Our Hong Kong expert Graham Cunningham takes a look at Wednesday's Season Finale at Happy Valley, live on Sky Sports Racing.
Rising to the challenge
They say a Rising tide floats all boats and the rise and rise of KA YING RISING put HK racing’s name in lights throughout a flawless eight-race 2024-25 season.
But the world’s best sprinter has been far from the sole headline maker during a ten-month campaign featuring 847 races.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR followed his third consecutive HKIR with heroic global efforts in Dubai and on the Saudi dirt, while VOYAGE BUBBLE excelled between 1600m and 2400m in becoming the first HK Triple Crown hero for 31 years.
Zac Purton’s metronomic consistency sealed him an eighth jockeys’ championship well before a typically clinical Sha Tin four timer on Sunday, while John Size missed out in most of the majors but will celebrate a 13th trainers’ title in his usual laconic fashion.
But it wasn’t all about the Aussies
Andrea Atzeni’s second full season in HK has been a huge success, with 57 successes worth over £9m in prize money leaving him a clear third in the table behind Purton and Hughie Bowman.
Harry Bentley heads to the last meeting of the season with 31 winners worth well over £5m, while Richard Kingscote (and perhaps another familiar UK face) will add to the British presence in the HK weighing room come September.
Add in David Eustace – who has laid the foundations for a significant HK training career with a highly creditable 36 winners in his debut season – and the Brits abroad can head into their summer break with bundles of optimism.
Valley primed for firework Finale
And now to Wednesday’s Season Finale at Happy Valley, a night that blends partying, pyrotechnics and peak punting turnover in a way that highlights the value of a clearly defined season with a break to refresh the appetites of punters and players alike.
Last week’s Valley meeting produced six winners returned at double figures – including two at 45-1 and 60-1 – and several of the puzzles on this week’s nine-race card look devilishly difficult.
But faint heart never signed off the season with a winner and three horses in particular look well worth a second look as the File signs off for the summer.
Monarch can reign for King of the Valley
Caspar Fownes cherishes his ‘King of the Valley’ reputation and HK’s most charismatic handler looks poised to regain his crown with a lead of three over Mark Newnham heading into Wednesday’s meeting.
Newnham has five opportunities to stage a late bid – including one we’ll come to shortly – but Fownes has several solid chances and MONARCH COUNTY is among the best in the Star Shine Handicap at 12.00.
Winning Money is the early market leader for this winnable Class 4 and Antoine Hamelin – whose HK adventure concludes this week – will be aiming to make the most of the inside alley.
But Monarch County shapes like a youngster with more to give. A good winner over 1400m at Sha Tin in March, he caught the eye suffering a torrid trip from gate 12 on his return to the Valley last month and the feeling persists that he’s more than capable of playing a major role from his current mark of 56.
Time for Sam to get Lucky
That man Newnham can take great pride in saddling 43 winners in his second HK season and the easy-going Aussie saddles another potential improver when LUCKY SAM GOR bids to make it seventh time lucky in the Let Me Fight Handicap at 12.30.
This gelding has caught the eye as a potential class 4 scorer several times this season, especially when second to Riding Together over 1400m at Sha Tin recently.
Lucky Sam Gor was forced to cover a lot of ground out wide from stall 14 that day but he never stopped trying against a bang-in-form winner.
Stall 5 looks much more suitable for his return to 1200m and, in a race where plenty look hard to fancy, this looks a suitable slot for him to end his first season on a high note.
Prestige booking for determined Derek
Derek Leung lies two behind Matthew Poon and one behind Matt Chadwick in the race to become HK’s leading homegrown rider but the 36-year-old hasn’t given up on a third Tony Cruz Award and PRESTIGE ALWAYS looks a solid chance in the Sweet Orange Handicap at 2.35.
A Galway winner during his time with Joseph O’Brien, this gelding has run two excellent races over the Valley’s 1650m track of late, most recently when splitting the reopposing Definitive and Samarkand in a finish of necks last month.
Reliable front runner Highland Rahy looms as the saver/Quinella option with Purton aboard for the first time, but Prestige Always deserves a small upgrade for his latest run, where he kept battling having been pressured for the lead from a good way out.
More patient tactics look the way to go here and, with a 1lb rise looking more than fair, this likeable four-year-old looks poised for another bold effort.
Wednesday’s Valley Views
12.00: Monarch County
12.30: Lucky Sam Gor
2.35: Prestige Always/Highland Rahy
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.