Red Lion’s seasonal reappearance at Sha Tin on Sunday (19 October) carries a mix of anticipation and cautious optimism. Trainer John Size is hoping that a light weight and the expertise of Richard Kingscote can help the Group 1 winner overcome a tricky draw in the HK$5.35 million G2 Sha Tin Trophy (1600m).
Gate 13 is far from ideal in a race expected to be run at a strong tempo, but Red Lion will carry just 119lb – the lightest he has borne in almost 22 months. Size believes the handicap, combined with some off-season improvement, gives his six-year-old a real chance to challenge for victory.
“The handicap’s going to help him out a little bit,” Size said. “He’s a little bit one-paced, Red Lion. I’m not sure if he can get up in a close enough position to whack away and win a race at 1400, but at 1600 – now that he’s a more mature horse – he’s probably got some more advantage. He’s had a few trials, he’s done a bit of work, and he’s in good enough shape to go to the races. He’ll give a good account of himself.”
Red Lion was a sensational 89/1 winner of last season’s HK$24 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and is currently rated seventh in Hong Kong with a mark of 118. He will again face Voyage Bubble (135lb), the rival he narrowly overcame last season.
Size will also saddle Beauty Eternal (115lb), ridden by Matthew Chadwick, and Ensued (115lb) with Andrea Atzeni in the irons. With first-choice jockey Hugh Bowman unable to make the 119lb handicap limit, Size turned to lightweight ace Kingscote, who impressed in a six-week stint at Sha Tin last season.
“He seemed to be the perfect fit, Richard Kingscote,” Size said. “Obviously, everybody wants to try and help the new riders when they come in. So I’m very happy that he can ride the 119 and ride a nice horse. He hasn’t had the chance to sit on the horse, but this is a very experienced jockey and this is a very experienced horse, so they won’t have a problem.”
Kingscote, 39, enjoyed a remarkable summer in Britain, including two Group 1 victories in 40 days. Among them was pacemaker Qirat’s 150/1 triumph in the Sussex Stakes, the longest-priced winner of a British feature race since 1822. Yet the jockey remains winless in Hong Kong this season and is eager to break the drought aboard a proven Group 1 performer.
“Obviously it’s great that Mr Size has thrown me on a nice horse, and I’m very grateful and looking forward to it,” Kingscote said. “Frustratingly, I’ve not had a winner here yet this term, but it finished very well for me when I was here last time. It’s nice to be put on Red Lion, for sure.”
Sunday’s 10-race fixture at Sha Tin gets underway at 12.45pm with the Class 5 Shek Mun Handicap (1400m), setting the stage for an afternoon of high-stakes action.
Read the full Hong Kong racing coverage at RaceBuzz.
