Tide is high for Balding’s ‘Blondie’ in HK Cup
BACK in 2004 a young British trainer named Andrew Balding won the Hong Kong Vase with Phoenix Reach, and on Sunday he will attempt to win another group one title at Sha Tin with star galloper Blond Me.
Phoenix Reach hadn’t been in great form in the months before that victory, but this time Balding has Blond Me in stellar condition heading into the Hong Kong Cup.
Blond Me is a $17 chance at Ladbrokes to win the Group One Hong Kong Cup.
Blond Me – or ‘Blondie’ to those close to her – by contrast to Phoenix Reach, has enjoyed a fantastic season, climaxed by victory in October’s Grade One E P Taylor Stakes at Canada’s Woodbine racecourse.
Recalling Phoenix Reach’s Hong Kong win in just his second year as a trainer, Balding said: “It was a very big deal at the time.”
There have been plenty of big deals for Balding since and his stable has just enjoyed another terrific season back home that included Here Comes When’s Group One victory in Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes and a new personal best for season’s earnings.
As for Blond Me, the mare receives some extraordinary and interesting praise from the trainer, whose Kingsclere Stables in Berkshire, England, now houses around 180 horses.
“She is the easiest horse I have trained, and if she had a human personality she would be the best friend you could have,” he said.
Balding isn’t one for extravagant predictions and doesn’t anticipate extra improvement from the mare on what will be its 18th and final start before a second career as a broodmare in France.
Pointing especially towards its second in Goodwood’s Group One Nassau Stakes in August as well as the Canadian win, Balding said Blond Me will give the race a real shake, and believes his mare will relish the Sha Tin track.
“Her form of this year is what she brings to the table. She’s easy to get fit, relatively fresh and can be in the mix.
“Any horse should appreciate this track. It’s as good and fair as they come.”
Owner Barbara Keller’s enthusiasm for ‘Blondie’ was irrepressible as she spoke about the mare at Happy Valley on Wednesday evening.
“We all need dreams and ‘Blondie’ has made the dream come alive,” said the Swiss-based owner.
“Odeliz won me a group one in France (Deauville’s Prix Jean Romanet) a couple of years ago and it is really amazing what these horses can do for you,” she said as she joyfully recounted the six countries that happy traveller Blond Me has already raced in.
Apart from Canada, they include the United States and Turkey, where she won last year’s prestigious Group Two Topkapi Trophy.
Oisin Murphy rode Blond Me then as did the 22-year-old at Woodbine last time, when the pair showed little mercy to their rivals as they made their charge down the outside.
“He’s a superstar,” Keller said of Murphy.
“We’ve been thinking about this race for ages, and we are so appreciative to be here.”