2023 Longines Hong Kong International Races

2023 Longines Hong Kong International Races Entries

Romantic Warrior wins the 2022 Longines Hong Kong Cup.

Date: 12/07/2023

The last big event of the year on the international horse racing calendar is the Longines Hong Kong International Races, billed as the Turf World Championships. The four Group 1 events will be contested over the right-handed 1 3/16 mile turf course at Sha Tin on Sunday afternoon (late Saturday night/early Sunday morning in North America), all of which are under weight-for-age conditions. North American racing fans can watch and wager on the full card of 10 races through FanDuelTV in the USA, HPI-TV in Canada and at selected simulcast locations, with the first race going to post at 12:25PM local time (11:25PM ET).

The Longines Hong Kong Vase (G1) will kick off the day’s stakes action at 2:40PM local time (1:40AM ET), carded as race 4. The race drew a field of 9 and will be run over the classic distance of 2400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) around 2 turns. Trainer Andre Fabre ships in Junko off his win in the Grosser Preis Von Bayern (G1) in Munich after finishing third in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) and Prix du Conseil de Paris (G2). Regular rider Maxime Guyon will be in the irons Sunday from post 8. Aidan O’Brien brings Warm Heart fresh off her close second to Inspiral in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) at Santa Anita after winning the Prix Vermeille (G1). Ryan Moore gets the call and breaks from the rail.

The Longines Hong Kong Sprint (G1), race 5, is the next race at a distance of 1200 meters (about 6 furlongs) around one turn, and a field of 10 goes to post at 2:50PM (1:50AM ET). Defending champ Wellington is back, coming off a close 3rd in the Jockey Club Sprint (G2) with regular rider Alexis Badel aboard in post 3. Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (G1) winner Highfield Princess drew the 9 post in her attempt to defeat the locals who have dominated this event in recent years. Regular rider Jason Hart gets the call for trainer John Quinn.

Race 7, the Longines Hong Kong Mile (G1) drew a full field of 14 and will run at 4:00PM (3:00AM ET), at 1600 meters (about 1 mile) around one turn out of the chute. This will mark the final career start of the legendary Golden Sixty, winner of this race in 2020 and 2021 before finishing a close second in 2022. Regular rider Vincent Ho, winner of the Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship on Wednesday night, rides again for trainer Stanley Leung, and will have to win from the far outside post 14. Japanese invader Soul Rush is here off a close second in the Mile Championship (G1) after winning the Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap (G3). Joao Moreira rides for trainer Yasutoshi Ikee from post 11.

The highlight race of the day and the richest race in Hong Kong is the Longines Hong Kong Cup (G1), a 2000-meter (about 1 1/4 mile) trip around two turns, where a field of 11 will go to post at 4:40PM (3:40AM ET) as race 8. Defending champion Romantic Warrior is back, off his win in the Cox Plate (G1) in Australia. James McDonald rides for trainer Danny Shum from post 7. Aidan O’Brien-trained Luxembourg leads the invaders, off his close second in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown. Ryan Moore gets the call from post 10.

Past performances are available for all the races in PDF format in their form guide. These are not traditional North American type past performances, but they are self-explanatory. Note that program numbers do not correspond with post positions. Lots of other info like past winners and photos is also provided in the form guide. Click the race numbers below for a race card with trainers, jockeys, weights, and the silks of each horse.

The connections for the Hong Kong Cup at the barrier draw.
Longines Hong Kong Cup (Group 1) – 2000m HK$36 million (US$4.61 million) Race 8
Program Number	Horse Name	Jockey	Post Position
1	LUXEMBOURG	R Moore	10
2	ROMANTIC WARRIOR	J McDonald	7
3	PROGNOSIS	Y Kawada	6
4	ROUSHAM PARK	D Lane	11
5	HISHI IGUAZU	J Moreira	2
6	MONEY CATCHER	K C Leung	8
7	STRAIGHT ARRON	C Y Ho	3
8	SWORD POINT	Z Purton	9
9	NIMBLE NIMBUS	A Atzeni	4
10	CHAMPION DRAGON	A Badel	5
11	HORIZON DORE	M Barzalona	1
The connections for the Hong Kong Mile at the barrier draw.
Longines Hong Kong Mile (Group 1) – 1600m HK$32 million (US$4.10 million) Race 7
Program Number	Horse Name	Jockey	Post Position
1	GOLDEN SIXTY	C Y Ho	14
2	CALIFORNIA SPANGLE	C Soumillon	3
3	DANON THE KID	Y Kitamura	10
4	SERIFOS	Y Kawada	4
5	SOUL RUSH	J Moreira	11
6	TRIBALIST	M Barzalona	13
7	BEAUTY ETERNAL	Z Purton	5
8	BEAUTY JOE	M Guyon	6
9	LIM’S KOSCIUSZKO	D Lane	2
10	VOYAGE BUBBLE	J McDonald	8
11	ENCOUNTERED	K C Leung	1
12	CAIRO	R Moore	9
13	NAMUR	W Buick	12
14	DIVINA	C Demuro	7
Longines Hong Kong Vase (Group 1) – 2400m HK$24 million (US$3.07 million) Race 4
Program Number	Horse Name	Jockey	Post Position
1	JUNKO	M Guyon	8
2	SENOR TOBA	C Y Ho	3
3	ZEFFIRO	D Lane	2
4	FIVE G PATCH	A Badel	9
5	WEST WIND BLOWS	J McDonald	6
6	LA CITY BLANCHE	Z Purton	4
7	GERALDINA	W Buick	5
8	LEBENSSTIL	J Moreira	7
9	WARM HEART	R Moore	1
Longines Hong Kong Sprint (Group 1) – 1200m HK$36 million (US$4.61 million) Race 5
Program Number	Horse Name	Country	Post Position
1	LUCKY SWEYNESSE	Z Purton	5
2	WELLINGTON	A Badel	3
3	MAD COOL	C Demuro	7
4	SIGHT SUCCESS	B Avdulla	6
5	VICTOR THE WINNER	J McDonald	4
6	AESOP’S FABLES	R Moore	1
7	DUKE WAI	K Teetan	10
8	JASPER KRONE	Y Kawada	8
9	LUCKY WITH YOU	A Atzeni	2
10	HIGHFIELD PRINCESS	J Hart	9

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