For the next five days globally, the focus is on jockeys.
Hong Kong can now rightly claim to stage the world's biggest and best jockeys' competition, and a collection of elite riders have again been invited to compete at Happy Valley next Wednesday.
For the next five days globally, the focus is on jockeys. Top jockeys; the best in the business internationally.
Hong Kong can now rightly claim to stage the world's biggest and best jockeys' competition, and a collection of elite riders have again been invited to compete at Happy Valley next Wednesday. It is one of the features of a magnificent week of racing in the Chinese territory.
I will not preview the series in this column -- that will be done next week after final declarations -- but two of the big names with Hong Kong invitations ride in feature races this weekend, in Perth, West Australia, and Chukyo, Japan, and both have high hopes of landing major prizes as a prelude to their Far Eastern trips.
Damien Oliver, the 10-time Melbourne champion, heads out West to ride German-trained Magic Artist in the G1 Kingston Town Classic, over 1,800m. He faces 15 rivals, but has drawn well in barrier 1, and is a warm favourite.
The race commemorates one of the greatest horses to have raced in Australia, Kingston Town, who recorded 30 wins from 41 starts in the early 1980s. Among his G1 triumphs were 3 Cox Plates, an AJC Derby and Sydney Cup.
Magic Artist is unusual as he is an import, who has continued racing beyond the Melbourne Spring.
Andreas Wohler, who trained Protectionist to win the 2014 G1 Melbourne Cup, has carved an impressive reputation on his visits Down Under, and it would be a popular victory if he were to oblige.
The German horse has arguably the best form. He finished fourth to Gailo Chop in the G1 Mackinnon Stakes, over 2,000m, then fourth to Turn Me Loose in the G1 Emirates Stakes, over 1,600m, both at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week.
With the track favouring front-runners of late, Oliver is likely to kick on from the inside and get a handy position in the early stages.
Perth's leading owner, Bob Peters, has lined up his stars for this renewal of the Kingston Town. He runs the 2015 G1 Perth Cup winner, Real Love, the outstanding Delicacy, who landed the Derby/Oaks double in both Perth and Adelaide, and unbeaten Perfect Reflection.
His No 1 jockey William Pike has opted for Perfect Reflection, who won the G3 WA Champion Fillies Stakes, over 1,600m, at her fourth and most recent start.
Another local expected to generate plenty of interest is Black Heart Bart.
Around 4,500 miles North-East of Perth, British jockey Ryan Moore attempts to land the G1 Champions Cup, another big race over nine furlongs, at Chukyo. This race is the 'old' Japan Cup Dirt, which was run, at one time, on the same card as the G1 Japan Cup at Fuchu, Tokyo.
Moore, another heading to Hong Kong next week, rides Grape Brandy, who comes up against two previous winners, Nihonpiro Ours (2012) and Hokko Tarumae (2014), on the dirt.
A week ago, Moore failed narrowly to land the G1 Japan Cup on outsider Last Impact.
