Jaysella’s Longines Hong Kong International Races: Turf World Championships 14th December 2025
Jaysella’s Longines Hong Kong International Races Selections for Sunday 14th December
Longines Hong Kong Vase (Group 1) 06.10
Al Riffa (nap)
Right then here we go with the first of the Group Ones on International Races Day here at Sha Tin. In many ways this is the most open of the Elite races, with last year’s winner Giavellotto looking race fit after a fine fourth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but this is a stronger race that last year, where a superbly timed run from Oisin Murphy gave him a two and a half length win over Dubai Honour. So, I reckon that Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa has got a big win in him like this, and with a handy draw in 2 should get good track position from the off. There will be plenty of supporters for Andre Fabre’s Sosie, third in the Arc and just four, so it is quite possible we haven’t seen the best of him yet, but the soft ground he prefers won’t be here, despite the watering of the newly seeded winter grass. The Japanese raider Urban Chic does make plenty of appeal to me, considering the overall strength of the Japanese horses. The final analysis tells me that this is a sharpish trip for Al Riffa, but he’s a class act with a good draw and a top jockey in Dylan Browne McMonagle. Fingers crossed!
Longines Hong Kong Sprint (Group 1) 06.50
Ka Ying Rising/Satano Reve/Helios Express
Just about unopposable as he lines up for his sixteenth straight win, Ka Ying Rising is the world’s best sprinter bar none. The Australians didn’t think he was that good, their bookies offering Evens for the world’s richest flat turf race, but he waltzed through that much to the delight of all of us in the the Office – Christmas Party fully paid for thank you very much! But, there’s no value in backing him at prohibitive odds, so where do you make your angle? Well, I reckon that Helios Express is the Hong Kong pretender to the Sprint crown, and the Japanese raider Satano Reve, third in this last year and Fast Network all have solid place claims. One thing is for sure, all the pace is from the rail out, as Ka Ying Rising starts from the inside, and won’t be wanting to repeat the fate of Lucky Sweynesse in 2022, who was trapped on the rail rounding the home turn with no way out, though Lucky Sweynesse made no such error in 2023, winning well. So, with all the pace on the inner, expect Zac Purton to ping Ka Ying Rising out of the gate, with Satano Reve and Helios Express not wanting to be any more that three wide into the bend chasing him hard. Tough work for those with wider draws, as all that pace is gonna make them burn plenty of petrol to get anywhere near the leading trio, but Ka Ying Rising’s winning this. Value in the place bets on Satano Reve & Helios Express looks profitable from here.
Longines Hong Kong Mile (Group 1) 08.00
Soul Rush (nb)
An absolute belter for the Mile, and maybe you caught me & Kobee on the Podcast this week trying to dissect this puzzle. Firstly, we were a bit surprised to see Voyage Bubble go against Romantic Warrior in the Jockey Club Cup over 2000 metres here last month, though he does have Group One form here with over a mile and a half, but to me, he’s back where he belongs over the 1600 metres. I mean, with his galloping style surely his future is over 2000 metres, but he has been the heir apparent over this trip since Golden Sixty’s dominance ended. But, drawn wide asks a question, coz Zac Purton has to use plenty of fuel to get him into a decent position early on, so my thinking is that Cristian Demuro can slipstream Voyage Bubble from one place inside him in the stalls, and then use his blistering finishing burst to take this Group One. That’s the theory anyway! But, for many, My Wish, who I did nap in the November meeting, hasn’t been seen at his best yet, and maybe this is his time from a good starting point out of Gate 2. I did think he got a bit lit up in the Jockey Club Mile, and I spose he only went down by a length in fourth in the end, so every chance I guess. But, a girl’s gotta go with her gut feeling, so it’s Soul Rush for me in a real thriller!
Longines Hong Kong Cup (Group 1) 08.40
Romantic Warrior
Another of the Group One’s that was covered on the Podcast earlier this week, and I cannot see anyone getting upsides of Romantic Warrior. Now, at the start of this season, his trainer Danny Shum did say that he didn’t think Romantic Warrior was going to improve any more now he’s seven, but you don’t need to worry Danny boy, he’s good enough already! I think, and you’ve probably heard me banging on about it before, that he’s been the best 10 furlong horse in the world for the last couple of seasons, though when Soul Rush beat him by a Nose in the Dubai Turf in Meydan in April, that was up for debate, but Soul Rush is in the Mile here, so it could be Bellagio Opera that proves the danger. However, I took an ante post place bet on Francis-Henri Graffard’s Prix Jean Romanet winner, Quisisana at 33/1, and that’s starting to look a nice little wager. Far better that 5 to 1 on anyway! Romantic Warrior to win, but Quisisana to make a race of it
