breednet.com.au

Get the Popcorn Ready for Champions Day at Sha Tin

Mark Smith - Friday April 28

Excitement is building for Champions Day at Sha Tin on Sunday, with all the winners of the three features last year back to defend their titles.

Romantic Warrior (IRE) hasn't done much wrong since winning the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup by two lengths a year ago.

The Irish-bred son of Acclamation flogged two of Sunday's opponents Danon The Kid (JPN) and Money Catcher (NZ), in a four-and-a-half length romp in the Hong Kong Cup in December.

Geraldina the product of two champion (image Grant Courtney)

James McDonald will be back on the Danny Shum-trained gelding, who lost little when second to Golden Sixty at his most recent starts in the Hong Kong Gold Cup and The Stewards Cup.

Advertisement

Japanese horses have been winning for fun around the world and have three serious contenders in Danon The Kid (Just A Way), Prognosis (Deep Impact), and Geraldina (Maurice).  

Geraldina (JPN) may well be the best-bred horse on show at the meeting, a daughter of the revered champion Gentildonna (Deep Impact).

Dubai Honour (IRE) is responsible for adding credibility to the Australian form. The son of  Pride Of Dubai is coming off a defeat of Mo'unga and Anamoe after he treated the opposition with contempt in the Ranvet Stakes.  

Golden Sixty revs up for a third Champions Mile (image Grant Courtney)

Local hero Golden Sixty attempts to make it three consecutive wins in the Champions Mile. The Australian-bred son of Medaglia d'Oro (USA) defeated California Spangle (IRE) in the race last year, and expect the son of Starspangledbanner to be the stumbling block again.

The Annabel Neasham-trained My Oberon (IRE) is hard to catch, but the son of Dubawi looked to be something near his best when second in the Doncaster Mile.

The 4yo Deep Field gelding Voyage Bubble scored a fighting win at his most recent start in the Hong Kong Derby.

Lucky Sweynesse at unbackable odds in Chairmans Sprint (image Grant Courtney)

The All Too Hard gelding Wellington is also attempting a three-peat in the Chairman's Sprint Prize. But he has played second fiddle to the rising star Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) in the Centenary Sprint Cup, The Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup, and The Sprint Cup.

The Manfred Man-trained son of Sweynesse is a long odd-on favourite to make it five wins in a row and twelve from sixteen overall. 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Verdi's Gritty Goldman wins Pakenham Cup
One-time Melbourne Cup favourite Goldman has bounced back to winning form for the first time in more than 18-months when leading throughout to score in the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) on Saturday.
Another Stakes Win For This Burly Enigma - Leave The Whip At Home
Enigmatic is a word often bandied about in racing but it certainly sits well upon the ample shoulders of Cannonball, a big odds winner of the Listed Magic Millions Falvelon at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Josh Herd awarded 2025 Sunline Trust Scholarship
Manawatu’s Josh Herd has been announced as the 2025 recipient of the Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship.
Hong Kong Summed Up - Dec 22
A double for Brave Smash, including a new winner, also new winners for Hellbent and Kermadec, and three yearling catalogue updates amongst seven Australasian bred winners at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Sad Passing Uncle Mo
A regular shuttler to Coolmore Australia in the first four years of his stud career, leading US sire and brilliant racehorse Uncle Mo was euthanised in Kentucky on Thursday at age 16 on veterinary advice following an injury to his left foreleg.
Stakes Racing Catalogue Updates Last Week
A dozen stakes updates in the past week into catalogues for yearlings coming up.
Is He the Next Via Sistina or Buckaroo?
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross is a formidable one and has produced this spring’s elite Group I winners Via Sistina (IRE) and Buckaroo (GB) with another lightly raced import bred the same way in Gilded Water (GB) going two for two in Australia with a cavalier win at Randwick on Saturday.
Four MM Lead Ups for Icarian Dream - what are the stats?
Two-year-old filly Icarian Dream’s win in the B.J. McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday will see her head into the Magic Millions 2YO Classic having had four starts before year’s end, which might seem a lot in this day and age – but is it? We’ve had a look.
No Shock in Supernova
The good times keep on rolling for connections of winning machine Here To Shock(NZ) (Shocking) who plundered the inaugural A$1 million Supernova at Pakenham over his favoured 1400m distance for trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes.
$250,000 Magic Millions Debut Friday Night – Sale Mail
A field of 10 unraced juveniles will get the chance to go straight into the $3million Magic Millions 2YO Classic with a win in tonight’s $250,000 Magic Millions Debut (1000m), so who are the contenders?