A thrilling finale to this season’s 1O1O Million Challenge is on the cards at Happy Valley on Wednesday with the top four horses in the overall standings set to make a play for the lion’s share of the $HK1 million prize fund.
Bullish Boy currently leads with 56 points and will be hoping to secure victory in race four, the Achievement Handicap.
A win would give Tony Cruz’s charge 15 points and an unassailable lead in the quest for the HK$650,000 winners’ prize, but he faces a competitive field of rivals in the 1650m contest including fellow 1O1O Million Challenge contender Pleasure Gains, currently lying third with 45 points.
“Pleasure Gains is still in good form,” said trainer Manfred Man.
“He has won three races already this season and he has a good draw in gate five.
"He drew gates 11 and 12 in his last two races so this is better. He has a good chance to win the race and then we will see what happens.”
Points are awarded down to fourth place with six points for second, four points for third and three points for fourth.
The horse that finishes second in the final standings receives HK$250,000 and third-place receives HK$100,000.
Rainbow Fighter heads into the finale in second place with 51 points, and, depending on earlier results during the evening, Derek Cruz’s charge could still have a shot at the top prize when he lines up in race eight, the Betterment Handicap over 1200m.
The same applies to the Tony Millard-trained Golden Harvest.
With 42 points to his credit, the gelding is in fourth spot and could snatch the 1O1O Million Challenge win cheque if he can triumph in race nine, the Acclaim Handicap (1200m), and the horses above him in the standings fail to accrue the necessary points.
With My Name Is Bond (37 points), Charity Joy (34 points) and St Yazin (33 points) also engaged in race eight and each still mathematically capable of collecting a place cheque, the evening promises to be one of enthralling excitement.
The 1O1O Million Challenge comprises all Happy Valley races of Class 3 and above between 11 September, 2013 and 5 March, 2014.
