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| Sumita Pawar |
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The UAE national anthem has not been heard at Sha Tin racecourse after one of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races since 2010. This year, West Wind Blows will aim to break that lengthy streak in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase, benefiting from a historical connection.
In the history of international races since 1999, the UAE has achieved four wins. Fantastic Light and Ramonti won the Cup in 2000 and 2007 respectively, Firebreak won the 2004 Mile, and Mastery won the 2010 Vase. All four horses were owned by Godolphin, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, and ridden by Frankie Dettori. Simon Crisford, who jointly trains West Wind Blows with his son Ed, managed their visits to Hong Kong. He is also the leading overseas trainer on the HKIR all-time list.
West Wind Blows, on the other hand, races under the Rabbah Bloodstock banner and will carry the black and yellow silks of UAE businessman Abdulla Al Mansoori. Although the horse is not owned by Godolphin, Crisford, who was Godolphin's front-man in Great Britain and Dubai for many years, knows exactly what it takes to travel horses long distances. He believes that the 4YO fits the bill perfectly, which is why six of his last ten races have been overseas, despite his usual UK base in Newmarket.
“We identified him quite early on as a horse who could be a nice international type,” Crisford explains, “and he’s proved a real professional at travelling. As he gets older, I’m sure he will get even better.”
West Wind Blows has always been considered a special horse, having won his first two races before competing in the Derby and finishing ninth. However, he has shown significant improvement since being gelded in May of this year. In his last seven races, he has only finished outside of the top three once, with his most recent three races taking place in Australia.
Although he finished ninth in the Champions Stakes at Flemington, his trainer Simon Crisford believes that this was just a minor setback and that the horse's true potential was not reflected in his finishing position.
He explains,“He had a slight tendency in his three races in Australia to be slowly out of the gates, and that worked against him on that occasion. We hadn’t planned for it to happen, but he’s none the worse for it.”
That West Wind Blows was among the first overseas arrival for the Hong Kong International Races was deliberate, Crisford says. “Hong Kong was always on our radar and he had been based at the Werribee training centre for quite some time, so we decided we should get to Hong Kong early,” he adds.
Speaking from Dubai, where he is supervising a team taking part in the new-look, season-long Carnival, Crisford says,“Ed, who’s there with him, tells me he’s in good form. Just as important, we’ve done some gate-schooling with him and Ed says he’s better at it, so fingers crossed.”
In the final stages of preparation, Crisford junior will have the advantage of expert advice from Philip Robinson, the racing manager to West Wind Blows’ owner. With six years of experience as a jockey in Hong Kong from 1987, Robinson brings valuable local knowledge. He notably became the champion jockey in 1988-89 and 1989-90, making him the sole British rider to accomplish this feat.
Assessing West Wind Blows’ chance, Crisford senior says, “A mile and a half is a good trip for him, but he’s going to have to raise his game again. The Vase looks a deep race this year, and he’s got to find a few pounds against horses that are rated higher than him, but we think he is a horse who will continue to improve mentally and physically.”
West Wind Blows, who has been ridden by Jamie Spencer in seven of his last eight races, including at Flemington, will now be partnered with James McDonald. McDonald is currently on a short-term contract in Hong Kong.
“James is a world-class jockey, a perfect fit for this horse,” Crisford says. “It will be an honour to represent the UAE with West Wind Blows. Let’s hope we pick up a piece of the pie.”