Jack Dawling
This Sunday at Sha Tin marks the halfway point of the 2024-25 racing season, with a Class 1 contest over 1,200 meters the highlight of the 44th meeting of the campaign.
Here are five horses poised to climb the ratings ladder in the second half of the season, including a pair of potential Group One contenders.
Mid Winter Wind
Trainer: Mark Newnham
Rating: 86
HK record: One win from one start
This might seem an obvious choice, but this horse looks bound for the very top.
The Mark Newnham-trained gelding arrived in Hong Kong with four wins from nine starts during his pre-import career in South Africa and wasted no time stamping his authority over his Class 3 rivals over 1,200m.
Mid Winter Wind flew home from the rear of the field under Luke Ferraris, showing an explosive turn of foot to reel in short-priced favorite Sunny Da Best.
The race's immediate aftermath revolved around Mid Winter Wind emerging into a potential Hong Kong Derby prospect. But now the dust has settled, you would have to question whether Newnham will try to target the city's most prestigious race for this speedy galloper.
The 56-year-old handler already has a leading Derby hope in last week's Classic Mile winner My Wish and it is unlikely Mid Winter Wind will be at his best over 2,000m.
Mid Winter Wind won over 1,160m to 1,400m in South Africa and failed to impress at a mile or 2,000m.
He also showed blistering speed in the closing stages of his Hong Kong debut, covering the final 400m in just 21.72 seconds. For context, star sprinter Ka Ying Rising has run a faster final 400m.
Whichever way connections decide to go, Mid Winter Wind's plans will become a lot clearer in the next fortnight when the four-year-old is set to run over a mile at Sha Tin on February 16.
Top Throne
Trainer: David Hayes
Rating: 52
HK record: Unraced
David Hayes may have a new champion flying the flag for his stable in Ka Ying Rising, but the handler's fresh recruits will prove a vital resource in his quest for another trainers' championship.
Hayes is second on 28 wins, trailing Danny Shum Chap-shing by one in what shapes as a thrilling title chase with many contenders closing in.
In his bid to become champion trainer for a third time here - he took home the crown in 1998 and 1999 - the 62-year-old will hope his nine unraced imports can rack up the wins when they hit the track.
Of the handler's new acquisitions, Top Throne has shown all the makings of a horse ready to rise from a rating of 52 after two promising barrier trials at Sha Tin.
After Hayes' initial plans were scuppered when his horse suffered a stress fracture in September, Top Throne recovered from injury and graced the Sha Tin turf for his first hit out over 800m last month.
He traveled powerfully under Karis Teetan to pass the line in third before finishing ahead of his rivals in his most recent trial over 1,050m on Tuesday.
Top Throne is expected to have one more trial at Happy Valley before making his debut in March.
Laserblanca
Trainer: John Size
Rating: 52
HK record: Unraced
Laserblanca is another unraced import that has been doing everything right in preparation for his first start.
The John Size-trained three-year-old arrived in October and immediately caught the eye during his first trial over 1,050m in December.
After hitting the front in the first 100m with Zac Purton in the saddle, Laserblanca kept on well for third under minimal pressure from the champion.
In his fourth and most recent trial on the Sha Tin dirt on Tuesday, Laserblanca showed plenty of natural speed to finish second in a four-runner field featuring three Class 3 rivals.
While he is likely to start favorite when he makes his debut, Laserblanca looks set to make an immediate impact on the track.
Packing Angel
Trainer: Francis Lui
Rating: 81
HK record: Three wins from six starts
Packing Angel is the second and final four-year-old to make the list after sticking his neck out as a leading Derby hope at Sha Tin last Friday.
The son of Shocking defied a wide gate and blasted to a dominant win on the Chinese New Year Raceday, showing all the qualities required to keep flying through the grades.
His impressive gate speed, ability to settle and lethal turn of foot ensured he was far too classy for his laboring opponents last week and looks a perfect combination for the city's most prestigious race on March 23.
Colourful King
Trainer: David Eustace
Rating: 68
HK record: Unraced
David Eustace is in red-hot form and the artillery at his disposal is only getting stronger thanks to an influx of stable transfers and imports.
He has 68 horses in stable, 14 wins to his name and is operating at a solid 10.4 percent in his first Hong Kong season.
But perhaps the most staggering statistic surrounding the 32-year-old's yard is that over half of the horses in his stable are yet to race here.
Eustace has a whopping 37 unraced gallopers at his disposal, including the 68-rated Colourful King, who claimed two wins from four starts in Australia.
The Blue Point gelding collected a pair of wins over 1,000m as a two-year-old and may get off the mark in Hong Kong at the first time of asking after blazing a trail in his recent trials.
Colourful King made all over 1,050m under Andrea Atzeni in his latest trial on Tuesday and is due to make his debut at Sha Tin over 1,000m on February 16.
jack.dawling@singtaonewscorp.com
