Hong Kong Vase
Continuing their dominance with nine victories in the past ten editions of the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase, the visiting contingent once again poses a formidable challenge. Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien leads the charge with LUXEMBOURG and CONTINUOUS. LUXEMBOURG, runner-up in last year’s Hong Kong Cup, now aims to go one better over the extended 2400m distance. CONTINUOUS, the 2023 Group 1 St Leger Stakes winner, strengthens O’Brien’s impressive lineup.
Adding to the international depth is global trotter DUBAI HONOUR, a three-time Group 1 winner. Though he finished seventh in this year’s Group 1 QEII Cup at Sha Tin in April, the step up to 2400m is expected to play to his strengths, making him a serious contender.
Japan’s rich history in the Vase includes five wins, courtesy of STAY GOLD (2001), SATONO CROWN (2016), GLORY VASE (2019 & 2021), and WIN MARILYN (2022). This year, STELLENBOSCH, one of Japan’s top three-year-old fillies, seeks to continue that success. Having contested four consecutive Group 1 races, she captured the Group 1 Oka Sho and placed in the others. As the only three-year-old filly in the field, she enjoys a significant weight advantage, carrying 117lb compared to the 126lb assigned to her older rivals.
France’s hopes rest on the multiple Group 1 winner IRESINE, trained by Jean-Paul Gauvin. The seven-year-old signalled his readiness with a dominant Group 2 win before finishing a respectable fourth in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot. Now stepping up to 2400m, he looks well-primed to deliver a strong performance.
Adding further intrigue is WITHOUT A FIGHT, the former Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner. After securing both the Group 1 Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup in 2013, he recently returned with a solid third-place finish in the Group 1 VRC Champion Stakes. Proven over marathon distances, he’s a contender to watch in this prestigious event.
Hong Kong Sprint
Local horses have dominated the HK$26m Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint in recent years, winning nine of the past ten editions. This year, rising star KA YING RISING headlines the field as the clear favourite in this prestigious sprint event.
Unbeaten in his last seven starts, KA YING RISING has firmly established himself as the best sprinter since legends SILENT WITNESS and SACRED KINGDOM. His recent victory in the Group 2 Jockey Club Sprint was nothing short of impressive, breaking SACRED KINGDOM’s long-standing track record, despite easing down in the final 100m.
On the strength of that dominant performance, he will be exceptionally hard to beat on Sunday. Local challengers such as CALIFORNIA SPANGLE, VICTOR THE WINNER, HELIOS EXPRESS, and HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE all look like strong contenders to finish in the top three.
Among the international challengers, talented Japanese sprinter LUGAL stands out. He secured a narrow but determined win in the Group 1 Sprinter Stakes at Nakayama and now sets his sights on capturing his first Group 1 victory overseas. Fellow Japanese contender TOSHIN MACAU, narrowly beaten in the Sprinter Stakes, is also seeking his maiden Group 1 win but faces a tough field in this highly competitive race.
Newly crowned Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner STARLUST delivered a career-best effort when weaving through runners to make his Group 1 breakthrough at Del Mar in his latest outing. He now aims for back-to-back Group 1 victories.
