Could controversial protest decision cost Sky Trust a spot in the Classic Cup?

South China Morning Post

17-02-2025

Caspar Fownes-trained galloper sits just below cut-off line for second leg of four-year-old series, but he should be given priority to start by officials
by Sam Agars on Monday, February 17, 2025 7:10 PM Sky Trust (left) and Winning Gold fight out the finish at Sha Tin on February 9. Photo: Kenneth Chan
The controversial protest decision which saw Sky Trust relegated to second on February 9 has left the Caspar Fownes-trained galloper just below the cut-off line for the HK$13 million Classic Cup (1,800m) on March 2, but if common sense prevails the in-form galloper should find himself in the field anyway.
A winning result on February 9 would have put the 79-rated Sky Trust safely in the field, but the stewards' decision to demote the galloper because of interference late in the race meant he received only a three-point rise to leave him equal 16th on ratings among the 28 entries released by the Jockey Club on Monday.
Of course, attrition could ensure Sky Trust a spot in the field regardless but that should be rendered irrelevant when Jockey Club head of racing product Greg Carpenter releases his priority to start later this week.
The top 11 in the ratings – My Wish, Rubylot, Packing Hermod, Divano, Johannes Brahms, Stunning Peach, Mickley, Noisy Boy, Cap Ferrat, Packing Angel and Californiatotality – all look assured of their spot in the second leg of the prestigious four-year-old series, but after that things are more open to interpretation.
Six horses look to be fighting for the final three spots, with 80-raters Mondial, Romantic Thor, Steps Ahead and Talents Ambition sitting just ahead of Sky Trust and Lucy In The Sky on marks of 79.
Steps Ahead should be guaranteed of his spot after his Class Three 1,800m win on the weekend and Talents Ambition looks to have done enough to warrant selection, while it should be easy to put a line through Lucy In The Sky after he ran fourth over 1,200m on the weekend.
That means officials will have to promote Sky Trust – who has won over a mile in Class Three this season – ahead of Mondial and Romantic Thor, which should be a simple enough decision given Mondial has never raced in Hong Kong and Romantic Thor was 11th over a mile on Sunday and is winless from four starts in the city.
If they don't, the decision to demote $2 favourite Sky Trust will leave connections smarting yet again. Million Challenge on the line
To say the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge fails to capture the imagination of Hong Kong racing fans would be something of an understatement, but this year's edition could be even less inspiring than normal if results fall a certain way at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
While the Million Challenge finale is set for February 26, the competition could be decided a week early if the David Hayes-trained Soleil Fighter salutes on Wednesday night and Eternal Fortune fails to fire.
As it stands, Soleil Fighter sits on 46 points with a four-point lead over the second-placed I Can, who isn't running on Wednesday night, and a six-point buffer over Eternal Fortune. — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) February 5, 2025
A win in the Class Three Kap Shui Mun Handicap (1,650m) would see Soleil Fighter move to 61 points, meaning anything less than a top-two finish from Eternal Fortune in the second section of the Class Three Ma Wan Handicap (1,200m) would render next week's finale merely ceremonial.
Held between September and February, the Million Challenge is open to horses in Class Three and above, with 15 points awarded for a win, six for second, four for third and three for fourth.
The winning connections pocket HK$1,000,000, while second grabs HK$350,000 and third HK$150,000.