RacingHK News
Champion jockey allocations excite trainers
Hong Kong trainers Tony Millard and Caspar Fownes are looking forward to Wednesday night’s Cathay Pacific International Jockeys’ Championship with runners in each of the four legs and top overseas riders engaged.
“Two for Ryan (Moore) and one for Frankie (Dettori), it doesn’t get much better than that. Let’s hope the trainer and the horses are up to scratch for them,” Millard said after the allocation saw the two UK-based champions draw three of the South African’s horses.
“He’s been looking forward all year to the chance of teaming up again with Ryan Moore,” joked Millard of Something Special, who won for Moore at this meeting in 2010, “and I’m confident the other horses are in good shape and in suitable races too.” Millard’s other runners are Romancing Tamar, Sleep Well and Star Of Fame.
Fownes said he was confident his four runners - Potential, Moon Chaser, Perfect Gear and the promising Mighty K - were all “ready to run well” and he was more than happy with his allocated jockeys, just not so pleased with the barrier draws.
“You really wouldn't believe the draws. I’ve got five runners on the night drawn nine or worse and in the first three legs of the jockeys’ series I've landed 11, 12 and 11. Oh well, we might need some luck but all four horses are in good shape and have decent chances on form.
“And I’ve got the right men in the saddle. I don’t know Luke Nolen well but he’s obviously top class and I’m pleased to give him his first ride here,” Fownes said of Nolen drawing Potential in Race 3.
Locals Douglas Whyte, Brett Prebble and Matthew Chadwick have the remaining Fownes mounts. “Barrier 12's not going to be easy for young Matthew (Chadwick) on an inexperienced three-year-old like Mighty K but he’s a horse you’d think could progress through the classes.”
This year’s Arc winning jockey Andrasch Starke, a dual winner of the CXIJC series like Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore, may get off to a good start having drawn Lucky Chevalier - a last start placegetter at the course and distance and well drawn in five - in the first leg.
Moore chases a third straight win in the title - a tally achieved by Whyte, although his treble was not in successive years.
Happy Valley racegoers should be reminded that the first race on CXIJC night, Wednesday 7 December, will be run at 7pm.