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Hong Kong's Group 1 racing season ends at Sha Tin on Sunday, May 25, with the G1 Champions & Chater Cup going approximately 1 1/2 miles on the turf. It will be part of the World Pool, like nearly all major international races, enabling customers from 25 participating jurisdictions to wager into large, stable betting pools. Win, Place, Quinella, Quinella Place, Exacta, Trifecta, Quartet, Trio, First 4, Double, Pick 3, Double Trio, Triple Trio and Six Up bet types will be available for the whole race card, check with your favorite tote operator for details.
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The top international starter appears to be seven-year-old Dubai Honour from William Haggas’ barn. He has been all over the world – four times to Hong Kong already – and won the G1 Tancred Stakes at this distance as recently as April 1 at Rosehill in Australia while carrying 130 pounds. The son of Pride of Dubai can handle any ground and will be ridden by Tom Marquand. His international rating is 118.
Last year's Champions & Chater Cup was won by the globetrotting Rebel’s Romance, winner of the 2022 and 2024 G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, but it has been dominated by local horses before that. Defending the home team will be Voyage Bubble, four-time Group 1 stakes winner at Sha Tin and the highest rated runner in the field at 120.
The issue for Voyage Bubble is he has never contested the 1 ½-mile distance since three of his Group 1 stakes wins came at a mile and his last came in the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup going approximately 1 1/4 miles. But, having won the G1 Stewards’ Cup and the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup, this is Voyage Bubble’s chance to sweep the Triple Crown and join River Verdon as the only horse to do so. And, there is a HK$10 million bonus if he wins all three races.
David Hayes is high on Rubylot’s chances after winning the Hong Kong Classic Cup for 4-year-olds then a hard-charging fifth in the Hong Kong Derby. A troubled sixth, only beaten three lengths by two Japanese superstars in the G1 QE II Cup, has given Hayes optimism that he can handle the added distance. Unfortunately, he will not be getting weight from his higher-rated rivals.
Five G Patch is only rated 113 at the moment and will also not get any breaks in the weight-for-age event. However, he was second in last year’s renewal and third the year before so the distance seems to wake him up no matter how strong the competition is. He might not be a candidate for the win but at long odds, Five G Patch is worth using underneath in vertical wagers.
The added distance of 1 1/2 miles will conduct a tour of Sha Tin’s expansive turf course. While it should be a test of stamina, it provides lower-rated horses the opportunity to take some chances since their rider already has confidence in their ability to see out the distance. Unlike most of the races in Hong Kong where the assigned weight is what brings the horses together, in the case of the Champions & Chater Cup, it is the added distance that does.
Dubai Honour has been traveling all over the world. Voyage Bubble’s is trying to sweep the Triple Crown at a distance he has never contested. Despite their class edge, they might be vulnerable to others that should make it really difficult and a fun race to watch and wager on.