Tony Cruz has saddled major race winners in Japan and Dubai, but South Korea has remained one of the few major racing destinations absent from his training record. That changes on Sunday when Beauty Waves carries Hong Kong hopes into the G3 Korea Sprint over 1200 metres at Seoul Racecourse.
Cruz has chosen a horse he believes can avoid one of the biggest challenges facing visiting runners: Seoul’s deep sand surface. Beauty Waves is expected to use his natural speed to race prominently, giving six year old jockey Jerry Chau the chance to stay clear of the heavy kickback that can make life difficult for horses racing behind rivals.
Hong Kong has already won the Korea Sprint twice. Super Jockey took the race in 2016 before Self Improvement produced another Hong Kong victory last year. Beauty Waves now has the opportunity to make it three wins for the jurisdiction.
The Hong Kong contingent departed for South Korea on August 25, with Beauty Waves travelling alongside defending champion Self Improvement and Gorgeous Win.
Seoul’s sand presents a different test
The biggest question surrounding Beauty Waves is not his speed. It is the surface.
Seoul Racecourse presents a very different test from the all weather racing surface used in Hong Kong. The Seoul track is essentially a dirt course, with a deeper and looser layer of sand that can shift under a horse’s feet and throw large amounts of material backwards.
For horses racing behind the leaders, that creates an uncomfortable problem. Sand and dirt can strike a horse throughout the race, particularly when the field remains tightly packed. A runner that dislikes kickback can lose momentum or confidence long before the finish.
Cruz believes Beauty Waves has the right racing style to avoid much of that trouble.
The chestnut is a naturally quick horse and his trainer expects him to race forward rather than settle deep in the field. That could allow him to find cleaner ground and avoid spending six furlongs directly behind a wall of sand.
His wide draw in gate 13 may actually help rather than hurt.
A low barrier can sometimes leave a forward runner trapped behind horses, while a wider starting position can give the jockey more freedom to find a suitable position during the early stages. For Beauty Waves, Cruz sees the combination of speed and a wide gate as a possible advantage.
Dirt record gives Cruz confidence
Beauty Waves does not have an extensive race record on dirt in Hong Kong, but Cruz has seen enough from the horse in training to believe the surface should not stop him.
The six year old has raced once on dirt in Hong Kong and finished third. His trial record, however, is much stronger. Since arriving from Ireland in early 2023, Beauty Waves has won 15 barrier trials on dirt at Sha Tin and Conghua.
Those trials have given Cruz repeated opportunities to assess how the horse handles a surface that differs from the one he normally races on.
Beauty Waves completed another dirt trial shortly before travelling to Korea. Under Chau, he covered 1050 metres in 1 minute 3.21 seconds. His sectional times were 17.1 seconds, 23 seconds and 23.1 seconds.
For Cruz, the performance offered a useful indication that Beauty Waves had retained his form despite the preparations for an overseas campaign.
“The horse won on the Polytrack in Ireland and, on top of that, he's been winning trials here on the dirt in Hong Kong, so I think he will handle it,” Cruz told the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The trainer also expects the horse to get more comfortable with the Seoul surface as preparations continue.
Beauty Waves is scheduled to gallop on Thursday, giving the stable another opportunity to familiarise him with the conditions before race day.
Left handed racing provides another advantage
Cruz also sees Beauty Waves’ racing background in Ireland as useful preparation for Seoul.
The Seoul course is left handed, meaning races run in that direction should be familiar to a horse that competed on left handed tracks during his time in Ireland. That may sound like a small detail, but adapting to the direction of a new circuit can form part of the challenge for an overseas runner.
Beauty Waves does not have to learn an entirely unfamiliar racing direction while also adjusting to a new surface.
“When he was in Ireland, he was also racing left hand, so that will help him,” Cruz said. “So, it's not a big deal, because it's not the first time on a left hand course.”
The trainer's confidence extends beyond the horse’s ability on dirt. He was also pleased with how Beauty Waves handled the long journey from Hong Kong to South Korea.
Calm temperament helps Beauty Waves
International travel can affect racehorses in different ways. Some lose weight, others become unsettled in unfamiliar surroundings, while changes to routine can affect their preparation.
Cruz said Beauty Waves had dealt with the trip particularly well.
“I’m very happy with his travelling. He's very good. He's got a great temperament. Nothing excites him, he's such a calm horse,” Cruz said.
The trainer had also been monitoring the horse’s weight during the trip. Instead of showing the expected loss associated with travel, Beauty Waves continued eating and putting the weight back on.
That was another positive sign for the stable.
His final trial before departure gave Cruz further encouragement that the horse was already in good condition.
“He should be losing weight but he's putting it all back on. His trial showed me that he is in form already,” Cruz said.
With the horse settled, eating well and producing a strong trial, the stable can now focus on the final stages of preparation rather than trying to recover lost ground after the journey.
Chau returns as defending champion
Beauty Waves will again be partnered by Chau, who knows exactly what it takes to win the Korea Sprint.
Chau rode Self Improvement to victory in the race 12 months ago and now has the opportunity to claim consecutive victories in Seoul.
His experience from last year's race could prove useful as he prepares to deal with the sand, the kickback and the pace of the field. He also knows the demands of the Seoul circuit after experiencing the conditions first hand aboard Self Improvement.
Self Improvement returns to defend his title for trainer Manfred Man Ka leung and will start from gate nine.
Danny Shum Chap shing’s Gorgeous Win, another member of the Hong Kong travelling party, has drawn gate 16.
The three Hong Kong runners therefore face different starting positions, with Beauty Waves in gate 13, Self Improvement in nine and Gorgeous Win in the extreme outside stall.
For Cruz, the draw is unlikely to change his basic plan for Beauty Waves. The horse has the speed to put himself into the race, and the trainer would rather see him use that pace than become caught behind rivals on a surface known for heavy kickback.
Japanese runners provide major competition
Hong Kong's challenge will face strong opposition from Japan, which has established a particularly strong record in the Korea Sprint.
Japanese runners have won four of the eight editions of the race, and this year's contingent includes Dragon Welds and American Stage.
Cruz has singled out the Japanese horses as the runners he expects to provide the strongest challenge.
“In Korea, the Japanese horses are very good,” Cruz said. “These are my main opposition, I would say.”
Their presence adds another layer to a race already featuring two recent Hong Kong winners and a field accustomed to high level sprint competition.
The 1200 metre distance leaves little room for error. A slow start, an awkward position or an inability to handle the sand can quickly put a horse out of contention. For Beauty Waves, the plan is straightforward: use his pace, find clear ground and avoid as much kickback as possible.
That strategy will also place responsibility on Chau to judge the early stages correctly. From gate 13, he will have to balance the need to secure a forward position with the risk of spending too much energy before the field reaches the straight.
Hong Kong looking for another Seoul success
The Korea Sprint has become an important international target for Hong Kong connections, particularly after Self Improvement's victory last year.
Beauty Waves arrives with a different profile. His official dirt racing record in Hong Kong may be limited, but his 15 dirt trial wins provide Cruz with considerably more evidence than the race record alone suggests.
The trainer's confidence also comes from several practical factors. Beauty Waves has experience racing left handed, has travelled well, has maintained his weight and produced a sharp trial shortly before leaving Hong Kong.
Most importantly, Cruz believes the horse's natural speed can solve the problem presented by Seoul's deep sand.
The Korea Sprint is scheduled for Sunday over 1200 metres and will be simulcast in Hong Kong, with the race due to start at about 3.20pm.
For Cruz, the assignment is a first visit to South Korea. For Beauty Waves, it is a chance to turn a long series of promising dirt trials into an international race victory. The answer will come quickly once the gates open, but the Hong Kong trainer has already decided how he wants his horse to attack the Seoul sand: forward, fast and away from the kickback.