Hong Kong Sprint (G1) by three-quarters of a length under Ryan Moore.
The favorite, progressive but largely untested Lucky Sweynesse, was totally engulfed in traffic through the stretch run and missed the frame in his first group 1 engagement. Sight Success was second, while last year's winner, Sky Field, and Courier Wonder made it a Hong Kong sweep of the first four placings. Despite the disparity in experience, Lucky Sweynesse went to the post at odds of just less than 2-1; Wellington at just over 4-1.
Moore, riding Wellington for the first time due to an injury to his regular pilot, said he was able to bring the veteran from well off the pace thanks to the form of the race.
"It was very straightforward for my horse," Moore said. "He's been the best sprinter in Hong Kong for a long time now. As soon as I asked him, to me he was just coasting the last two or three furlongs."
Wellington finished seventh in last year's Sprint but rebounded later in the 2021-22 season to win two other group 1 events. His sixth-place finish in a prep race in November left trainer Richard Gibson with work to do as he tried to get the All Too Hard gelding ready in an effort to win Hong Kong's premier sprint for the first time.
Despite holding the title, Gibson said, "You can't call yourself a sprint champion unless you've won this big one."
The day also marked the Hong Kong farewell of jockey Joao Moreira, whose premiership battles with Zac Purton over the past decade are the stuff of legend. Moreira has not fully recovered from a hip injury and is thought unlikely to continue riding. Known as "Magic Man," he made his presence felt, finishing third on Glory Vase.
