Our Hong Kong expert Graham Cunningham takes a look at Boxing Day's Happy Valley card live on Sky Sports Racing.
Brahms stars as McDonald signs off
James got what he wanted, Antoine got what he needed, Jerry got what he prayed for and David got a very pleasant surprise.
That was the short summary of Christmas racing in HK and the longer version runs as follows:
James McDonald ended his short winter stint with a festive four timer – sealed by last year’s Gimcrack runner-up Johannes Brahms – and heads home with 19 wins from 89 rides worth an eyewatering £7m in prize money.
Antoine Hamelin received the most welcome present possible when Raging Blizzard surged clear in the finale, giving him his first winner of the season at the 79th attempt and providing him with the 100th success of his HK career.
Jerry Chau called on feng shui principles in the hope of ending a lean spell – moving furniture and a fish tank in his apartment – and rode the wave of a dramatic Sunday that earned him a 3,822-1 treble and two costly careless riding bans.
And British handler David Eustace found a new star in his Christmas stocking after it emerged that the owners of Derby winner Massive Sovereign have decided to move him away from Dennis Yip.
Aurora to shine brightly in Uranus
Zac Purton and Andrea Atzeni didn’t get what they wanted at Sha Tin – drawing blanks from ten rides apiece – but a ten-race Boxing Day card at Happy Valley provides a chance for them to put things right, notably in the Uranus Handicap at 2.15
Atzeni partners reformed character Beauty Destiny, who left Class 4 rivals toiling in his wake with a blistering finish late last month, while Purton reunites with Aurora Lady after Pierre Ng’s gelding sealed the Longines IJC for Mickael Barzalona with a dominant course and distance success.
Beauty Destiny has drawn the inside stall but I still have doubts as to how he might react if forced to get down and scrap under a 10lb hike for his class 3 debut.
AURORA LADY has fewer quirks and tops the short list after defying stall 12 in the style of a highly progressive sprinter on IJC night but KYRUS DRAGON did well to finish second – running on strongly after being forced wide – and an 8lb makes him a solid saver and Quinella candidate.
Zac back with an Aesthetic plan
Purton’s Sunday blank showed that even a seven-time champion can’t get exactly what he wants at Christmas and Purton wouldn’t have chosen stall 12 for Aurora Lady’s stablemate AESTHETICISM in the concluding Neptune Handicap at 2.50.
Wide gates can be tricky to overcome round the Valley’s extended mile but Aestheticism tends to be dropped out wherever he’s drawn and his overall profile for this £200,000 Class 3 is persuasive.
True, this Kiwi import has gained all his three wins at Sha Tin but he’s fully effective at the Valley and looked a winner in waiting on his latest start, weaving through tight gaps from well back and looking a little unlucky when a close third in the IJC race won by Soleil Fighter.
A 4lb pull with Soleil Fighter tips the scales firmly in favour of Aestheticism this time. Traffic issues could enter the equation again but Purton will have a plan and a 1lb rise for that latest effort looks very fair all things considered.
Parents’ a perfect festive partner for Avdulla
Here we go again.. Baby #3 incoming June 2025 🩵🩷 pic.twitter.com/WTSZUbOmIr
— 🇦🇺 BRENTON AVDULLA (@brentonavdulla) December 23, 2024
Purton partners one of the least exposed runners on the Boxing Day card when Ka Ying Resilience lines up for the Venus Handicap at 10.40.
David Hayes’s gelding has shown a high cruising speed in all his three runs at Sha Tin and those efforts – allied to some strong trials – give a broad hint that he’s ahead of the game in Class 4 from a mark of 55.
But the market will take all that into account as Ka Ying Resilience makes his Valley debut and the more battle-hardened PARENTS’ LOVE appeals as solid alternative.
Tony Cruz’s gelding has shown improved form this term, making all over course and distance in October then showing fine speed until collared close home under Vincent Ho in leg one of the IJC.
Fine margins are at play in Valley sprints but Vincent possibly kicked for home a shade too early that night.
Either way, Parents’ Love clearly remains in fine form and he’s perfectly named given that his Aussie rider Brenton Avdulla has just announced that he and his wife will welcome baby number three in the new year.
Boxing Day Valley Views
10.40: Parents’ Love
2.15: Aurora Lady/Kyrus Dragon
2.50: Aestheticism
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