With the season coming to a close, the focus is now on the grand finale of the trainers’ championship – and next season’s Classic Series.
This year’s four-year series has been called one of the most competitive in years and an early look at next season’s contenders shows there is plenty to be excited about.
We’ve previewed some of the best horses for the Classic Mile, Classic Cup and Derby, with some of their trainers weighing in on their class, stamina and progress ahead of their most important year.
Salon S (Rating 85, Frankie Lor Fu-chuen)
The highest-rated three-year-olds at this stage is Salon S, who began his career with four straight wins over 1,400m before running a fast fourth against older horses in a Grade Two debut.
A tear-jerker winner, the Zousain jockey has had big wins in the race so far, but has still managed to save the finish – although that hasn’t proved to be the case in his 1,000m debut.
The big question for him will be stamina, and the biggest chance at 1,600m and beyond depends on whether he can settle down during his race.
“Next season, if he can learn to be more calm it will be good. Now, he is still eager and we need him to rest more during the race,” Lor said.
“He is still a big kid at the moment, he grabs a little and goes, the jockey wants to slow down but he doesn’t want to, so if he just rests next season it will be good.
“At the moment, I think 1,600m is best for him, but I can’t say more now. He has a long break now to prepare for next season.”
Hot Delight (Rating 82, Francis Lui Kin-wai)
Another to start his career in impressive fashion, Hot Delight looked the real deal with an impressive 1,200m victory, before also coming unstuck in his Grade Two debut when he won by just a length.
A strong passer, he has a tendency to commit and turn his feet smartly, which will make him very dangerous in the upcoming campaign, especially since he has a lot of room to develop physically.
Compared to Golden Sixty at the same stage of his career, Lui has high hopes for him, and his pedigree does not suggest that 1,600 meters will be out of his reach.
My Mars (Rating 80, David Hayes)
Showing good results in five Irish races without a win, My Mars has flourished since arriving in Hong Kong, winning on her first domestic leg before following up a gentle second with another win over 1,200m.
The European import is a rare first-time winner in Hong Kong, which shows the talent he has, but like the announcement from For Henry, there’s no guarantee he’ll stay more than a mile away when it comes to the Classic Series.
Cool Boy (Rating 73, Jamie Richards)
A little further down the list lurks Cool Boy, who finished fifth to My Mars on his latest start when trying to beat the dreaded gate 14.
A three-time winner from seven starts, he will not lack experience next season and his fast finishing style could lend itself to how the Classic Mile can be run.
“I think he’s a really good horse who’s been running consistently all season. I think if you’d swap hurdles with My Mars from last time, he’d probably beat him, as he had to come back from a bad gate,” Richards said.
“I think he’s going in the right direction and we’ll give him one more run this season over 1,400m to test him, then put him out for the Classic Series next year.”
Mr Incredible (Rating 70, Brett Crawford)
Winning a pair of 1,200m starts on either side of an unlucky sixth in his second run, Mr Incredible has looked particularly sharp since taking on Brett Crawford this campaign.
His latest start on Champions Day, where he blew by three and a quarter lengths, established him as one to be very excited about next campaign, especially away from home.
“Mr. Incredible hasn’t done anything wrong since he arrived and we’re hoping to give him one more run before the season closes. I think if he’s competitive in that race, we’ll definitely plan to go around the Classic Series moving forward,” Crawford said.
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