Glorious Artist and Ugly Warrior departed Sha Tin on Thursday morning bound for Seoul and the Korea Autumn Racing Carnival on Sunday, 8 September.

Vincent Ho, back home after a successful summer stint in Britain, which yielded six wins, will ride the Hong Kong raiders. The Frankie Lor-trained Glorious Artist is set for the KOR G1 Korea Cup (1800m) and Me Tsui’s Ugly Warrior is destined for the KOR G1 Korea Sprint (1200m).

Ho partnered Glorious Artist in a 1200m dirt track barrier trial at Sha Tin on Tuesday (27 August) morning and was pleased with the Zoffany five-year-old. 

“He jumped very nicely and travelled gently, and when I asked him to pick up he found the room and did it nicely,” the jockey said after the gelding had dashed home ahead of the rest.

Ho has a record three wins from six rides on Ugly Warrior but Tuesday’s barrier trial was his first sit on Glorious Artist. The fact that he picked up the latter ride owes a lot to the former’s handler being on the ball. 

“It was a surprise to get both rides,” Ho said. “I was in the UK when Mr. Tsui called me and asked me to ride Ugly Warrior in Korea, which is on the same day as the second Sha Tin meeting. I said definitely, because I don't know what rides I might have on that day, and he reminded me that Glorious Artist was also going to Korea with Ugly Warrior: I rang Mr. Lor and after a day he told me I was ok to ride his horse too, so it was great!”

Hong Kong’s Super Jockey won the inaugural running of the Korea Sprint in 2016, while the Tsui-trained Fight Hero was a close second in the race last year. Japan-trained horses have taken all three editions of the Korea Cup but no Japanese runners have been invited to participate in this year’s feature.

Vincent Ho, picture Hong Kong Jockey Club