Russian Emperor Rules in HK's Champions & Chater Cup

Hong Kong's final group 1 event of the season, the Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (G1), had no overseas entries, but the winner, Russian Emperor , brought plenty of international spark all wrapped up in one package.

Bred in Ireland, the Galileo gelding is out of a champion Australian mare, Atlantic Jewel , by Fastnet Rock . And before shipping to Hong Kong, he ran a creditable seventh in the 2020 Investec Derby (G1) at Epsom.

And then there's the name, which fits now that the 5-year-old rules atop the ranks of Hong Kong's stayers with his second group 1 win of the season.

The Champions & Chater Cup ran out as a perfect setup for Russian Emperor and jockey Blake Shinn. Racing with blinkers off, Shinn got the gelding to relax at the tail end of the field through most of the 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles). He flipped the switch entering the stretch turn, raced widest of all, and stormed to the lead inside the 200-meter mark, winning by 1 3/4 lengths over Ka Ying Star at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Senor Toba, a 4-year-old Toronado  gelding who may represent the future in Hong Kong staying races, ran on well to finish third, backing up a victory in the Queen Mother Memorial Cup (G3) at the same trip in his previous start.

But the Champions & Chater was all about Russian Emperor, Shinn, and trainer Douglas Whyte, who won the race three times as a jockey but for the first time as a trainer.

"It's the longest 2,400 (meters) of my life," the trainer said. "When you're a jockey, things unfold and you can see them unfolding in front of you. But when you're standing on the side and watching it, it gets quite daunting.

"He showed that he has got a really good turn of foot for a stayer. If he can continue to race in this sort of form and with these racing manners, he's an exciting horse for all these staying races next season."

White said Russian Emperor is done for this season but likely will follow a familiar pattern in 2022-23. That would include one of the group 1 events at the International Races in December, where he finished third in the Longines Hong Kong Cup (G1) at 2,000 meters, and a repeat try in the Champions & Chater.

Shinn, slated to head back to Australia at the conclusion of the Hong Kong season, said he suggested to Whyte that eliminating the blinkers from Russian Emperor's equipment might help him get the job done.

"After his last run at 2,000 meters, he pulled quite hard, and I thought going to 2,400 meters, we're not going to win if he pulls," Shinn said.

"So I suggested considering taking the blinkers off. Douglas stewed over it, he thought about it very carefully, and he said it was the right call. And, honestly, the horse switched off the whole race, and his turn of foot is electric when he switches off."

Hong Kong's final group 1 event of 2021-22 was run without foreign representation as pandemic-related regulations continue to complicate travel for horses and humans. A new surge of COVID-19 in the springtime ended thoughts of utilizing the "bubble" approach that had permitted overseas competitors to run in the earlier big races at Sha Tin.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club took some encouragement as the government loosened attendance rules to permit a limited number of fans to attend the Champions & Chater Cup program.