Unicorn, Precision head race for title
The field has been narrowed to 10 finalists but the two major contenders for Hong Kong Horse of the Year still stand out - Electronic Unicorn and Precision.
Derby-winning filly Elegant Fashion will still be a huge chance to win the public vote for Most Popular Horse of the Year but the hard heads will find it hard to elevate her above either Electronic Unicorn and Precision on racing merit.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club yesterday unveiled the final nominees for all categories, with the winners to be announced at the Champion Awards presentation at the Academy for Performing Arts on June 21. All the expected big runs were there - International Day winners Olympic Express, All Thrills Too and Precision, the reigning Horse of the Year Electronic Unicorn, sprinters' grand slam winner Grand Delight and the unbeaten speedster Silent Witness.
The nominations have been decided by members of the Association of Hong Kong Racing Journalists, who also have three seats on the ultimate six-person voting panel. The other three are senior Jockey Club personnel - chief executive Lawrence Wong, executive director of racing Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges and chief handicapper Ciaran Kennelly.
However, the final votes of the six judges have no bearing on the Most Popular Horse of the Year award. For that, the people of Hong Kong will have their say, with those who pick the winner becoming eligible for a gallery of prizes worth more than $260,000.
Melbourne jockey Brett Prebble was discharged from the Adventist Hospital yesterday after spending three days recovering from a fall at Sha Tin on Saturday. Prebble's mount River Centaine appeared to clip heels and fall without warning at the 700m mark of the sixth race, starting a chain reaction which unseated four other jockeys. 'I'll be attending the stewards' inquiry [into the fall] at Happy Valley [tonight] and then I'll be heading home to Melbourne,' Prebble said. He will be out of action for six weeks.
The stewards' inquiry into the positive finding of heroin in a swab from the David Hill-trained Cupid at Happy Valley on March 12 has been adjourned again to allow Hill more preparation time. A date has yet to be fixed.
Overhaul needed - C13
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