Hong Kong FWD Champions Day 2019 4/28/19 Odds, Preview and Prediction

The FWD Champions Day is one of the Top 10 richest race days in the world. The marquee fixture has a total prize money of HK$70M across 10 races. The FWD Champions day features three Group 1 contests that are ranked among the Top 100 Group 1 races by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. These races are the HK$24M FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m), the HK$18M FWD Champion’s Mile  (1600m) and the HK$16M Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m). Check out our horse racing betting tips.

For the purposes of this article, we will focus on the FWD Champion’s Mile race which is the big one among the three races. The Champion’s Mile was first run in 2001 and was opened to international competition in 2005. Two years later, it was granted international Grade 1 status. Currently, it is the third leg of the Asian Mile Challenge, a series of four mile-long Grade 1 races. The other races in the Asian Mile Challenge are the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai and the Yasuda Kinen at the Tokyo Racehorse in Japan.

Last year’s Champion Mile was won by Beauty Generation, arguably the best horse in Hong Kong today. The reigning champion is also the betting favorite to win the same race this year. The FWD Champions mile will be held on April 28, 2019 at the Sha Tin racecourse in Hong Kong.

The Favorites

Here are the odds to win the FWD Champions Miles 2019. Odds taken from bet365.com as of 4/2/19:

Hong Kong’s best horse and 2018 Champions Mile winner Beauty Generation has been dominant in Sha Tin, winning seven straight races including six Group One victories. In his last outing Beauty Generation cruised to an easy win in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) last February 17, 2019.

Beauty Generation was awarded as Hong Kong Champion Miler and Hong Kong Horse of the Year in 2018. He was given a rating of 127 by the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, making him the 4th best racehorse in the world and the highest rated horse trained in Hong Kong (matching Able Friend in 2014).

Conte won seven out of his first nine starts in Hong Kong. His previous two starts were Grade 1 races, both of which were won by none other than Beauty Generation. Furore won last month’s BMW Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin Racecourse to fulfill trainer Frankie Lor’s dream to become the first “home grown” Hong Kong trainer to win the race in 11 years. I Can Fly was second to Roaring Lion in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes II during the 2018 FWD Champions day. The 4 year old filly was also the winner of last year’s Ruby Stakes and the G2 Boomerang Stakes. Meanwhile, 5-year old Mozu Ascot was the winner of Tokyo’s G1 Yasuda Kinen in June 2018.

Who Wins?

John Moore has won the race more than any other handler with seven successes: Able One (2007 & 2010), Xtension (2011 & 2012), Dan Excel (2013), Able Friend (2015) and Beauty Generation (2018). That’s some advantage Beauty Generation has over his competitors.

In the history of the FWD Champions Mile, only four favorites in the last 16 years have won the race. But if there’s a horse who can break that trend, it’s Beauty Generation.

Conte is no doubt a potential star but yeah, he’s a potential right now and Beauty Generation is the star. I don’t see him winning the race but instead, I think he’s going to push Beauty Generation to be a better horse. Conte is going out there and try to push the pace early but I don’t think that is going to work. The faster the race is going to be run, I think the better will Beauty Generation run. Conte and those who will try to take him out will ultimately get beaten.

Beauty Generation is aiming for an unbeaten season and given his current form, I have little doubt that he is going to make history in this race. I’m picking Beauty Generation to win the FWD Champions Mile on 4/28/19 and add more silverware to his cabinet.

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