My Wish ready to take charge of Hong Kong mile ranks

Romantic Warrior has retired, Voyage Bubble is now eight and Hong Kong's mile division looks more open than it has in years. My Wish begins the new season as the leading candidate to take charge.

The Champions Mile winner returns in Monday's Group 2 Sha Tin Trophy (1,600m), where Zac Purton takes over from the injured Hugh Bowman for his first race ride aboard Mark Newnham's six-year-old, having partnered him in three barrier trials.

“He’s had some nice trials and he’s done everything right,” Purton said.

“He comes into this season, I think, ready to really fulfill his potential. He had a really good four-year-old season, and then he lost his way a little bit against the older horses. But at the back end of last season, he was able to put it together.

“And being as small as he is, it was probably a case of a small guy being thrown in with all the big boys, and he just had to become a bit more comfortable with that.

“He was able to do that, of course, in the Champions Mile.”

My Wish returns a more accomplished horse than the one who won this race 12 months ago, but he must defend his title on considerably different terms.

He carried just 115 pounds under Alexis Badel last October, but returns on 131 pounds after climbing to a rating of 124. Among those receiving weight from him are two progressive five-year-olds who have already made an impression this season.

Newnham's Hong Kong Derby winner Invincible Ibis returned to win the Group 3 Celebration Cup (1,400m) on September 27 and carries 125 pounds, six fewer than his stablemate.

Luke Ferraris, who partnered Invincible Ibis to that first-up victory, spoke after the gelding's October 10 gallop. 

“He has come on really well,” Ferraris said. “His gallop was very impressive. He does it really easily. His sense of timing is a bit different to other horses. He covers the ground with ease, and he pulled up and had a little blow, but by the time you turned him around, he had caught his breath. So he's coming along the right way, and I'm really excited to see what he does on Monday.”

Sky Jewellery is another five-year-old stepping into Group company after making an impressive return over 1,400 meters on October 1.

The former Champion Griffin came from near last to beat reigning Champion Griffin Hot Delight by a short head in Class 2, carrying 134 pounds.

Sky Jewellery will carry 115 pounds on Monday, the same weight My Wish carried to victory last year, and receives 16 pounds from the defending champion. There is a catch, however. His rating of 101 entitles him to just 108 pounds, leaving him seven pounds out of the handicap under the 115-pound minimum.

My Wish's title defense received a boost at the barrier draw, landing gate three after overcoming barrier 11 to win this race last year, while stablemate Invincible Ibis was less fortunate in gate 10 and may be further back than Ferraris would prefer. 

There is little obvious early speed on paper, and Soleil Fighter looks the likeliest leader from barrier five but Sagacious Life can also work across from barrier nine. That should give Purton the option of keeping My Wish within striking distance, although much depends on what Jerry Chau Chun-lok does aboard Voyage Bubble.

The eight-year-old resumes under 135 pounds from the outside gate in 12, but Chau, an avid student of race replays, has a useful one to revisit. Purton won last season's Hong Kong Mile aboard Voyage Bubble from the same barrier, pushing forward before settling on the leader's back.

Sky Jewellery drew four but is accustomed to settling back, and a moderate tempo would only strengthen the advantage of My Wish's inside draw.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓