On The Rails | Gold-Fun’s Royal Ascot defeat caps Hong Kong’s worst season on the world stage in over a decade
It has been almost 10 years since a Sha Tin-based horse didn't win a Group One abroad, while it is nearly 15 years since the locals had such a poor record in the international features at home
Expectations can get out of hands in this world but, in sheer black and white terms, Gold-Fun’s brave second in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot put the seal on Hong Kong’s worst international season in over a decade.
With Werther’s QE II romp finding him a place in the top few horses in the world on the most recently published list, it probably doesn’t feel that way, but that is what the results are saying as we look back over the Group racing season now that it is complete.
Overseas, there wasn’t a Group One win for Hong Kong for the first time since 2007-08 – although there was Rich Tapestry’s Group Three in Dubai as a consolation and honourable defeats at Royal Ascot and in Dubai.
At Sha Tin, the home team was the least successful it has been since all five (then) international races went to offshore connections in 2001-02, with Peniaphobia’s Hong Kong Sprint and Werther’s QE II Cup the only results. In fact, since 2001-02, you could take a strike rate of better than 50 per cent for the home team in Sha Tin internationals to the bank – 46 out of 76 trophies stayed here.
Away from home, the contrast was major as it came off us being spoilt winning four Group Ones overseas in each of 2013-14 and 2014-15. And it was, in part, about changes in the landscape.
