Hong Kong: Dougie Whyte Champ Jock 9th time!

Viva Pataca named Hong Kong horse of the year


Hong Kong: Seven-time Group 1 winner Viva Pataca has finally secured the territory's coveted Horse of the Year title after four consecutive years as a leading contender.

South African jockey Douglas Whyte has become champion jockey for the ninth consecutive season, while Casper Fownes has retained his trainers' title.

At an awards ceremony in front of more than 63,000 racegoers at the final meeting of the HK season at Sha Tin on Wednesday, Viva Pataca was also named champion middle-distance performer and champion stayer.

The John Moore-trained seven-year-old added to his Group1 tally last term with victories in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup and Champions & Chater Cup. He also finished runner-up in the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

HK Mile winner Good Ba Ba was again named champion miler. At the end of May he was rated the second-highest rated horse in the world with an official mark of 124, the highest ever granted to a HK horse.

Sacred Kingdom earned the title of champion sprinter for the second year in succession after edging out the hitherto unbeaten Singapore star Rocket Man in the KrisFlyer International Sprintin track-record time at Kranji.

Royal Flush was chosen as champion griffin (newcomer). The three-year-old was a very easy winner on his fourth and final griffin outing before landing the Juvenile Sprint Trophy from the many of the best of his peers.

The most improved horse award went to More Bountiful, who won sixth times from Class4 to Group 2 to earn an increase of 72 points in local ratings. He ran second in the Group 1 HK Classic Mile.

Caspar Fownes captured his second trainers' title with 68 wins while Douglas Whyte collected the jockeys' premiership for the ninth consecutive year with 96 wins.

Matthew Chadwick became champion apprentice in his first HK season with a record-breaking 43 wins.

Jockey Douglas Whyte, who won the title for the ninth successove season with 96 winners, jetted off to his home in Italy the night after the races to have a break.

He may back in action in early August for the Shergar Cup a Ascot.