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The Japanese have taken the Longines Hong Kong International Race as their playground in recent years. If Wednesday’s nominations for December’s Showcase don’t matter, the Galloper from the Land of the Rising Sun will have an important say in the city’s biggest race day. Also.
The first HKIR entry has to be taken with a pinch of salt – few of the numerous stars nominated reach Sha Tin – but there are countries guaranteed to show up with a strong hand. If there is one, it is Japan.
The Japanese have won 7 out of 12 HKIR features in the last 3 years, 2 last year, 2 in 2020 and 3 Group 1s in 2019.
The 2019 hat-trick is the second time the Japanese have come within a win of HKIR’s total win streak, the other coming back in 2001.
They also doubled in 2015 and 2016, mostly thanks to Maurice.
Will 2022 be the year the home team finally wipes out like they did for the first time in 2018?
It may not be as high on Japan’s to-do list as winning the Arc de Triomphe, but before finally capturing that elusive French feature, it says not to go home with a HKIR 4-timer. Not even.
Japan has entered so many horses in the HKIR since 2013, the last two pandemic hits.
Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht Bresges predicted Japan’s HKIR would be strong because of the weaker yen. Nothing but bang for your buck.
We know the Japanese can win in Hong Kong without sending their best gallopers. Glory Vase, for example, have never won Group 1 outside of Hong Kong.
Glory Vase looked poised to take a record third win at the Hong Kong Vase, joining the Japanese contenders for the 2,400 m stay test with four Group 1 winners.
One key ingredient missing from the Tomohito Ozeki-trained Glory Vase is Joao Moreira. João Moreira, the injured Brazilian, teamed up with the seven-year-old to take two wins at his tin.
Elsewhere, the Japanese entered four Group 1 winners in the Hong Kong Sprint (including last year’s runner-up Resistencia) and took home eight mouth-watering Elite level winners in the Hong Kong Mile.
The Japanese galloper has won the last three editions of the Hong Kong Cup, winning Bright, Normcore and Loves Only You. It is his HKIR race that draws the most interest from the Land of the Rising Sun, with 33 entries, including seven Group 1 winners.
Glory Vase, Nature Strip and Giga Kick among HKIR’s 127 overseas entries
Who gets in Japan’s way from elsewhere on the planet is far from a lottery, but in a few years the home team will have the most balanced HKIR hand.
Skyfield and Wellington head up the Sprint Division, joining the city’s real superstars, the Golden 60, with California Spangle, who is quickly gaining traction in the mile. Vase, Hong Kong could have a real chance in all four of his features for HKIR.
Of course, there is no doubt that Japan dominates in at least as many features as Hong Kong. An even safer bet is that the Jockey Club’s Bean Counter will convert at least some, if not most, of the HK$110 million Marquee Meeting prize pool to Yen after December 11th.
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