Hong Kong Cup

The Hong Kong Cup is the final feature race at the International Meeting at Sha Tin, and it usually features a quality field of runners from all over the world. The 2000m Group 1 race was first run in 1988 and has since attracted world-wide fame and a string of champion winners.

Names such as Jim And Tonic, Fantastic Light, Designs On Rome and 2015 winner A Shin Hikari have graced the Cup in recent history, and since 1990 it has become a race open to horses all over the world. Come 1992, horses from United States, Canada and Japan were allowed to run in the Hong Kong Cup, and that traditional has stood the test of time.

Hong Kong Cup betting

The Hong Kong Cup has been won by diverse group that includes a lot of very talented horses, with none more so than the 2020 champion, Maurice. Because there are so many good horses in the country for the Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), it can often be a raffle who wins the Cup.

A good indicator of the key chances in these races is the jockey onboard the horse. If Joao Moreira is in the saddle, you can guarantee his mount is a chance because he generally is given the plumb rides. Many of Australia’s best hoops also make the trip to Hong Kong for the race, including the likes of Hugh Bowman and James McDonald.

Sport Table

2021 Hong Kong Cup nominations

Previous Hong Kong Cup fields

• 2020

  No.	Horse/Bred	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Odds
  1	Skalleti	J Reynier	P-C Boudot	4	57	$6.50
  2	Danon Premium	M Nakauchida	W Buick	6	57	$4.40
  3	Win Bright	Y Hatakeyama	M Matsuoka	8	57	$8
  4	Furore	A Cruz	J Moreira	5	57	$3.60
  5	Time Warp	A Cruz	K Teetan	2	57	$71
  6	Dances With Dragon	C Ho	C Fownes	7	57	$41
  7	Magical	A O’Brien	R Moore	1	55.5	$2.90
  8	Normcore	K Hagiwara	Z Purton	3	55.5	$11

• 2019

  No.	Horse/Bred	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Odds
  1	Win Bright	Y Hatakeyama	M Matsuoka	8	57	$5.40
  2	Rise High	C Fownes	V Ho	3	57	$3.20
  3	Time Warp	A S Cruz	K Teetan	6	57	$39
  4	Glorious Forever	F Lor	Z Purton	4	57	$9.80
  5	Dark Dream	F Lor	D Lane	7	57	$41
  6	Furore	F Lor	H Bowman	1	57	$3.20
  7	Magic Wand	A O’Brien	R Moore	2	55.5	$5.90
  8	Edisa	A De Royer-Dupre	S Pasquier	4	54	$11

• 2018

  No.	Silks	Horse/Bred	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Odds
  1		Sungrazer	H Asami	J Moreira	6	57	$3.50
  2		Time Warp	T Cruz	Z Purton	7	57	$5.50
  3		Northern Superstar	T Millard	K Teetan	9	57	$26
  4		Seasons Bloom	D Shum	R Moore	4	57	$26
  5		Gold Mount	R Gibson	O Murphy	5	57	$13
  6		Stormy Antarctic	E Walker	J Doyle	8	57	$21
  7		Staphanos	H Fujiwara	W Buick	3	57	$15
  8		Glorious Forever	F Lor	S de Sousa	1	57	$9
  9		Deirdre	M Hashida	C Lemaire	2	55.5	$3.80

• 2017

  No.	Silks	Horse/Bred	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Odds
  1		Deauville	A O’Brien	Ryan Moore	2	57	$12
  2		Neorealism	Noriyuki Hori	J Moreira	1	57	$6
  3		Poet’s Word	Sir M Stoute	A Atzeni	12	57	$7
  4		Werther	J Moore	Tommy Berry	3	57	$2.80
  5		Staphanos	H Fujiwara	J Bowman	8	57	$13
  6		Secret Weapon	C H Yip	N Rawiller	11	57	$19
  7		Robin Of Navan	H J Dunlop	S Clipperton	4	57	$41
  8		Garlingari	C Barande-Barbe	S Pasquier	6	57	$26
  9		Time Warp	A S Cruz	Z Purton	5	57	$6
  10		War Decree	A O’Brien	J A Heffernan	7	57	$21
  11		Blonde Me	A Balding	O Murphy	10	55.5	$21
  12		Smart Layer	R Okubo	Y Take	9	55.5	$11

2020 Hong Kong Cup result

Recent Hong Kong Cup winners

• 2020: Normcore and Zac Purton claim vcitory in the HK Cup
  Having finished fourth in the Hong Kong Mile in 2019, connections of Normcore opted to stretch the mare out the 2000m for a Hong Kong Cup and it proved to be a winning combination. Having settled in the second half of the field, Zac Purton timed his run perfectly aboard the Japanese mare, with the big grey prevailing over the final 100m.
• 2019: Win Bright digs deep to claim victory
  Win Bright was able to hold out a fast finishing Magic Wand in a thrilling finish to the 2019 Hong Kong Cup. The pair had paired off in the running just off the pace and looked to both be travelling smoothly when cornering for the run to the judge. Both looked to have been struggling with 200 metres to go, but it was the Japanese galloper Win Bright who was too strong for his rivals over the concluding stages.
• 2018: Glorious Forever runs them ragged
  Glorious Forever completed a clean sweep for the Hong Kong trainers at the 2018 HKIR after a brilliant front-running ride by Silvester de Sousa. Spearing out to an early lead it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the swoopers would descend and eventually run the leader down. It wasn’t the case however as de Sousa hugged the rails and under a vigorous ride found enough in the latter stages to hold off the fast-finishing favourite Dierdre.
• 2017: Purton lifts Time Warp to victory
  Time Warp was not well favoured in the market heading into the Hong Kong Cup in 2017 but under a brilliant ride from champion jockey Zac Purton, the horse duly delivered. Taking to the front early in the piece Time Warp produced a powerful and sustained run from the front before kicking away in the straight to win by close to three lengths from Werther.
• 2016: Maurice signs out in style
  Maurice was having its last start before heading off to stud and it made a great impact on its way out. The Japanese star didn’t jump well with Ryan Moore in the saddle and it was giving A Shin Hikari many lengths into the home straight, but the champion reeled it in quick smart before running away with the victory at the odds-on price of $1.70. Read report here.
• 2015: A Shin Hikari makes a name for himself
  A Shin Hikari burst onto the world scene when winning the Hong Kong Cup in 2015. The Japanese-trained runner was the fourth Japanese winner of the Hong Kong Cup and the first since Agnes Digital won in 2001. A Shin Hikari paid $26 for the win in what was considered a big upset. It set a strong pace in front and it held on to score by a length in a race record time.
• 2014: Designs Of Rome storms home to claim the Hong Kong Cup
  Designs Of Rome was a popular winner in 2014 for trainer John Moore and champion jockey Joao Moreira. The son of Holy Roman Emperor was a stylish winner over the likes of Military Attack and Australian runner Criterion. In its usual style, Designs On Rome settle at the rear of the field before producing a big finishing burst down the outside.
• 2013: Akeed Mofeed rewards favourite punters
  Akeed Mofeed wasn’t one of the most popular Hong Kong Cup victors in recent history, but the Richard Gibson-trained runner was too good for its rivals in 2013 and it would later represent Hong Kong at the Dubai World Cup. It paid a short price on the tote with bookmakers when holding out Japanese entrant Tokei Halo and Cirrus des Aigles.

Hong Kong Cup records and statistics

The race record belongs to A Shin Hikari, which ran 2:00.60 when winning in 2015. It became the fourth Japanese-trained runner to win the Hong Kong Cup.

California Memory is the only horse to win more than one Hong Kong Cup when Matthew Chadwick was in the saddle, but Frankie Dettori has won three as a jockey.

The Italian champion won aboard Fantastic Light in 2000, Falbrav in 2003 and Ramonti in 2007.

Godolphin trainer Saeed Bin Suroor has won the race twice with Fantastic Light and Ramonti. Local trainer Tony Cruz has also had two victories in consecutive years with California Memory.

Past Hong Kong Cup champions

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