Jan’s the Man in competitive FWD Champions Mile
SUNDAY’s £2.25M G1 FWD Champions Mile (8.45am) is an intriguing puzzle to solve with little to choose between the main contenders, when judged on international ratings.
Hong Kong has been spoilt for choice in recent years with a host of all-time greats, such as Able Friend, Beauty Generation, Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble mopping up the majority of Group One prizes at home and sometimes abroad.
Judged on the results of last season’s Classic Four-Year-Old Series, however, the hopes of another champion on the horizon have failed to materialise and the current crop of milers don’t look up to scratch.
My Wish, who finished fourth in this contest last year as a four-year-old, picked up a couple of Group Three and Group Two prizes earlier in the season. However, he has failed to deliver three times when stepping into Group One company.
Hong Kong Derby winner Invincible Ibis and Classic Mile victor Little Paradise fly the flag for this season’s four-year-olds, but records show that age-group haven’t won this race since 2011.
Triple Crown winner and crowd favourite Voyage Bubble has looked a shadow of his former best this year. Former champion sprinter turned miler Lucky Sweynesse may look best of the home defence, judged on his recent Group Two Chairman’s Trophy victory, but he needs to improve further and that is a big ask aged seven.
Overseas challengers also don’t have a great record in this company, with only two winners ever, but such is the dearth of talent on show from the locals that this year looks ripe for an overseas triumph.
Japanese contender JANTAR MANTAR is rated one of the world’s best milers with four Group One victories to his name, most notably when overcoming a wide draw to win the G1 Mile Championship back in November.
That form is the best on view, and it is worth ignoring his previous trip to Hong Kong back in 2024. Nothing went right for him; he had a wide journey and lost a shoe which ultimately led to defeat in the LONGINES G1 Hong Kong Mile.
UK galloper DOCKLANDS should not be ignored. He finished fourth to Voyage Bubble in the Group One Hong Kong Mile back in December and has had an ideal preparation since. He won his prep-race at Doncaster last month, and track-work watchers reporting he looks a picture of health.
POINTERS
Jantar Mantar 8.45am Sha Tin
Docklands (e/w) 8.45am Sha Tin