BUFFERING - THE HONG KONG DIARY - PART 1

By Robert Heathcote | Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Robert Heathcote’s enlightening, behind the scenes commentary on Buffering’s recent successful, international mission to Dubai was extremely well received by HRO readers who will doubtless be very pleased to know that Heathcote will once again provide a diary of events on the second half of Buffering’s venture into international waters. BUFFERING – THE HONG KONG DIARY starts here.

Hi again guys,

I am very happy with Buffering this morning. He looks in super order and I had another blood done on him this morning and his blood picture is just about perfect.

He is bright and happy and a good old HK racing judge said to me at the track this morning that he thought he worked sensational yesterday morning and did it so easy.

All good positive stuff at this stage.

Enjoy the pics, nice one with Chatauqua eh? Numbers 1 and 3 world’s best sprinters!

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Spoke at length with Michael Hawkes and he is delighted how the Grey Flash has travelled and settled in in the short time he has been here.

I am happy to concede WBS to Chatauqua and he can really stamp his authority with a big win on Sunday week as simply the best in the world at the moment.

Buffs already proved he is number 1 for longevity and toughness and he is loved no matter what he does ... but he is sure to keep them all honest.

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The field for the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize to be contested at Sha Tin May 1:

AUS - Chautauqua (AUS) – The Hawkes training partnership

HK - Aerovelocity (NZ) - Paul O'Sullivan

HK - Gold-Fun (IRE) - Richard Gibson

HK - Peniaphobia (IRE) - Tony Cruz

AUS - Buffering (AUS) - Robert Heathcote

HK - Not Listenin'tome (AUS) - John Moore

HK - Lucky Bubbles (AUS) - Francis Lui

USA - Mongolian Saturday (USA) - Ganbat Enebish

HK - Charles The Great (IRE) - John Moore

HK - Super Jockey (NZ) - Tony Millard

HK - Amazing Kids (NZ) - John Size

HK - Thewizardofoz (AUS) - John Size

HK - Strathmore (AUS) - Tony Millard

HK - Divine Boy (AUS) - Me Tsui

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** Comments (below) courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club:

The prestigious Chairman's Sprint Prize is the final leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series and is staged over 1200 metres, with prize money totaling HK$10 million.

The Chairman's Sprint Prize is Hong Kong's 11th international Group 1 race as it was officially granted the highest grade by the International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee (IRPAC) in October 2015.

The 2016 renewal will be staged on the Champions Mile day on Sunday, 1 May 2016, at Sha Tin Racecourse.

In this year’s line-up the lofty trio comprising Aerovelocity and Not Listenin’tome for Hong Kong and Chautauqua for Australia, are augmented by North American star Mongolian Saturday, Australia’s favourite veteran Buffering, and a strong pack of locally-trained talent that also features Peniaphobia and Gold-Fun.

Chautauqua is an exceptional sprinter with a thrilling racing style. The Michael Hawkes-trained deep-closer flashes home late and fast, as he did in his most recent triumph, in which he unleashed a stunning last-to-first surge to collect the G1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) for the second time. That was his fourth win at the highest level, having also secured this season’s G1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) and the G1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m).

Buffering is another star of Australia’s strong sprint division. The Robert Heathcote-trained eight-year-old, a last link to the racing days of the great Black Caviar, notched his seventh G1 win when battling to victory in last month’s G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1000m) at Meydan.

Mongolian Saturday earned his greatest success in October’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (1100m) at Keeneland. He returns to Sha Tin after a creditable effort at the course and distance when fifth behind Peniaphobia in December’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint.

Peniaphobia took that prize with a make-all run under Joao Moreira. The Cruz-trained gelding placed third, a length behind Buffering, in last month’s G1 Al Quoz Sprint.

Aerovelocity was absent from this season’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, but Hong Kong’s reigning Champion Sprinter returned to action with a devastating win in January’s HKG1 Centenary Sprint Cup at the course and distance. Paul O’Sullivan’s stable star went to Japan at the end of March to attempt a second consecutive win in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m), only for a mild bout of colic to prevent the triple G1 winner’s participation.

The Gibson-trained Gold-Fun won last year’s HKG1 edition of the Chairman’s Sprint Prize and the seven-year-old, Hong Kong’s Champion Miler in 2014, will attempt to clinch a first success in the highest grade, having placed second in G1 company on three occasions.

Also among the selections are the horses that many believe will be the next stars of the Hong Kong speed ranks.

The Francis Lui-trained Lucky Bubbles earned a first Pattern race win in breath-taking style when taking the HKG2 Sprint Cup at the course and distance on 3 April, ahead of another rising star, the Size-trained Amazing Kids. Size also has last season’s potentially top-class Champion Griffin, Thewizardofoz, in the field.

The exciting field also includes Super Jockey, runner-up in the 2015 edition of the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m, dirt) at Meydan, Charles The Great, and Strathmore.

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