2023 Hong Kong Vase Tips

Lebensstil is a runner who has solid credentials and the three-year-old could end up becoming the latest Japanese winner of the Hong Kong Vase. Last time out came a victory in the Asahi Hai St Lite Kinen over one mile and three furlongs, with Hiroyasu Tanaka saddling a runner who was able to beat fourteen other runners at Nakayama in September.

Sent off at odds of 14/5, Lebensstil was able to oblige by nearly two lengths when taking down favourite Sol Oriens although there is another lively contender in the form of Shahryar. Hideaki Fujiwara trains a runner that was last seen making an appearance in the recent Breeders’ Cup where the horse put up a decent showing.

Sent off at big odds of 25/1 in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita, the horse wasn’t far behind Auguste Rodin and Up To The Mark, with this performance really cementing credentials for the Hong Kong Vase. However, some might prefer the bigger odds when it comes to Zeffiro and there was an excellent run from this horse on 5 November.

The four-year-old was able to score a big victory out of eighteen runners, with the 7/5 favourite able to oblige in the Copa Republica Argentina when winning at Tokyo Racecourse over one mile, four and a half furlongs. This came after a third-placed performance in the Sankei Sho All Comers when putting in a sturdy display at Nakayama Racecourse.

2022 Hong Kong Vase Tips

Glory Vase is already a Hong Kong Vase legend, with the Japanese runner having landed two victories at the Hong Kong International meeting. The Tomohito Ozeki-trained horse was able to win in 2020 and then return to Sha Tin two years later to secure a victory which means that the seven-year-old can make history on Sunday 11 December by winning a hat-trick of titles.

Since beating Pyledriver by a length a year ago, Glory Vase finished eighth in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic before running sixth in the Sapporo Kinen. The horse will now be back at Sha Tin and the Hong Kong International betting odds suggest that this runner is still the one to beat although there are plenty of young pretenders to the crown.

Win Marilyn has been attracting plenty of interest since finishing second in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Hanshin on 13 November, with the horse runner-up to Geraldina and trainer Takahisa Tezuka will feel as though his charge can go one better in the big one at Hong Kong, with the five-year-old finishing ahead of Glory Vase in the Sapporo Kinen.

Senor Toba is no stranger to Sha Tin and the five-year-old has to be taken seriously after his previous two runs. In the Bochk Jockey Club Cup, he was able to finish third behind favourite Romantic Warrior on 20 November, with a third-place in the Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse also meaning that he’s marked out for greatness.

2021 Hong Kong Vase Betting Tips

The Hong Kong Vase has had Group 1 status since the year 2000, with this being a fairly long distance battle over 2,400 metres and it’s an encounter which is open for horses aged three years or older. The 2020 renewal was won by a horse called Mogul and it was the first time that a three-year-old had triumphed since Highland Reel delivered the honours in 2015.

There is an exciting betting market for the 2021 Hong Kong Vase, with a trio of horses near the top of the racing betting odds and it will be interesting to see where the money comes ahead of the race taking place on 12 December.

Glory Vase Favourite to Win 2021 Hong Kong Vase

Glory Vase looks like a hot contender for this race at Sha Tin, with the thousands of spectators looking forward to seeing this horse in action. Tomohito Ozeki is the star trainer of this charge and the last time the horse turned out at a racetrack saw him compete hard for major honours.

The runner finished a narrow third in the Sankei Sho All Comers race at Nakayama in Japan, with the front two home being Win Marilyn and Win Kiitos. There was plenty to like about the six-year-old’s performance, with the horse also running into second in a hot race when lining up in the FWD QEII Cup. Loves Only You was the winner of that encounter so the form line could be particularly strong.

Pyledriver Also a Massive Contender for HK Vase

Pyledriver is a horse that has been subject to a major gamble ahead of this race and it will now be interesting to see whether the runner can compete hard for the Grade One encounter, with William Muir & Chris Grassick behind the training duties of this British horse who will hopefully travel over safely and give a good account of himself.

Martin Dwyer was on board when steering the runner to victory in the Coronation Cup at Epsom during the Derby meeting, with favourite Al Aasy beaten by a neck and there’s every chance that we will see his horse in the winners’ enclosure here. There was also a victory in the Betway Churchill Stakes on the all-weather track at Lingfield and the runner is likely to be bouncing for this one.

Can Mogul Make it Back to Back HK Vase Victories?

Mogul is a horse that has already delivered the goods in this race, with Aidan O’Brien hoping that lightning strikes twice after the runner triumphed at the age of three twelve months ago.

This was a stunning win at 8/5 over favourite Exultant, with the 2021 season not exactly a bunch of flowers although the horse clearly has pedigree.

Indeed, the horse finished well down the order in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic despite being sent off as 7/4 favourite and there have been a further series of disappointments including finishing well off the pace when Pyledriver won the Coronation Cup.

2020 Hong Kong Vase Betting Tips

The Hong Kong Vase was won by the aptly-named Glory Vase last year, although the previous winner was Exultant and it appears as though this horse could return to the winners’ enclosure, with Highland Reel having landed a triumph in 2015 and 2017.

Exultant Massive Favourite to Win Hong Kong Vase

A S Cruz trained Exultant to an excellent victory in this race two years ago and the six-year-old has been a warm order with punters leading up to the Hong Kong International Race, with the Hong Kong Vase racecard boasting the horse as the betting favourite.

Exultant has landed second spot in his past two races behind Furore, although his stablemate will be running in the Hong Kong Cup and so this paves the way for Cruz to try and land the spoils in this race again, with the runner proving himself to be in good nick with those runner-up positions.

Zac Purton will be on board the horse to try and deliver the goods although there are other quality horses in the field and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

Mogul and Columbus County Could Be Big Dangers

Mogul is not a horse that can be easily ignored in any race, with the three-year-old having already impressed during his fledgling career, with the horse running into fifth during the recent Breeders’ Cup Turf race and there was previously a victory in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris.

Aidan O’Brien will have Magical lining up in another big Hong Kong International race and the Irish handler has full confidence that Mogul can adjust to the Sha Tin race track, although Columbus County is another viable winner of this race.

The five-year-old has had a couple of recent appearances, with a victory at Happy Valley and the horse was behind Furore and Exultant in the Jockey Club Cup and will hope to frank the form with the latter this time around.