|09.10.2022|9:46am
The 2022-23 Hong Kong racing season begins early Sunday morning East Coast time. Racing is normally performed on a Sunday morning at Sha Tin and on a Wednesday at Happy Valley.
The two programs are dramatically completely different, and every has many nuances. Happy Valley is a decent, seven-furlong turf course. 1,000-meter races are run round one sharp right-hand flip into a brief stretch (about 330 yards). 1,200-meter races have a fast right-hand elbow earlier than heading up the backstretch to the sharp right-hand flip. Two-turn races start at 1,650 meters and infrequently 1,800 meters. Three-turn races are normally 2,200 meters.
Sha Tin has a large, expansive turf course and an all-weather observe on its inside which is usually known as the filth observe. The turf course has a 1,000 meter straight then round one flip, the widespread distances are 1,200 meters, 1,400 meters, 1,600 meters and 1,800 meters. Two-turn races are run at 2,000 meters and a couple of,400 meters. The turf course has an extended homestretch of over 440 meters so the 1,200-meter sprints begin comparatively near the flip.
The widespread all-weather distances are 1,200 meters, then 1,650 and 1,800 meters going round two turns. The 1,200-meter dash races are unusually quick so do not get too excited if you happen to see a race go sooner than 1:09 seconds.
The greatest factor to grasp about handicapping Hong Kong racing it doesn’t matter what the floor or distance is class. Over 95% of the races are handicaps and understanding them is the important thing to success.
Hong Kong racing is split into 5 courses. All horses are rated by the observe handicapper and are then divided into courses in order that the races are aggressive. Class 5 is for horses rated 0 to 40. These are the bottom rated horses on the grounds however in opposition to one another, they kind very attention-grabbing races to wager.
Class 4 is for horses rated 40 to 60 and right here is the place the motion is. Horses which might be starting their racing careers are rated 52 so you will notice some terrific horses begin their profession in opposition to Class 2 competitors. Last yr, Romantic Warrior began out at 52 when he made his debut at Happy Valley and 7 begins later, was rated at 122 courtesy of wins within the Hong Kong Derby and the Group 1 QEII Cup.
Class 3 is for horses rated 60 to 80 and right here is the place you get horses transferring up via the ranks as they earn increased scores or horses dropping down. It is usually a risky mixture of horses moving into both course.
Class 2 is normally for horses rated 80 to 100 however generally the racing workplace has to increase the vary to create fuller fields – 75-100 or 80 to 105.
Class 1 is for the highest handicap horses however regardless of massive purses, usually are not stakes races. They will be 90+, 85 to 110 or 90 to 115.
Once the horses are rated and grouped into 5 courses, every ranking level equals one pound assigned by the handicapper. For occasion, final yr’s 805th race, which was race 8 on July 6 at Happy Valley, was a Class 3 going 1,200 meters. The highest-rated runner at 80 carried 135 kilos. The lowest-rated runner at 60 carried 115 kilos.
A 20-pound weight unfold in a race just isn’t uncommon however the norm for handicap racing in Hong Kong. With full fields additionally the norm, put up positions are vital so a horse carrying numerous weight that’s poorly drawn is normally a foul wager. Remember, program numbers are assigned by weight carried and never put up place. The “1” horse in a handicap is carrying excessive weight. If greater than horse is assigned the identical weight, the numbers for these horses are assigned by alphabetical order.
When a horse wins, they normally decide up a minimum of 5 ranking factors. An particularly spectacular win may decide up much more. Horses that end within the high 4 are doubtless so as to add ranking factors. Horses that lose are prone to deduct factors.
A horse in poor kind goes to be dropping weight and may get to the purpose that they’re very aggressive within the Class that they’re working in. A horse that wins and crosses the brink to the subsequent Class stage should run in opposition to higher competitors however a minimum of might be on the backside of that new Class stage and might be lightly-weighted.
Horses in Hong Kong are in a continuing state of movement and understanding the system of sophistication ranges and handicap weights is essential to success.
