Latest news with #Howdeepisyourlove
South China Morning Post
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Tragedy in Dubai as Howdeepisyourlove suffers fatal injury in Al Quoz Sprint
Howdeepisyourlove heads out to race under James McDonald in Dubai on Saturday. Photos: Kenneth Chan John Size-trained galloper is humanely euthanised after suffering a partial dislocation of his left front fetlock Howdeepisyourlove's first overseas mission has ended in tragedy, with the John Size-trained speedster suffering a fatal injury in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) in Dubai on Saturday night. Sent off favourite for the six-furlong dash down the Meydan straight, Howdeepisyourlove looked to be travelling beautifully into the race from midfield until he clipped heels 500m from home and was pulled up by jockey James McDonald. Treated on the track after suffering a partial dislocation to his left front fetlock, the five-year-old was taken to Dubai Equine Hospital for further examination but had to be humanely euthanised. 'Near the 500m clipped the hind leg of another runner resulting in the gelding becoming unbalanced, as a result being eased out of the race and the rider dismounting,' said the stewards' report. 'When questioned, [McDonald] advised Howdeepisyourlove was travelling well until the 500m, where it clipped the hind leg of Marbaan. 'A post-race veterinary examination revealed the gelding to have subluxated its left fore leg.' Howdeepisyourlove's career featured six wins from 28 starts, with the highlight his victory in January's Group Three Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1,000m). The George Boughey-trained Believing, who could only manage ninth in last April's Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m) at Sha Tin, went onto win the race narrowly from Japan's Win Carnelian, with Regional running third for Edward Bethell. One race earlier, Sword Point had a torrid time of things when running last in the Group Two Godolphin Mile on dirt, struggling throughout before finishing 46 lengths off the victorious Raging Torrent. Frankie Lor Fu-chuen's Sword Point, who has prevailed twice on the Sha Tin all-weather track this season, didn't enjoy the Meydan dirt one bit. Also ridden by superstar Kiwi rider McDonald, the six-year-old galloper failed to take up a prominent position from gate two before resenting the kickback. Owned by Yulong Investments, the Doug O'Neill-trained Raging Torrent was a popular winner under Frankie Dettori. French galloper King Gold was three and a half lengths away in second, while Kazu Petrin grabbed third for Japan. The night's first race for thoroughbreds, the Group Two Dubai Gold Cup (3,200m), went to the home team, with Godolphin's Dubai Future prevailing for trainer Saeed bin Suroor and jockey Silvestre de Sousa. Earlier on Saturday, Hong Kong-based trio Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman and Andrea Atzeni left Randwick empty-handed after jetting down to Sydney for Doncaster Mile Day. Zac Purton fared best of the trio, snagging a Group One third aboard Buffalo in the Inglis Sires' (1,400m).
South China Morning Post
05-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Disaster in Dubai as Howdeepisyourlove suffers injury in Al Quoz Sprint
Howdeepisyourlove heads out to race under James McDonald in Dubai on Saturday. Photos: Kenneth Chan John Size-trained galloper taken for further assessment after sustaining a suspected dislocated left front fetlock Disaster struck for Hong Kong's Howdeepisyourlove in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) in Dubai on Saturday night, with the John Size-trained speedster failing to finish after suffering an injury 450m from home. Sent off favourite for the six-furlong dash down the Meydan straight, Howdeepisyourlove looked to be travelling beautifully into the race from midfield before he lost his stride and was pulled up by jockey James McDonald. Early reports suggested Howdeepisyourlove suffered a dislocated left front fetlock, with the five-year-old treated on the track before being loaded into the horse ambulance and taken to hospital for further assessment. The George Boughey-trained Believing, who could only manage ninth in last April's Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m) at Sha Tin, went onto win the race narrowly from Japan's Win Carnelian, with Regional running third for Edward Bethell. One race earlier, Sword Point had a torrid time of things when running last in the Group Two Godolphin Mile on dirt, struggling throughout before finishing 46 lengths off the victorious Raging Torrent. Frankie Lor Fu-chuen's Sword Point, who has prevailed twice on the Sha Tin all-weather track this season, didn't enjoy the Meydan dirt one bit. Also ridden by superstar Kiwi rider McDonald, the six-year-old galloper failed to take up a prominent position from gate two before resenting the kickback. Owned by Yulong Investments, the Doug O'Neill-trained Raging Torrent was a popular winner under Frankie Dettori. French galloper King Gold was three and a half lengths away in second, while Kazu Petrin grabbed third for Japan. The night's first race for thoroughbreds, the Group Two Dubai Gold Cup (3,200m), went to the home team, with Godolphin's Dubai Future prevailing for trainer Saeed bin Suroor and jockey Silvestre de Sousa. Earlier on Saturday, Hong Kong-based trio Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman and Andrea Atzeni left Randwick empty-handed after jetting down to Sydney for Doncaster Mile Day. Zac Purton fared best of the trio, snagging a Group One third aboard Buffalo in the Inglis Sires' (1,400m).
South China Morning Post
03-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Connections hoping Howdeepisyourlove can channel globetrotter Cape Of Good Hope
Howdeepisyourlove is put through his paces at Meydan on Thursday morning. Photos: Kenneth Chan Honest speedster will chase his maiden Group One success in Saturday's Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) in Dubai Connections of Howdeepisyourlove hope their honest sprinter can channel Group One-winning globetrotter Cape Of Good Hope when he tackles Saturday's Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) in Dubai. Tired of living in the shadow of the great Silent Witness at home in Hong Kong, the David Oughton-trained Cape Of Good Hope hit the road – racing a remarkable 12 times overseas and bagging wins in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1,200m) in the United Kingdom and the Group One William Reid Stakes (1,200m) at Moonee Valley in 2005. A Group Three winner in Hong Kong, the John Size-trained Howdeepisyourlove has produced consecutive Group One third placings behind superstar sprinter Ka Ying Rising and the classy Helios Express. 'Anyone who has been in Hong Kong for as long as I have remembers the Cape Of Good Hope story, where he got sick of chasing Silent Witness so they said 'let's go overseas' and they took him around the planet and started winning races,' said bloodstock agent David Price, who sourced both Silent Witness and Howdeepisyourlove. 'I'm not quite sure it'll be the same as that, but I know how much John likes this meeting and this just looked such a good target for him. 'You sit there and go 'do we want to keep chasing [Ka Ying Rising] or do we want a little bit of glory ourselves?'.' In chasing his first Group One success, Howdeepisyourlove will also be hunting a first overseas victory for trainer Size and a breakthrough Al Quoz Sprint win for Price's Price Bloodstock operation. It'll be the third year in a row Size and Price have had a presence in the Al Quoz Sprint, with Sight Success running fourth in 2023 and fifth behind fellow Hong Kong galloper California Spangle last year. 'We've had a couple of goes at it – it just fits. It's such good timing,' said Price, who also had the David Hall-trained Bundle Of Joy run fifth in the race in 2015. 'I feel like Howdeepisyourlove looks like a slightly upgraded model [compared to Sight Success] and it's hard not to be excited by what we're seeing on paper. 'I would say this is as good as one of ours has looked going into an overseas race out of most of the recent ones,' added Price, who tasted Group One glory abroad thanks to Silent Witness' victory in the 2005 Sprinters Stakes (1,200m) in Japan. A $3.20 favourite in fixed-odds markets, Howdeepisyourlove's closest market rival is British galloper Believing, who he beat home by seven lengths when running fifth in last April's Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m). 'I'm really looking forward to his race,' said Howdeepisyourlove's jockey James McDonald. 'He's a really good horse who's really consistent, so I think that's a really good thing when travelling. 'He's competed against the best sprinter in the world at the moment in Ka Ying Rising. Obviously a fair way back behind him, but he's always second or third duelling it out with Helios Express. 'I think that formline is as good as any sprinting formline around. You could safely say if Ka Ying Rising was in this field he'd be a very short-priced favourite and probably winning by four or five lengths, so we're in the ballpark and I think he's a terrific hope.' Hong Kong has a strong record in the Al Quoz Sprint, winning it three times from 17 runners, and Price knows a fourth success would mean a lot to all involved, including Colin Lo Chor-cheong – who raced Bundle Of Joy and is part of the Lo Profile Syndicate that owns Howdeepisyourlove. 'I'm always happy when they win for other people, so it's a little bit unique,' he said. 'There's a couple of syndicate members who have been good friends for a long time and they can't believe we're on this ride. I'm very excited to be a part of it, that's for sure.'
South China Morning Post
29-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Andrea Atzeni's hopes spring Eternal in Chairman's Trophy bid
Andrea Atzeni is optimistic Beauty Eternal strikes a winnable assignment when the Group One victor chases his first success in almost 12 months at Sha Tin on Sunday. Buoyed by the John Size-trained gelding's fast-finishing fourth last start, Atzeni has high hopes for Beauty Eternal in the Group Two Chairman's Trophy (1,600m). The Italian jockey rode Beauty Eternal for the first time under race conditions in last month's Group One Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m), in which the son of Starspangledbanner jumped only fairly but ran on well late to be beaten two lengths by superstar Ka Ying Rising. He steps back up to his preferred distance, at which he won the Group One Champions Mile in April last year under champion jockey Zac Purton. GO ON, @KarisTeetan! 🔥 The Mauritian ace guides superstar Ka Ying Rising to a third Group 1 win in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin ahead of Helios Express and Howdeepisyourlove... 🏆#LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) February 23, 2025 'I thought his last run was good,' Atzeni said. 'He was a bit sluggish early but he finished off quite nicely. 'Up in distance again will really suit him and with a good draw and a clean break, hopefully we're in a good position. 'It's a very open race. Obviously Galaxy Patch has trialled very well and might be the horse to beat, but we've got a nice draw. He's moving well and pulled up good from the other day.' Jumping from barrier four, Beauty Eternal is one of three Size-trained gallopers set for the Chairman's Trophy. Group Three winner Ensued drops in trip after a last-start second to Voyage Bubble in the Group One Gold Cup (2,000m), while the consistent Red Lion bids for the biggest win of his career. In Sunday's other Group Two, the Sprint Cup (1,200m), Atzeni conceded Gorgeous Win faces a mammoth task against Ka Ying Rising. The Danny Shum Chap-shing-trained Gorgeous Win is the lowest-rated of the seven Sprint Cup runners on a mark of 97. 'It's a small field and we all know Ka Ying Rising's going to be tough to beat, but we're all trying to play for some prize money,' Atzeni said. 'There looks to be quite a bit of pace in the race, so hopefully we can give him a chance.' Third in the jockeys' premiership with 35 wins this term, Atzeni hopes to continue his momentum after celebrating his 34th birthday in style with a double at Sha Tin on Wednesday night. 'I came back from the two-day suspension and had winners most meetings and a few doubles. Hopefully I can stay out of the stewards' room and keep the ball rolling,' Atzeni said. Gale Saga, Stellar Express, Robot Knight, South Star and Across Da Universe are Atzeni's other rides on Sunday.
South China Morning Post
20-02-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Dirt specialist Sword Point confirmed for Dubai World Cup meeting in April
Connections of dual Sha Tin all-weather winner accept invite to race in Group Two Godolphin Mile at Meydan by Jay Rooney on Thursday, February 20, 2025 11:34 AM Sword Point scores on the dirt on January 5. Photos: Kenneth Chan Frankie Lor Fu-chuen has confirmed Sword Point has been invited to race on Dubai World Cup night in April, with the dirt specialist set to continue his path to the overseas mission in Sunday's Group One Gold Cup (2,000m) at Sha Tin. Lor and owner Li Chi-pong have accepted the invitation to run Sword Point in the Group Two Godolphin Mile on the Meydan dirt on April 5. Unbeaten from two starts on the Sha Tin all-weather surface this season, the American Pharoah gelding's rating has soared to 111, prompting his trainer to search for suitable targets overseas. 'There are no more dirt races for him here in Hong Kong, so I need to run him on Sunday and then after, maybe he will trial before we go to Dubai,' Lor said. — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) January 5, 2025 Sword Point will join what is expected to be a strong squad of Hong Kong representatives at the Dubai World Cup meeting, headlined by champion galloper Romantic Warrior. Danny Shum Chap-shing's superstar is likely to tackle the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m), but he has also been entered for the Group One Dubai World Cup (2,000m) on dirt. California Spangle, Invincible Sage, Howdeepisyourlove, Flying Ace and Beauty Waves have been entered for the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m), while Beauty Waves also holds an entry for the Group One Dubai Golden Shaheen (1,200m) on dirt. Sword Point was an explosive first-up winner this term when trying the dirt for the first time, before extending his unblemished record on Sha Tin's all-weather surface with another strong triumph last month. The six-year-old heads into Sunday's Gold Cup off the back of a last-start eighth to Chancheng Glory in the Group Three Centenary Vase (1,800m) on turf. He has drawn barrier eight and will be ridden by Andrea Atzeni. Lor's consistent galloper Happy Together joins Sword Point in the Gold Cup, with the Group Three victor fresh from a solid sixth in the Centenary Vase. He will again be ridden by Alexis Badel and jumps from barrier four in the 10-horse field, which is headlined by three-time Group One winner Voyage Bubble. Ricky Yiu Poon-fai's stable star bids for a third straight elite-level success after dominant displays in the Hong Kong Mile and Stewards' Cup (1,600m). He has drawn barrier one for Kiwi star James McDonald, who has just two rides at the Sha Tin meeting. Complications with a return flight from Saudi Arabia, where McDonald rides Romantic Warrior in the US$20 million Saudi Cup (1,800m) on Saturday night, forced the champion jockey to forego other rides on Sunday including Howdeepisyourlove in the Group One Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m). Elsewhere on Sunday's card, Lor will aim to maintain Bottomuptogether's unbeaten record down the 1,000m straight when the talented sprinter contests the Class Two Citi Private Bank Handicap. Hugh Bowman replaces the injured Zac Purton on Bottomuptogether, who notched his fourth victory at start eight when scoring over 1,000m at Happy Valley last month. 'He's won twice down the straight,' Lor said of Bottomuptogether's Sha Tin 1,000m wins on his first two starts last season. 'The race should be run at a fast pace and that should be suitable for him. I don't want him to always go forward. If the pace is fast, maybe he can relax. He trialled last week with Hugh Bowman on and he trialled well.' In a strong field of eight speedsters, Bottomuptogether clashes with straight-track specialist Magic Control, Full Credit, Whizz Kid, Superb Capitalist, James Tak, Stellar Express and Healthy Healthy.
