Hong Kong Diary: Graham Cunningham ponders the next move for Arc hero Waldgeist

Arc weekend proved highly lucrative for a couple of former visitors to Hong Kong as Waldgeist floored Enable in the main event and One Master won the Prix de la Foret for the second year running.

One Master, who failed to land a blow behind all-conquering Beauty Generation in last year’s Hong Kong Mile, now has Ascot’s Champions Sprint pencilled in for her final run of the season.

Waldgeist’s next move is still being mulled over by connections but, in blackjack terms, the choices lie with stick, twist or twist again.

Sticking involves going straight to stud as the Arc hero who dethroned the Queen; twisting involves trying to banish memories of a heavy 2018 Breeders’ Cup defeat round the tight turns of Santa Anita; and twisting again involves trying to erase a different type of memory.

Waldgeist did well to finish fifth in last year’s Hong Kong Vase having been badly baulked early in the home straight and Fabre has history in the race having won it with Borgia and Flintshire.

As things stand, sticking looks favourite with twisting as second in. But the Vase is worth well over £1m to the winner. And you know what they say about the outsider of three.

Big Three back on top as table takes familiar shape

Much chatter as a new Hong Kong season began last month was of how a summer shake-up was going to create greater competition in the jockey ranks.

The Hong Kong model is unusual – with just 23 riders – and the arrival of Aussie star Blake Shinn and young South African champion Lyle Hewitson was designed to increase the pressure on Zac Purton, Joao Moreira and Karis Teetan.

Joao Moreira: has a full book of rides at Happy Valley on WednesdayCredit: Getty Images

And yet the big three, powered by their undoubted skill and strong contacts books, have tightened their grip at the top of the table still further by partnering 41 of the 77 winners at the first eight meetings of the season.

Purton, Moreira and Teetan all have full books of nine rides on the Happy Valley's Wednesday card, including at least eight likely favourites and a host of other strong fancies.

Meanwhile, Shinn and Hewitson head across town with just one winner between them – but even that meagre return is still one more than a couple of familiar European faces.

Neil Callan and Umberto Rispoli have ridden almost 350 Hong Kong winners between them – including several at Group 1 level – but they head to the city track on Wednesday winless from 36 and 30 rides apiece this season.

Neil Callan: still without a winner after 36 rides in Hong Kong this seasonCredit: Hugh Routledge

The resilient Callan has been hitting the crossbar with five seconds and has six chances to go one better on Wednesday, while Rispoli knows exactly how fashions can change and has bounced back from barren spells and serious injuries several times in the last few years.

However, it's a well-known fact that some Hong Kong trainers tend not to answer calls or messages once a rider arrives on the Cold List. And the battle for good rides is only going to intensify once Silvestre de Sousa and Alexis Badel return for their annual Asian winter stints next month.

Well-treated Circuit poised to bounce back

Douglas Whyte hasn't used Callan or Rispoli since swapping riding for training, but HK's newest handler has formed a solid bond with Italian rider Alberto Sanna and the pair combined to fine effect when former David Simcock-trained Uncle Steve landed a strong Class 2 in the style of a very progressive horse at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Whyte saddles anotherSimcock import when Good Omen makes his reappearance under Aussie youngster ReganBayliss in Wednesday's Japan Racing Association Trophy at 2.45.

The former Glorious Goodwood winner looks sure to pay his way this season while lightly raced Playa del Puente – who won three out of four including a Dundalk Listed event for Michael Halford – caught the eye staying on well at Sha Tin on his Hong Kong debut.

However, Circuit Glory is the one who could prove underrated in the market. Tony Cruz’s gelding finished behind Green Luck and Harmony Hero over course and distance on his reappearance, but his freewheeling style was heavily compromised by a couple of other aggressive front-runners that night.

Circuit Glory shouldn’t have to work anything like as hard to get the lead this time around. Add in the fact that capable 10lb claimer Alfred Chan rides for the first time and he shapes up as a potentially well-handicapped horse.

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