Alan Aitken
Gimme some room! says Beauty Generation
"Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above, Don't fence me in, Let me ride through the wide open country that I love, Don't...
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Alan Aitken
- Oct 4, 2019
- 4 min
Don't be a (knee) jerk on Aethero defeat
It is never hard to be wise after the event in racing but, in terms of Hong Kong's racing scene, the defeat of boom youngster Aethero on...
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Alan Aitken
- Sep 24, 2019
- 4 min
It's a season of challenge as time weighs on John Moore's star gallopers
There's no doubt who the king is right now. In fact, Beauty Generation holds a higher place in the Hong Kong landscape than the usual...
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Alan Aitken
- Sep 17, 2019
- 4 min
Don't be in a Rush when the new imports step out
It's that time again, when the Private Purchase (PP) horses start to step out and confuse the life out of their old fans back home. By...
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Alan Aitken
- Aug 28, 2019
- 6 min
Will the jockey show be back out front in 2019-20?
Last season, it was the thrilling trainers' premiership that kept us guessing until the final day but the jockeys might have their turn...
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Alan Aitken
- Aug 26, 2019
- 5 min
How John Size learned to love Happy Valley again & why he is favourite to make it 5 titles straight
When Tornado Twist won the last Happy Valley race of last season to send John Size two clear again in the championship after John Moore...
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Alan Aitken
- Aug 22, 2019
- 5 min
What will Betfair mean for Hong Kong racing?
The day that Betfair's first crack at Hong Kong closed its portal seems lost in time but the best guess would be in 2003, after the...
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Alan Aitken
- Jun 11, 2019
- 4 min
Purton's first 1,000 came up the hard way
It has only happened twice, so the patterns are unclear and it will always be a small sample, but there's no doubt Zac Purton got his...
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Alan Aitken
- May 6, 2019
- 4 min
Is the 2019 Kentucky Derby a watershed on the road to change?
The first we knew of Donald Trump's interest in horseracing was a bust of Martin Luther King crashing into the wall of the Oval Office...
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Alan Aitken
- Apr 30, 2019
- 8 min
Why would Chris Waller be interested in Hong Kong anyway? You be the judge
The December sun was bright but unthreatening and the humity that so often characterises Hong Kong's climate had taken it's winter break....
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Alan Aitken
- Mar 20, 2019
- 5 min
How will the 2019 Derby stack up?
The 2019 BMW HK Derby field went into the race with something to prove and emerged from it the same way. Of course, there was a winner...
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Alan Aitken
- Jan 22, 2019
- 7 min
The Day of the Demon is over - or has just begun again
As July, 2014 opened, I had been working in Hong Kong as a racing journalist for 13 years and I had only seen one man crowned champion...
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Alan Aitken
- Jan 16, 2019
- 3 min
Keep cheering home those seconds
Punters get frustrated by them, horses are often the subject of denigration when they string together minor placings and trainers attract...
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Alan Aitken
- Jan 8, 2019
- 5 min
Don't be fooled by Star's "flukey" win
Ka Ying Star's opening bid for the four-year-old series on Sunday came with plenty of favours from rivals but it should not be undersold...
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Alan Aitken
- Dec 13, 2018
- 4 min
Is Hong Kong's December showpiece under the threat of Japan Cupification?
On a cool, glorious Sha Tin afternoon, the Longines International that carries the least enthusiasm for the local fans was the key result...
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Alan Aitken
- Dec 12, 2018
- 5 min
Beauty in the eye of the beholder
Zac Purton had a good day on Sunday but he did miss the chance of his career. A few fellow riders had ribbed him after the Jockey Club...
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Alan Aitken
- Dec 8, 2018
- 7 min
Could the locals come in from the cold in the Vase to sweep Longines HKIR?
Hong Kong’s balmy winter weather is taking a wicked turn for the worse this weekend, with a sharp temperature drop and even the...
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Alan Aitken
- Dec 6, 2018
- 3 min
Why the International Jockeys' Championship is a minefield
It might seem an odd thing to write about after the event is over, but the IJC every year is a remarkable contest and a remarkable...
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Alan Aitken
- Nov 21, 2018
- 4 min
Beware the Jockey Club day results when you line them up on December 9
The rubber hits the road for the Longines Hong Kong International Races today when the invited fields with foreign-based runners are...
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Alan Aitken
- Nov 15, 2018
- 4 min
Saddling half the field not all beer and skittles says Size (but it's a nice problem to have)
It's the problem every trainer wants to have but John Size says there is a downside to turning up to Group races with half the field....
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