It looms as a familiar plot for Helios Express when he again faces off with champion Ka Ying Rising in Sunday’s (26 April) HK$24 million G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin.
Jockey Hugh Bowman is under no illusions regarding the massive task Helios Express confronts as he attempts to alter the script after clashing unsuccessfully with the world’s highest-rated horse on 12 occasions, finishing second an extraordinary eight times and third three times. There is also a fifth placing.
The closest the six-year-old gelding has finished to the Sha Tin 1200m and 1400m track record-holder was half a length in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) in December 2024.
“He is a champion, Ka Ying Rising, and Helios Express is an exceptional horse in his own right,” Bowman said. “He is just in a position where he is taking on Ka Ying Rising all the time. You can’t really avoid him because of the programming here in Hong Kong.
“It is what it is and is there for everyone to see and it’s unlikely that it’s going to change on the weekend, but he is going well and there are no set rules in horse racing so you never know what’s going to happen.”
With eight wins, nine seconds and four thirds from his 24 races, Bowman said John Size-trained Helios Express continues to race consistently and there is no reason why he won’t repeat that against seven rivals on Sunday.
He said the return of Satono Reve adds a bit of spice to the race as he is a quality horse who adds another dimension to the contest.
“Without Ka Ying Rising, we have beaten Satono Reve home once and he has beaten us home once and it will be interesting to see and hopefully we will come out on top,” Bowman said.
After winning last year’s HK$24 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) on 89/1 outsider Red Lion for Size, Bowman takes the ride on My Wish for Mark Newnham.
“I know Red Lion was extraordinary odds last year but it was no surprise to me that he won the race,” he said. “I’m not saying I expected him to win, but I was not surprised and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran well again if he gets the race run to suit him.”
Bowman said My Wish had a sense of timing about him and he wouldn’t swap him for anything else in the race.
After riding Invincible Ibis to his last-start victory in the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m), Bowman said he had to make a choice between him and My Wish.
“I am not certain I have made the right call,” Bowman said. “I can only ride one and I thought he (Invincible Ibis) really produced by far and away a peak performance in the Derby over 2000m and he is coming back in distance and going up in class, whereas My Wish has been racing at this level for 12 months now and has been racing consistently well without winning.”
Bowman completes his Group 1 assignments on FWD Champions Day aboard David Hayes-trained Rubylot – who has had two runs since returning from injury – in the HK$30 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m).
“We will just switch him off early and get him in a good rhythm and see if he can finish strongly,” he said.