Jockeys toss keepsakes to the crowd on Sunday’s final day of the 2023-24 Hong Kong racing season. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club
July 15 (UPI) — Summertime racing is hitting its stride in Europe just as the Hong Kong season finally has hit the stop button, again demonstrating the global nature of the sport.
Some top races in England and France and a promising run by a Japanese 2-year-old were among the weekend highlights.
England
Looking for a budding star miler? Look no farther than Porta Fortuna, the easy winner of Friday’s Group 1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at the Newmarket July meeting.
The 3-year-old Caravaggio filly, facing older rivals, easily backed up her victory in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
With Ryan Moore up for trainer Donnacha O’Brien, Porta Fortuna bided her time to the final furlongs, asserted and drew off to win by 3 3/4 lengths from Jabaara.Overall. She’s 6-3-1 from 10 starts with three Group 1 victories. Actually, she’s more blooming than budding.
Arabian Dusk got her first win in Friday’s Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes for 2-year-old fillies after finishing second and third in her first two starts.
The Havana Grey miss got home 3/4 length to the good of Godolphin’s Mountain Breeze with Coolmore’s Heaven’s Gate third so the competition obviously was high-class.
William Buick capped a four-win day by urging Mill Stream to an upset win in Saturday’s Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket.
The 4-year-old Gleneagles colt, trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, was always prominent in the 6-furlongs rest, delivered his best well inside the final furlong and won by a neck from another outsider, Swingalong.
They were followed by Vandeek, Art Power and the favorite, Commonwealth Cup winner Inisherin. Mill Stream was last seen third in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at the Royal meeting.
The score was Buick’s 100th at the Group 1/Grade I level. His first three wins on the day came on Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin runners, including Ancient Truth in the Superlative Stakes for 2-year-olds.
The Dubawi colt, odds-on favorite in a field of six, surged quickly to the front when asked with about 1 furlong left. Despite hanging left rather noticeably, he drew off to win by 1 1/2 lengths, remaining undefeated after three rather tightly spaced starts, all at Newmarket.
Chapple-Hyam said Mill Stream “is very good in having three weeks in between races, which takes us up to the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville where the 6 1/2 furlongs on a flat track should suit him.”
On Saturday at Ascot, Quddwah drafted in behind stablemate Embesto through the early furlongs of the Group 2 Summer Mile, came outside for his run and got home first by 1/2 length over Ancient Rome.
Quddwah, a 4-year-old by Kingman, remains undefeated after four starts for trainers Simon and Ed Crisford and owner Sheik Ahmad Al Maktoum. Callum Shepherd rode.
France
Sosie tracked the leaders in Saturday’s Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris for 3-year-olds at Longchamp, worked to the front in the final 150 meters and won handily by 2 lengths over Irish invader Illinois.
The favorite, previously undefeated Delius, put in a furious charge from the back of the field to finish third.
Sosie, a Sea the Stars colt trained by Andre Fabre for owner-breeders Wertheimer & Frere, finished third in the Group 1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club or French Derby in his last start.
Illinois, a Galileo colt, won the Group 2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot in his most recent trip.
Japan
Satono Carnaval had to share victory in his career debut, finishing in a dead heat at Tokyo Racecourse in a June 22 newcomers event for 2 year olds.
He had the glory all to himself after winning Saturday’s Hakodate Nisai by 1 1/4 lengths with a determined charge down the straight.
The Kitasan Black colt, with Daisuke Sasaki up for trainer Noriyuka Hori, raced just behind the leading trio, commenced his bid midway down the straight and blew by the leader, Nishino Lavanda, in the final 50 meters.
So far, he’s a sprinter as the initial race was 1,400 meters and the Kakodate Nisai only 1,200. His sire made his mark going long, winning out to 3,200 meters.
Hong Kong
Time passes and so does the Hong Kong Horse of the Year title. Romantic Warrior, after a fantastic season that saw him win the Group 1 Cox Plate in Australia early and the Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen in Japan late, with three other top-level wins in between.
With that, he dethroned three-time champion Golden Sixty, whose age, physical setbacks and, eventually, course conditions, limited him to a single victory in the 2023-24 season.
That, however, was a stunning win in December’s Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, accomplished off a 224-day absence. His connections did not go home empty-handed from Friday’s ceremony at the Rosewood Hotel, as Golden Sixty was honored as the top sprinter of the campaign.