David Hayes is enjoying a season to remember, and the Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainer has his sights set on another major prize as he sends out RUBYLOT and MONDIAL in Sunday’s HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) at Sha Tin. With a trio of Group 1 victories already secured this term through star sprinter Ka Ying Rising, Hayes is eager to add another feather to his cap in the second leg of the prestigious Four-Year-Old Classic Series.
A two-time Hong Kong Champion Trainer (1997/98 & 1998/99), Hayes knows what it takes to win this race, having saddled RESFA to victory in 1999. Now, with a championship-leading 33 wins this season, he will be looking to extend his dominance with a strong team of nine runners across the 10-race programme.
Leading the charge is RUBYLOT, a seasoned campaigner with 17 Hong Kong starts to his name. The Rubick gelding has already recorded five victories over distances ranging from 1000m to 1400m, and Hayes is confident he will thrive over the 1800m trip. The gelding caught the eye in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) last start, finishing strongly from barrier 10 to claim sixth place, and his trainer believes he is primed for a bold showing.
“He’s going well, he really is going well,” Hayes said. “He’s trialled well between runs, and he’s crying out for 1800 metres. He finished well last start, and I think he’s going to run well.”
Drawn in barrier eight, RUBYLOT will once again sport the recognizable white and blue silks of the HK Football Club Horse Racing Syndicate. The HK$8.26 million earner will have the services of in-form jockey Brenton Avdulla, who has been in red-hot form with nine winners through February.
Hayes’ connection with the Football Club Syndicate runs deep, having trained for them in the past and currently managing a trio of their runners SNOWALOT, RUBYLOT, and DECRELOT. The latter will also be in action on Sunday, contesting the Class 4 Yan Oi Tong Handicap (1400m), where Hayes expects him to improve once he steps up to a mile.
Joining RUBYLOT in the Hong Kong Classic Cup is MONDIAL, who will be making his Hong Kong debut. A Group 1-placed performer in South Africa, the gelding finished in the money in the G1 South African Derby (2450m) before his move to Hong Kong. While he is yet to be tested in local conditions, Hayes has seen promising signs in his recent trial.
“His last trial was better,” Hayes noted. “He’s a clear 2000-metre or 2400-metre horse. He’s a Group 1 performer overseas, and his last trial was good. I’ve spoken to his previous trainers, and they told me he couldn’t beat the stable pony in a track gallop—meaning he’s very lazy.”
Sunday’s Hong Kong Classic Cup is set to feature a strong field, headlined by MY WISH, who stamped himself as a leading contender with victory in the Hong Kong Classic Mile. With the Four-Year-Old Classic Series culminating in the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 23 March, a compelling contest awaits as these rising stars battle for supremacy.
The afternoon’s racing at Sha Tin gets underway at 1pm with the Class 4 Fu Tai Handicap (1000m), setting the stage for another thrilling chapter in Hong Kong’s racing season.
