https://www.scmp.com/rss/310759/feed Award-winning writer Andrew Hawkins graduated from university in Australia with a communications degree, specialising in journalism, and has married that with his deep love of racing. His enthusiasm took him far and wide to see the sport at its best, from stud farms in Ireland to the iconic race meetings of the world, while he honed the skills as an online journalist and blogger he has brought to the Post. Andrew’s debut season in Hong Kong was notable for a shock first-up victory as the Post’s... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Felix Coetzee believes last season’s breakout star Kei Chiong Ka-kei “has to expand her skills” if the star apprentice is to take her career to the next level, but the South African riding legend’s full-time work mentoring young jockeys this season can be the catalyst for that development. The details of Coetzee’s deeper role with the Jockey Club’s apprentice training scheme almost overshadowed the presentation to the media of new 10-pound claimer Dylan Mo Hin-tung and rising young Sydney jockey... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/2010808/kei-chiong-under-enormous-pressure-repeat-breakout-season-says-riding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/2010808/kei-chiong-under-enormous-pressure-repeat-breakout-season-says-riding?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Aug 2016 11:15:45 +0000 The European odyssey of top Hong Kong galloper Gold-Fun came to a tragic end on Sunday night as he was euthanised after suffering catastrophic leg injuries in the final stages of the Prix Maurice de Gheest in France. Richard Gibson-trained Gold-Fun, with Belgian jockey Christophe Soumillon aboard, was sent out the popular elect for the Group One over 1,300m down the Deauville straight, but he was quickly under pressure at the 400m before crashing to the turf in the final stages. Gold-Fun to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/2000525/tragic-end-gold-fun-euthanised-after-horrific-fall-france?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/2000525/tragic-end-gold-fun-euthanised-after-horrific-fall-france?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Aug 2016 14:30:45 +0000 Disappointment and defeat during the 2015-16 season was countered by a spark of hope among the young guns that will carry the Bauhinia flag in years to come in Hong Kong. Four of the six traditional international features were won by visitors, with Peniaphobia’s Longines Hong Kong Sprint win and Werther’s casual Audemars Piguet QE II Cup romp the only two bright spots for the home team. WATCH: Werther completes Hong Kong Derby and QE II Cup double Take Maurice (twice), A Shin Hikari, Highland... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1990642/disappointing-year-hong-kong-horses-home-and-abroad-plenty-promise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1990642/disappointing-year-hong-kong-horses-home-and-abroad-plenty-promise?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Jul 2016 11:30:30 +0000 For over a century, the first Saturday in July has sparked a festival of celebration across South Africa. It is to the nation what the first Tuesday in November means in Australia or the first Saturday in May for the United States. For just over 130 seconds, all eyes turn to the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province as 18 of the land’s finest thoroughbreds and jockeys go head-to-head in the Vodacom Durban July. For apprentice jockey Lyle Hewitson, the 2016 July has come far sooner than he, or anyone,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1987622/young-guns-go-behind-scenes-south-african-jockey-academy-and-meet-two?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1987622/young-guns-go-behind-scenes-south-african-jockey-academy-and-meet-two?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Jul 2016 15:37:57 +0000 Through the course of the last year, The Griffin has had some wild and wacky experiences, all in the name of racing – dancing (badly) to famed Bollywood producers in Mumbai, rubbing shoulders with royalty (both racing and hereditary) in London, capturing a crazed Gold Ship (spit flying) in Osaka, an intense night of banter in Chicago, the only Australian singing the Star-Spangled Banner after California Chrome’s win in Dubai – but Durban, you managed to top them all. Standing face-to-face with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1987588/griffin-durban-does-south-africa-hold-one-racings-best-kept-secrets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1987588/griffin-durban-does-south-africa-hold-one-racings-best-kept-secrets?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Jul 2016 15:30:45 +0000 The great South African trailblazer Michael Roberts held court with media from all over the world on Thursday morning at Summerveld training centre, near Durban. Now a trainer after a fall ended his riding career in 2001, the man affectionally known as Muis waxed lyrical, delightfully recalling his memories of his days as British champion jockey and his association with horses like Mtoto, Lando and Lyric Fantasy. However, it was his final statement, his playful parting shot specifically aimed at... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1984794/what-hong-kongs-biggest-race-south-african-legend-michael-roberts-stirs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1984794/what-hong-kongs-biggest-race-south-african-legend-michael-roberts-stirs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Jul 2016 05:01:27 +0000 The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe remains the race above all others that the Japanese want to win and Noriyuki Hori-trained Duramente can lock in a bid at the world’s highest-rated race with victory in today’s Takarazuka Kinen (2,200m) at Hanshin in Osaka. The Takarazuka Kinen is a race with a difference – it is one of two all-star races held in Japan each year, where a public vote determines the majority of the field. The other? December’s Arima Kinen, the race which annually generates the most... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1981497/japanese-superstar-duramente-lock-arc-bid-takarazuka-kinen-victory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1981497/japanese-superstar-duramente-lock-arc-bid-takarazuka-kinen-victory?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jun 2016 13:45:45 +0000 Douglas Whyte will return to South Africa next week to ride Black Arthur in his homeland’s most prestigious race, the Durban July at Greyville – but only after losing his initial mount. Thirteen-time Hong Kong champion Whyte, a Durban native, is still reverently known as the “Durban Demon” but is yet to win the July, a 2,200m handicap that remains the richest race in Africa, worth 4.25 million rand (HK$2.24 million). With Hong Kong’s racing schedule allowing him to return to his hometown without... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1980016/durban-demon-douglas-whyte-return-hometown-africas-richest-race-durban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1980016/durban-demon-douglas-whyte-return-hometown-africas-richest-race-durban?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jun 2016 08:45:00 +0000 A fine debut season for Chad Schofield has had one glaring issue – his record in the stewards’ room – and the young Australian rider won a race but still finished in the deficit column at Sha Tin yesterday after a double careless riding ban. Schofield’s suspensions came from incidents where he caused interference in the ninth and 11th races, either side of his win on Mr Bogart, and for each incident he took away a three-day ban and a HK$70,000 fine in lieu of two more days. The first ban will... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1977760/chad-schofields-winning-day-soured-hefty-suspension-and-fine-careless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1977760/chad-schofields-winning-day-soured-hefty-suspension-and-fine-careless?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jun 2016 15:53:59 +0000 Gold-Fun will not continue his European campaign and will return to Hong Kong to be prepared for another tilt at the December internationals, despite his gutsy second in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday. Richard Gibson-trained Gold-Fun (Christophe Soumillon) charged into second late in the 1,200m Group One, but Henry Candy’s four-year-old Twilight Son (Ryan Moore) had a neck advantage on the line, with third Signs Of Blessing, fourth Magical Memory and fifth Suedois all... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1977180/silver-gold-hong-kong-sprinter-fun-agonisingly-denied-diamond-jubilee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1977180/silver-gold-hong-kong-sprinter-fun-agonisingly-denied-diamond-jubilee?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jun 2016 17:12:31 +0000 Has there ever been the depth of turf milers across the world, and from so many different nations? New ground was broken in Tuesday’s Queen Anne Stakes as American mare Tepin (she is American, folks, not Canadian as some outlets erroneously reported) defied testing ground and her first attempt at a straight mile and an undulating track to score a historic Royal Ascot win. It was no fluke – she blitzed a strong Breeders’ Cup Mile field in November and had been scintillating against mares in four... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1976914/mile-madness-hong-kong-jockey-club-should-do-everything-it-can-attract?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1976914/mile-madness-hong-kong-jockey-club-should-do-everything-it-can-attract?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jun 2016 11:15:00 +0000 One of the redeeming features of what can, at times, be a dreary end-of-season period is the opportunity for horses to stamp themselves as types to follow come the new term. It’s a time when many three-year-olds are seen for the first time, all with eyes on the classics next season – no matter where they find themselves in the ratings now. It is a big ask to progress off a mark of 52 now to reach any of the races of the four-year-old series, but it is not impossible. With that in mind, there... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1976215/chris-sos-son-starcraft-packs-plenty-debut-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1976215/chris-sos-son-starcraft-packs-plenty-debut-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jun 2016 07:27:54 +0000 Changes to race names have been a major focus in the racing world in recent days, but with Royal Ascot fast approaching, The Griffin has two more suggestions for needless alterations that would more accurately reflect the role of each race. The Victoria Racing Club has been widely applauded for making two substantial alterations to its Melbourne Cup Carnival programme – and rightly so – but the subsequent name changes have been justifiably pilloried. The Mackinnon Stakes, run on Derby Day since... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1973097/race-name-changes-are-farcical-royal-ascot-looming-maybe-it-time-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1973097/race-name-changes-are-farcical-royal-ascot-looming-maybe-it-time-move?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jun 2016 16:32:23 +0000 For the majority of this season, it seemed utterly unfathomable that Giant Turtle would win a race before the term was out, if ever, but the New Zealand import finally looks ready to break through in the third and final leg of the Triple Trio at Happy Valley on Thursday. The Dragon Boat Festival holiday provides for a rare day meeting at the city circuit, one of only two this season, and it could be a crucial day for trainer Andreas Schutz, who requires seven winners in the next month to pass... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1967614/turtle-take-one-giant-leap-andreas-schutz-triple-trio-closer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1967614/turtle-take-one-giant-leap-andreas-schutz-triple-trio-closer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jun 2016 15:59:24 +0000 It was disappointment all around for Hong Kong in the Yasuda Kinen as Champions Mile quinella Maurice and Contentment were upstaged by longshot Logotype in Tokyo on Sunday. Japanese superstar Maurice (Tommy Berry), who had won four Group Ones in a row tracing back to last year’s Yasuda Kinen, was sent off at long odds-on but was no match for Logotype (Hironobu Tanabe), who led on a sedate pace before kicking clear in the straight for a length and a half victory at triple-figure odds. Maurice... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1965874/dual-disappointment-maurice-contentment-beaten-logotype-takes-yasuda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1965874/dual-disappointment-maurice-contentment-beaten-logotype-takes-yasuda?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jun 2016 07:29:21 +0000 There are many aspects that put Hong Kong at the forefront of world racing – big crowds, massive turnover, a unique atmosphere, significant public interest – but a strong breeding industry is definitely not one of them. Yet this weekend’s classics in England and France are proof that Hong Kong can still play a role in the global breeding industry – particularly with cash-flushed owners who are restricted in the number of horses they can race in their home city. Space constraints in Hong Kong and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1963338/game-changer-hong-kong-owned-mare-has-transformed-global-breeding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1963338/game-changer-hong-kong-owned-mare-has-transformed-global-breeding?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jun 2016 01:15:00 +0000 A return to 1,200m for John Moore’s promising three-year-old Green Card looks a piece of perfect placement and he looks the clear banker in the final leg of the Triple Trio at Sha Tin on Sunday. Arriving from Australia with big wraps, having won his final two starts as a two-year-old by big margins at Bendigo and Caulfield, Green Card is yet to win in Hong Kong but has still stamped himself as a horse heading into Class Two and beyond. His first run in Hong Kong saw him finish a solid third... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1963116/john-moores-three-year-old-green-card-looks-headed-higher-triple-trio?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1963116/john-moores-three-year-old-green-card-looks-headed-higher-triple-trio?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jun 2016 15:30:49 +0000 The honour roll for the Tokyo Yushun, Japan’s Derby and the richest classic in the world, reads like a who’s who of Japanese racing and blueblood Leontes can join the elite group in the 2,400m feature this afternoon. Hong Kong punters get the rare opportunity to bet on two simulcast races from Tokyo in the next two weeks: the Yasuda Kinen will be available for betting next weekend as Champions Mile one-two Maurice and Contentment go head-to-head again, but today’s Tokyo Yushun shapes as a race... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1957987/leontes-live-pedigree-victory-japans-derby-tokyo-yushun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1957987/leontes-live-pedigree-victory-japans-derby-tokyo-yushun?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 May 2016 14:29:16 +0000 The year is 2006. August, to be exact. Twitter is only a month old. Pluto is demoted to a dwarf planet. The world is about to be shocked by the death of ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin. In racing, rags to riches Australian galloper Takeover Target departs London, bound for Japan and a tilt at the Sprinters Stakes, while Richard Mandella’s Affirmed gelding The Tin Man leads from box to wire to take the Arlington Million in Chicago. But wait a minute, only a decade on and the world has turned... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1955887/moniker-mayhem-travesty-reused-horse-names-takeover-target-and-tin-man?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1955887/moniker-mayhem-travesty-reused-horse-names-takeover-target-and-tin-man?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 May 2016 15:15:15 +0000 It was a case of out with the new and in with the old as Blazing Speed turned back the clock to record a second Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup success in nail-biting fashion at Sha Tin on Sunday. Hong Kong legend Tony Cruz made it four wins on the trot in the 2,400m Group One, the final feature of the season, with Blazing Speed (Neil Callan) edging out Hong Kong Derby runner-up Victory Magic (Zac Purton) and his Derby conqueror, QE II Cup winner Werther (Hugh Bowman). It was a case of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1950510/tony-cruzs-blazing-speed-makes-it-two-champions-chater-cups-minor-upset?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1950510/tony-cruzs-blazing-speed-makes-it-two-champions-chater-cups-minor-upset?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 May 2016 09:15:00 +0000 Sunday’s Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup is a real watershed moment every season in Hong Kong, because it signals the beginning of the end of term. It is the last Group One at Sha Tin until December’s internationals and one of the rare opportunities for Hong Kong-based horses to race beyond 2,000m. In fact, it is one of only three races at 2,400m every season, the others being the Hong Kong Vase and the Queen Mother Memorial Cup. As always in racing, it is not a case of merely living... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1948321/john-moore-saddles-suitable-melbourne-cup-candidate-champions-chater?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1948321/john-moore-saddles-suitable-melbourne-cup-candidate-champions-chater?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 May 2016 01:31:38 +0000 In true dramatic Hollywood style, it’s been a case of The Bold and the Beautiful in what has been an extraordinary week for American racing. Or maybe it has been more The Young and the Restless. Whatever your choice of daytime television poison, horse racing has its own cavalcade of dramas and storylines to sustain any soap opera. And this week stateside has been particularly heady. America’s greatest two minutes in sport produced a winner for the ages, a potential heir to American Pharoah’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1944468/nyquist-and-pegasus-world-cup-american-racings-bold-and-beautiful-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1944468/nyquist-and-pegasus-world-cup-american-racings-bold-and-beautiful-week?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 May 2016 22:45:15 +0000 So the Hong Kong season is in its final throes. Well, not quite – there are still 17 meetings and nine weeks until the closing meeting, but with the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup, Champions Mile and Chairman’s Sprint Prize over, the most significant parts of the term are done and dusted. Many of Hong Kong’s best horses are now done for the season, put aside until October rolls around and they go through the motions again. It’s a never-ending cycle. Michael Cox in his Happy Lucky Dragon Win blog... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1941594/crops-clashes-and-cornerstones-key-points-take-out-hong-kongs-spring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1941594/crops-clashes-and-cornerstones-key-points-take-out-hong-kongs-spring?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 May 2016 17:27:48 +0000 The world came, they saw and they conquered at Sha Tin on Sunday as Australian sprinter Chautauqua took the Chairman’s Sprint Prize in breathtaking fashion, before Japan’s Horse of the Year Maurice completed the Hong Kong Mile-Champions Mile double almost as easily. Hong Kong’s horses were game but were no match for the two superstars, who both were sent off favourite and were greeted with some of the biggest cheers Sha Tin has seen. Chautauqua’s burst from last has become his hallmark, but... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1940328/world-awaits-chautauqua-maurice-after-stunning-hong-kong-victories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1940328/world-awaits-chautauqua-maurice-after-stunning-hong-kong-victories?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 May 2016 10:00:45 +0000 The HK$14 million Champions Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday marks a milestone moment for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum’s leviathan Godolphin operation when two gallopers prepared on opposite sides of the planet line up in the familiar royal blue colours. Sheikh Mohammed wants to be involved in these big races across the world Henry Plumptre, Godolphin’s Australian chief The Champions Mile will mark the first time that Godolphin Australia, headed by trainer John O’Shea, tackles the “bigger... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1939991/first-stop-hong-kong-godolphin-eyeing-world-domination-north-and-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1939991/first-stop-hong-kong-godolphin-eyeing-world-domination-north-and-south?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Apr 2016 05:15:45 +0000 To our dear friends at the Singapore Turf Club, I, The Griffin, am writing this letter to thank you for what now appears to be one of the most short-sighted and stunning decisions made in world racing in the past 12 months, one that has had immeasurable benefits to your arch-rivals to the north. Of course, it is seven months since you made the unbelievable call to simply allow the Singapore Airlines International Cup and the KrisFlyer Sprint to vanish into thin air, faster than you could say... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1939894/open-letter-singapore-we-hong-kong-thank-you-one-best-races-planet-2016?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1939894/open-letter-singapore-we-hong-kong-thank-you-one-best-races-planet-2016?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Apr 2016 15:15:45 +0000 David Hall could be forgiven for doing a little rain dance yesterday after the trainer took the final two races at a drenched Sha Tin with Solar Hei Hei and Berlini. The rain had been on and off all day, more a nuisance than anything substantial, although it did cause a track downgrade – first to a good to yielding track after race three, and then a yielding track after race six. But Mother Nature held off the worst of the rain until after the running of the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup – just in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1938290/david-hall-singing-rain-he-brings-late-sha-tin-double?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1938290/david-hall-singing-rain-he-brings-late-sha-tin-double?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Apr 2016 00:30:45 +0000 “World class” is how trainer John Moore described the breathtaking performance of Werther to win Sunday’s HK$20 million Audemars Piguet QE II Cup at Sha Tin. I never expected him to win like that, never John More on Werther Werther had won the BMW Hong Kong Derby at his most recent start by a narrow margin over stablemate Victory Magic, and the trainer and jockey Hugh Bowman both admitted that they didn’t expect him to demolish a field featuring some of the world’s best 2,000m gallopers in such... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1938036/watch-hong-kong-derby-winner-werther-world-class-qe-ii-cup-demolition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1938036/watch-hong-kong-derby-winner-werther-world-class-qe-ii-cup-demolition?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Apr 2016 09:45:15 +0000 For horses used to the hustle and bustle of a busy racing stable, the Sha Tin quarantine barns can be a lonely, desolate place, an exercise in isolation. This week, they are a hive of activity by their standards, but there is still not the same action and movement as generally occurs in a stable. The quarantine area is the setting for one of the most unlikely stories to emerge from the build-up to Sunday’s Audemars Piguet QE II Cup – the blossoming friendship between Australian QE II runner... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1937633/story-week-goes-odd-couple-relationship-buffering-and-rising-romance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1937633/story-week-goes-odd-couple-relationship-buffering-and-rising-romance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Apr 2016 17:00:15 +0000 Wild weather and torrential rain greeted overseas gallopers Ertijaal and Lovely Day as they had their first look at the Sha Tin turf yesterday morning in preparation for Sunday’s Audemars Piguet QE II Cup. He’s fresh this morning, we didn’t take him out yesterday, but he’s taking the trip really well Melanie Sharpe on Buffering Sha Tin saw almost 20mm of rain in three hours, with little respite expected in the lead-up to Sunday’s HK$20 million feature, but it didn’t stop the international... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1936966/wet-weather-greeting-overseas-contingent-greeted-showers-they-get-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1936966/wet-weather-greeting-overseas-contingent-greeted-showers-they-get-first?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Apr 2016 13:00:30 +0000 Australian jockey Zac Purton lauded Hong Kong as “a place where I’m encouraged to ride winners” as he launched an attack on controversial whip rules in his home country in the wake of a double at Sha Tin yesterday. At least I’m lucky enough to be riding in a place where I’m encouraged to ride winners Zac Purton Rouge Et Blanc and Washington Heights won by a nose and a neck respectively, each receiving every ounce of Purton’s strength under vigorous rides, but the jockey believes both of his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1936609/australian-whip-rules-would-have-prevented-double-says-leading-rider?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1936609/australian-whip-rules-would-have-prevented-double-says-leading-rider?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Apr 2016 14:30:30 +0000 The focus of the Asian racing world might be on the upcoming Sha Tin spring features – as well as the Satsuki Sho, the Japanese 2,000 Guineas, this weekend at Nakayama – but for those in Europe, it’s all about the classic trail. Or, as we like to call it, the silly season. It’s the time of year when reputations are made, dreams are dashed and the wheat is sorted from the chaff as the three-year-olds face stiffer tests in a bid to crown the cream of the crop. Of course, some years it means... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1936046/beware-european-classic-trail-it-not-always-best-guide-future-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1936046/beware-european-classic-trail-it-not-always-best-guide-future-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Apr 2016 18:00:30 +0000 Two of the world’s biggest meetings in the last two weeks have been a timely reminder of the importance of Hong Kong’s English broadcasting team, a group within the Hong Kong Jockey Club that is too often overlooked. The Dubai World Cup card was a major disappointment for Hong Kong horses, while at least Sha Tin-based rider Zac Purton had some success on the first day of The Championships in Sydney. But they were hugely significant meetings regardless because the men who brought the action to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1934575/hong-kongs-legacy-producing-english-racing-broadcasters-too-often?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1934575/hong-kongs-legacy-producing-english-racing-broadcasters-too-often?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Apr 2016 17:21:40 +0000 A day after adding another Group One to his long list of wins, Zac Purton achieved something at Sha Tin that had until yesterday proved impossible – he managed to cross the line first on perennial bridesmaids Victory Magic and Molly’s Jade Star. It’s the nature of Hong Kong racing – every horse has its race Zac Purton Between them, the pair had recorded 11 second placings this season – in different classes – but it was a case of right place, right time for the Australian rider. “It’s the nature... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1933427/zac-purton-achieves-seemingly-impossible-winning-maidens-victory-magic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1933427/zac-purton-achieves-seemingly-impossible-winning-maidens-victory-magic?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Apr 2016 17:15:00 +0000 1:50am (HK)/9:50pm (Dubai) Right, we're off to enjoy some Janet Jackson. It's not quite Michael, but it is close. I've got "What Have You Done For Me Lately" in my head now. It's not necessarily soothing music, though, after Hong Kong's very disappointing evening. Thank you for joining us into the early hours of Sunday morning in Hong Kong, stay tuned to the South China Morning Post for all the wash-up and we will be front and centre at Sha Tin for the Easter Monday fixture. 1:48am (HK)/9:48pm... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1931012/dubai-world-cup-2016-live-blog-can-hong-kong-shine-richest-night-racing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1931012/dubai-world-cup-2016-live-blog-can-hong-kong-shine-richest-night-racing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Mar 2016 11:15:30 +0000 Once again, the attention of the racing world turns to the Middle East this weekend and to Dubai’s Meydan racecourse, the racecourse in the middle of a desert that remains the pride of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum's empire. It is the closest thing to a true championship meeting on the global calendar, a card that features dirt and turf races of the highest quality - for the most part anyway - and brings together horses from all corners of the globe.  Last year, for the first time, The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1929969/betting-dubai-world-cup-meeting-griffins-best-bets-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1929969/betting-dubai-world-cup-meeting-griffins-best-bets-region?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Mar 2016 08:15:00 +0000 It was a weird old night at Happy Valley with intermittent rain, jockeys not riding horses out, horses losing their minds when they had victory sewn up and, by the end of the night, winners coming down the outside rail. So it is tough to believe that the meeting will be much use as a form reference heading forward, but one horse that will be winning soon is a horse that last won nearly two years ago in Formula Won. The Caspar Fownes trainee is well exposed after 36 starts, a winner of just three... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1929907/caspar-fownes-has-formula-find-winners-circle-again-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1929907/caspar-fownes-has-formula-find-winners-circle-again-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Mar 2016 03:00:15 +0000 It was Lot 17 going through the ring at the Hong Kong International Sale at Sha Tin on Friday night that stole the show with the son of Starcraft fetching HK$8.5 million – the second highest figure ever at the annual sale. The gelding, a full brother to Australian Group Three winner Havana, was bought by mainland owner Liu Yu-wen and will be trained by David Hall, who was one of the main beneficiaries of the sale, picking up three of the top six lots. Horses look better under lights! It’s a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1927461/son-starcraft-fetches-hk85-million-hong-kong-international-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1927461/son-starcraft-fetches-hk85-million-hong-kong-international-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Mar 2016 14:54:40 +0000 Tony Cruz believes his charge Giovanni Canaletto should be sent out favourite for tomorrow’s BMW Hong Kong Derby, but the trainer is also facing a conundrum different to most handlers heading into the HK$18 million feature – whether the galloper might find the Derby trip too short. Giovanni Canaletto, he’s the one ­– I think anyone who saw his run in the Classic Cup will want to be on him Tony Cruz Cruz sends out three runners in the feature, a race he has won three times as a rider and twice as... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1927043/giovanni-canaletto-should-be-hong-kong-derby-favourite-says-tony-cruz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1927043/giovanni-canaletto-should-be-hong-kong-derby-favourite-says-tony-cruz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Mar 2016 10:00:45 +0000 It's a mammoth week for racing all over the world, with plenty of different flashpoints. In the UK, it's the Cheltenham Festival. In Australia, it is Saturday's Golden Slipper and the upcoming Championships in Sydney. In the UAE, all eyes are trained on the Meydan track as runners from all over the world ramp up their preparations for the Dubai World Cup meeting. But in Hong Kong, for this weekend at least, all eyes will be well and truly on the HK$18 million BMW Hong Kong Derby.  The December... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1926891/2016-bmw-hong-kong-derby-get-lowdown-14-runners-four-year-old-classic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1926891/2016-bmw-hong-kong-derby-get-lowdown-14-runners-four-year-old-classic?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Mar 2016 17:30:30 +0000 The Hong Kong raiding party on the world’s richest race meeting, Dubai World Cup night, has been confirmed at seven after the Dubai Racing Club released likely fields for the Meydan fixture on March 26. Hong Kong returns to the feature, the US$10 million Dubai World Cup on dirt over 2,000m, for the first time in two years with Caspar Fownes-trained Gun Pit one of 13 runners for what looms as one of the stronger editions of the race in some time. In particular, the Americans will saddle up a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1926865/seven-hong-kong-runners-confirmed-dubai-world-cup-night-likely-fields?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1926865/seven-hong-kong-runners-confirmed-dubai-world-cup-night-likely-fields?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Mar 2016 12:30:30 +0000 Joao Moreira will turn from friend to foe in front of his adoring fans at Sha Tin in just over six weeks when he rides champion Maurice in the Champions Mile as he continues to build an association with Japan's all-conquering horses.  We already know how good he is, but being good and being able to travel are two different things. That was the main factor in the decision Joao Moreira Free entries for Hong Kong's spring features closed on Monday and were released by the Jockey Club on Wednesday,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1925836/japan-turns-joao-moreira-magic-man-takes-champions-mile-ride-superstar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1925836/japan-turns-joao-moreira-magic-man-takes-champions-mile-ride-superstar?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Mar 2016 08:15:45 +0000 The main headlines in Hong Kong racing this week, those grand stories of the chase for classic glory and daring international raids, evoke all sorts of memories, recollections and anecdotes. Wednesday’s unveiling of the BMW Hong Kong Derby field has focused attention on the race that all local owners want to win, more than any other, while the confirmation of Hong Kong’s team for the annual assault on the Dubai World Cup meeting has raised expectations that the jurisdiction can once again bat... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1922981/let-river-run-hong-kong-derby-winner-who-opened-gates-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1922981/let-river-run-hong-kong-derby-winner-who-opened-gates-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Mar 2016 17:15:15 +0000 In the space of 24 hours this weekend, the past and future of Hong Kong racing will be on display on opposite sides of the continent, sitting in stark contrast and presenting a need for significant change. Macau sits in the past, Dubai represents the way forward, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club has a timely opportunity to make a paradigm shift Macau sits in the past, Dubai represents the way forward, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club has a timely opportunity to make a paradigm shift – albeit one that... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1920426/pivotal-weekend-hong-kong-racing-out-old-and-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1920426/pivotal-weekend-hong-kong-racing-out-old-and-new?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Mar 2016 14:34:31 +0000 This weekend’s Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup looms as a fascinating crossroads for a number of horses, but it is unlikely that it will produce as good a finish as that of four years ago. Indeed, the 2012 edition of the race has become even more timely with the retirement earlier this week of grand old Lucky Nine, who prevailed in a titanic struggle over Glorious Days. GALLERY: Relive the long and storied career of Hong Kong’s warhorse Lucky Nine This race tells you all you will ever need to know... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1917090/farewell-lucky-nine-end-era-one-hong-kong-racings-true-champions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1917090/farewell-lucky-nine-end-era-one-hong-kong-racings-true-champions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Feb 2016 16:30:45 +0000 Longines International Jockeys’ Championship winner Gavin Lerena hopes that a two-month stint in Hong Kong, which starts on Sunday, will lead to a full-time contract and the chance to emulate some of his childhood idols. I definitely want to base myself here full-time. But to do that, you need a base here Gavin Lerena The South African jockey, who defeated some of the world’s best riders when taking the Happy Valley series during international week in December, returned to Sha Tin on Tuesday... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1915974/international-jockeys-championship-winner-gavin-lerena-takes-first-step?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1915974/international-jockeys-championship-winner-gavin-lerena-takes-first-step?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Feb 2016 12:07:21 +0000 There are many features of Hong Kong racing that make it unique, but one that is often overlooked is the multilingual aspect – and for the media, that creates an interesting landscape. There are 22 print publications in Hong Kong that have racing desks ... a whopping 21 of them are in Cantonese Hong Kong racing essentially operates in three languages – Cantonese, Putonghua (or Mandarin) and English. And while readers of the Post are obviously English speakers, it is Cantonese that dominates the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1913993/how-hong-kongs-racing-media-landscape-leads-some-interesting-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1913993/how-hong-kongs-racing-media-landscape-leads-some-interesting-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Feb 2016 17:17:04 +0000 Glyn and Chad Schofield will become the first father-son duo to ride in the same race in the professional era of horse racing in Hong Kong at the Sha Tin meeting on Sunday. Chad has been based at Sha Tin as a club jockey since last September, with father Glyn based in Sydney. But with the current shortage of riders he has been called upon by the Jockey Club to ride on Sunday – presenting a first for Hong Kong racing, although both have ridden against each other many times in Australia. It is not... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1912463/glyn-schofield-and-son-chad-create-hong-kong-racing-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1912463/glyn-schofield-and-son-chad-create-hong-kong-racing-history?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Feb 2016 16:19:05 +0000 Hong Kong racing’s premier globetrotter Rich Tapestry added another trophy to his burgeoning cabinet overnight, taking out a dramatic Group Three Al Shindagha Sprint (1,200m) at Meydan in Dubai. Michael Chang Chun-wai’s Rich Tapestry was the beneficiary of an inch-perfect front-running ride by Gerald Mosse, kicking clear to beat Muarrab by a length and a half with veteran Reynaldothewizard third. FROM THE ARCHIVES: Rich Tapestry, the underrated pioneer of Hong Kong racing – and it may not be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1912268/hong-kongs-rich-tapestry-takes-out-dramatic-al-shindagha-sprint-dubai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1912268/hong-kongs-rich-tapestry-takes-out-dramatic-al-shindagha-sprint-dubai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Feb 2016 17:45:15 +0000 Michael Chang Chun-wai could be heard for miles around with his hooting and hollering after the win of Our Folks in a Class Three on Wednesday, but his cheers could ring across country borders if stable stalwart Rich Tapestry manages to complete a rare day-to-day two-country double for the trainer at Meydan on Thursday night. I think he should be able to finish top three, within a couple of lengths, and with a little luck he can win Michael Chang Chang, complete with his trademark cigar,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1911865/michael-chang-aiming-rare-double-across-country-borders-rich-tapestry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1911865/michael-chang-aiming-rare-double-across-country-borders-rich-tapestry?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Feb 2016 16:45:30 +0000