The growing trend of former Hong Kong gallopers returning to New Zealand provides Easter Handicap winner White Noise with a luxurious return to racing at Ruakākā today.
White Noise hasn’t raced since winning the $120,000 Group 3 mile at Pukekohe in April and would usually be close to the top of the handicaps in a standard 1400m open handicap at Ruakākā.
Instead, he will carry a featherweight 52.5kg, with apprentice Donovan Cooper claiming 4kg off White Noise’s carded weight of 56.5kg.
That means White Noise will carry at least 9kg less than Not Ideal and Wanderin Apache, both relatively unknown to Kiwis after spending almost their entire careers in Hong Kong, having been sold there after racing or trialing here.
While Hong Kong racing remains a mystery to many New Zealanders, made more confusing by so many NZ horses having their names changed on arrival, there is an influx of former HK gallopers returning to race here.