Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday (26 February) for a 10-race turf fixture, highlighted by the running of the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, the Hong Kong Classic Cup and the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m).
On the undercard, up-and-coming four-year-old BEAUTY ETERNAL returns to Sha Tin to further his Derby credentials with a win in the Class 2 1600m Handicap (race 3).
BEAUTY ETERNAL is aiming for three wins on the trot and a fourth career win at start number five on Sunday. Despite the smart record so far, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the John Size-trained talent, with outer barriers along the way forcing him to race wide throughout on two occasions but with his above average ability allowing him to offset the adversity.
BEAUTY ETERNAL was last seen two weeks ago, rising to 1400m for the first time but looking brilliant as he drew clear, with ease, by 1.75 lengths.
That win catapulted BEAUTY ETERNAL into Derby contention and with overseas bookmakers winding him into favouritism. He will have to win smartly again to further solidify those claims, but, so far, he is the classiest four-year-old on show in Hong Kong.
Elsewhere, the rise to 2000m should be in star five-year-old ROMANTIC WARRIOR’S favour to turn the tables on GOLDEN SIXTY in the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup.
After winning the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) emphatically by 4.5 lengths on HKIR Day at Sha Tin on 11 December, ROMATIC WARRIOR last raced in the Group 1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) on 29 January, sent out the even money favourite over GOLDEN SIXTY but was no match for the star miler as he was out-sprinted late and went down by a length.
With an unblemished record of four from four over the 2000m, the ball lies firmly in ROMANTIC WARRIOR’S court to overturn GOLDEN SIXTY, who won’t go down without a fight. If the race is run to suit, GOLDEN SIXTY’S sharp turn-of-foot might just prove him hard to hold out.
