The atmosphere at Happy Valley crackled late into Tuesday night on December 23 as racing produced a finish for the ages. After eight compelling contests, the nine-race programme at THE HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB reached its peak in Race 9, the Neptune Handicap. A thrilling DEAD-HEAT RESULT saw Helene Feeling and Kaholo Angel cross together in 1:38.99, splitting the $3,120,000 prize and stunning the packed stands.
The evening opened with the Mercury Handicap, where Concorde Star set the tone early under J Orman, trained by Y S Tsui, stopping the clock at 1:09.63. Nebraskan chased gamely into second, with Happy Boys close behind in third.
Momentum continued in the first Venus Handicap, as Absolute Awakened justified strong support. Z Purton, riding with trademark confidence for trainer F C Lor, guided the winner home in 1:39.64, ahead of Setanta and Turin Warrior.
The second division of the Venus Handicap belonged to Quantum Patch, who delivered a composed performance under M Guyon for trainer P C Ng, scoring in 1:40.06. Shinkansen and Our Lucky Glory completed the frame.
Speed returned sharply in the first Jupiter Handicap, where Sugar Sugar edged out rivals with precision. E C W Wong partnered the C Fownes-trained runner to victory in 1:09.55, holding off Giant Ballon and Winning Money.
That pace intensified again as California Blitz produced a slick finish in the second Jupiter Handicap. M Chadwick, riding for W K Mo, clocked 1:09.45, fending off Good Luck Happy, with Know At Heart in third.
Stamina took centre stage in the Saturn Handicap, where The Auspicious delivered a controlled, staying performance. M Guyon completed a double for the night, steering the Y S Tsui-trained runner home in 2:15.25, ahead of Liveandletlive and Money Catcher.
The later Jupiter Handicap saw Awesome Treasure strike decisively. L Hewitson, riding for D A Hayes, secured the win in 1:10.12, with Rewarding Buddy second and Fortune Whiskey third.
Excitement peaked again in the Uranus Handicap, as Sports Legend produced a sharp late surge under Y L Chung. Trained by D Eustace, the winner stopped the clock at a rapid 1:09.07, finishing clear of Friends of Shajing and Lucky Planet.
Then came the moment that defined the night. The Neptune Handicap delivered a finish few will forget. Helene Feeling, ridden by H Bowman for trainer C S Shum, and Kaholo Angel, partnered by E C W Wong for C Fownes, could not be split, sharing victory in 1:38.99. With no clear second, Huge Wave filled third, but the spotlight belonged firmly to the two winners locked together on the line.
As the lights dimmed at Happy Valley, conversation lingered on that final finish. Nights like this remind racing fans why they keep coming back. Not for certainty, but for moments when sport refuses to choose just one hero.
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