Can last year's winners do it again at the Hong Kong International Races?

Longines Hong Kong Sprint, HK$26million, 6f

Wellington was Hong Kong’s reigning champion sprinter when confirming himself a high-class performer under Ryan Moore in last year’s Hong Kong Sprint, beating Sight Success, who reopposes this year, by three quarters of a length. A logical enough result on the face of it, but the writing was already on the wall twelve months ago that Wellington’s position was under threat as he’d been beaten by up-and-coming younger rival Lucky Sweynesse in the Jockey Club Sprint the previous month. As a result, Lucky Sweynesse was sent off at a shade of odds on for the Hong Kong Sprint but didn’t get the best of runs in sixth.

However, four subsequent meetings between the pair in the early part of 2023 all went the way of Lucky Sweynesse, with Wellington finishing placed behind him each time. A run at Royal Ascot – in which he finished a never-dangerous tenth in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes back under Moore – was a temporary respite from running against Lucky Sweynesse – but there was a familiar look to the result of their most recent meeting in the latest renewal of the Jockey Club Sprint three weeks ago in which Wellington finished a length behind Lucky Sweynesse in third.

That was Wellington’s first start for New Zealander Jamie Richards following the retirement of his former trainer Richard Gibson. He’ll also be reunited with regular partner Alexis Badel who was injured last year when Moore substituted for him.

Wellington’s champion sprinter title duly passed to Lucky Sweynesse in the summer after a campaign in which the latter became only the second horse, after Beauty Generation (the 2017/18 Hong Kong Mile winner), to win eight races in a Hong Kong season. In the twelve months since last year’s Hong Kong Sprint, Lucky Sweynesse has suffered only two defeats in nine starts and on both those occasions was conceding lumps of weight in handicaps to Victor The Winner and Sight Success, rivals whom he’ll meet on level terms on Sunday.

Verdict: Stiff task for Wellington to retain his title against new champion sprinter Lucky Sweynesse.

Longines Hong Kong Mile, HK$32million, 1m

Whilst he was the second choice in a two-horse race according to the local betting for last year’s Hong Kong Mile, California Spangle nonetheless inflicted a surprise defeat on title holder Golden Sixty who was sent off the 1/2 favourite to win the race for the third consecutive year. After all, Golden Sixty had successfully conceded 5 lb to the Hong Kong Derby runner-up when they met three weeks earlier in the Group 2 Jockey Club Mile.

But in the Hong Kong Mile, the front-running California Spangle was always the better placed of the pair, and with a three-length cushion going into the final furlong, it was an advantage that Golden Sixty only succeeded in reducing to a neck at the line. It was a rare off-day for Golden Sixty who returns in a second attempt to join Good Ba Ba (successful between 2007 and 2009) and win a third Hong Kong Mile, his record now standing at 25 wins from 29 starts.

Three more Group 1 wins – bringing his career total of top-level successes to nine – in the early months of 2023 was a big statement from Golden Sixty that he’s far from finished at the top level. In an all-star Stewards’ Cup at the end of January, he not only had California Spangle back in third but also beat Hong Kong Cup winner Romantic Warrior – who was favourite to beat both of them – a length into second. Stepping up to Romantic Warrior’s optimum trip of a mile and a quarter in the Hong Kong Gold Cup the following month, Golden Sixty had the same rival back in second – just a head behind him this time – and then he had California Spangle behind him in third again when winning the Champions Mile in April for the third year running.

Those two defeats of Romantic Warrior doubtless counted for plenty when Golden Sixty was named Hong Kong’s Horse of The Year for a record third time at the end of the 2022/23 season. But with the eight-year-old’s retirement in Japan on the horizon, Golden Sixty has been kept fresh for what will almost certainly be his final HKIR appearance, meaning he’ll be returning from a 224-day break on Sunday.

As for California Spangle, besides his two defeats behind Golden Sixty early in the year, he was also runner-up to Lucky Sweynesse over seven furlongs, but he’s confirmed himself a high-class performer in his own right with a couple of Group 2 victories this year, including when successfully conceding plenty of weight all round in the Sha Tin Trophy Handicap in October. However, he needs to bounce back from a lesser effort last time when only fourth in the Jockey Club Mile behind Beauty Eternal, Beauty Joy and Voyage Bubble, though he meets all three on better terms this time under new jockey Christophe Soumillon.

Verdict: Regardless of last year’s result, Golden Sixty should have the beating of California Spangle again judged on their form from earlier this year, but the latter’s absence and wide draw are potentially complicating factors, while California Spangle’s own below-par effort last time could open the door for one of their Japanese rivals.

Longines Hong Kong Cup, HK$36million, 10f

After defeats for both Lucky Sweynesse and Golden Sixty earlier on the card, Romantic Warrior gave some relief for supporters of locally-trained odds-on shots at last year’s HKIR meeting when an impressive winner of the Hong Kong Cup under James McDonald by four and a half lengths from Japan’s Danon The Kid who switches to the Mile instead this year.

Already having beaten California Spangle in the Hong Kong Derby earlier in 2022, that took Romantic Warrior’s career record to nine wins from ten starts and further success looked sure to follow in 2023. But in the event, Romantic Warrior won only one of his four outings at Sha Tin the first half of the year, confirming himself a high-class performer for sure, though perhaps not quite as good as his clear-cut success last December had made him look.

His two defeats behind Golden Sixty have already been mentioned above, his reverse over a mile the easier to excuse, though given how few horses have lowered Golden Sixty’s colours, his head defeat in the Hong Kong Gold Cup shouldn’t be judged too harshly either, even if it was over Romantic Warrior’s optimum trip. Reunited with McDonald, he made no mistake next time against an international field for the QE II Cup at the end of April which he was winning for the second year. But then stepping up to a mile and a half for the first time, Romantic Warrior was turned over at odds of 1/5 by Russian Emperor who’s a high-class performer himself on his day and more proven at what is a staying trip by Hong Kong standards as he’d also won the race the year before.

Yet to run in Hong Kong this season, Romantic Warrior’s two starts this autumn have come instead in Australia where he gained a famous victory in last month’s Cox Plate when gaining a short-head verdict over Mr Brightside. As a result, Romantic Warrior is sure to be well supported locally on his return to Sha Tin on Sunday where that narrow defeat by Golden Sixty in February is his only reverse in six starts over course and distance.

Verdict: Romantic Warrior has much the best chance of last year’s returning winners of a repeat success, but he undoubtedly faces a stronger overseas challenge than last year. Luxembourg is a serious threat if repeating the form he’s shown in the Irish Champion Stakes in the last two years, Japan’s Prognosis has shown better form in a couple of starts on home turf since finishing two lengths second to Romantic Warrior here in April, while French three-year-old Horizon Dore wouldn’t need to improve much to be in the shake-up either.

To bet on Hong Kong racing via Betfair's Tote click here

More from Sporting Life

• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

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