Horse Racing weekend: Garrity picks the Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong
The last major international races of the year will be run at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong on Sunday. They are run in the afternoon there, but with the time difference, it is a late night/early morning affair in the United States. There are four Group 1 races, all on turf as follows:
Race 4: Hong Kong Vase, 1 1/2 miles, 3 & Up, 12:40 am ET
Race 5: Longines Hong Kong Sprint, 6 furlongs, 3 & Up, 1:20 am ET
Race 7: Longines Hong Kong Mile, 1 mile, 3 & Up, 2:30 am ET
Race 8: Longines Hong Kong Cup, 1 1/4 miles, 3 & Up, 3:10 am ET
These races are superb: this is international racing at its very best. All have good-sized fields of at least eight runners. We will take a look at them in order:
Hong Kong Vase
1-Exultant won this race last year, and comes into this in good form, having won the Hong Kong Jockey Club at Sha Tin last out. He will be plenty tough, but he will also be a short price, so we are looking elsewhere. And we have settled on 11-Lucky Lilac, a Japanese-based 4-year-old filly who won the Queen Elizabeth Cup at Tokyo Racecourse last out. She should be running late; we will bet her to win at 14-1. The bet: Sha Tin, Race 4, $25 to win on 11-Lucky Lilac.
Hong Kong Sprint
The 2-1 favorite in here is 14-Aethero, an Australian-bred 3-year-old gelding who has been running very, very well of late. We think that he is strictly the horse to beat, and will bet him to win. The bet: Sha Tin, Race 5, $35 to win on 14-Aethero.
Hong Kong Mile
Ten drew into the Hong Kong Mile, and it's a fascinating race, as 1-New Generation (3-1) and 4-Waikuku (4-1) are both highly regarded Hong Kong-based horses, and they face the imposing Japanese shipper 2-Indy Champ. We like Indy Champ, partly because he seems to be at his best at this mile distance on the turf, but mostly because his last race, a win in the Mile Championship at Kyoto, was good. He showed a very impressive turn of foot down the stretch winning that one, and we think a similar effort will get him to the wire first in the Hong Kong Mile. We will bet him to win at 4-1. The bet: Sha Tin, Race 7, $30 to win on 2-Indy Champ.
Hong Kong Cup
This is the big race of the day at Sha Tin, and the field of eight is a good and accomplished group. We like 7-Magic Wand, a Coolmore/Aidan O'Brien 4-year-old filly whose last race was a win in a Group 1 race at Flemington Race Course in Melbourne. We like a filly running against the boys, we like her sharp form, we like her human connections, and we especially like the fact that her last race was at the same distance as the Hong Kong Cup. Add it all up and we will be betting Magic Wand to win at 3-1. The bet: Sha Tin, Race 8, $35 to win on 7-Magic Wand.
Enjoy the racing; it will be magnificent. As always, good luck at the windows.
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