While the comprehensive Hong Kong victory of Rebel’s Romance is unlikely to begin a parade of Group One Dubai Sheema Classic (2,400m) winners turning up at Sha Tin for the Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m), one can only hope the nature of the Godolphin superstar’s success will prompt increased overseas participation in the HK$13 million feature.

Rebel’s Romance did exactly what was expected of a galloper of his ilk on Sunday, brushing aside his rivals at $1.45 in a race that would have been rather vanilla had he not made the trip.

Much of the talk after the race was about Rebel’s Romance being the perfect horse for the task, with the six-year-old gelding a proven traveller with victories in six countries and no stud career to plan for.

The reality is, however, that in most years it likely wouldn’t require the “perfect” horse to swoop in and plunder what is often the least inspiring Group One race of the Hong Kong season.

In a jurisdiction that’s long featured a focus on sprint and mile races, the quality of the Hong Kong horse population decreases as you get out to the longer trips and the Champions & Chater Cup is a race that’s ripe for the picking more often than not.

The fact Hong Kong only has three 12-furlong contests a season – and nothing over further – tells you all you need to know about where staying races sit in the pecking order at the Jockey Club.

You only have to look at the Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) honour roll to get an idea of the impact proper staying types can have over Sha Tin’s longest trip, with locally trained horses successful only three times in the 30-year history of the race.

That Rebel’s Romance was only the third raider to tackle the Champions & Chater Cup – and the first boasting previous Group One success – represents a raft of missed opportunities.

At HK$13 million, the Champions & Chater Cup boasts a purse more than three times larger than that on offer in the Group One Coronation Cup (2,400m) at Epsom this Friday and superior to most 12-furlong contests around the world.

In the past, that purse has proven a nice reward for Hong Kong connections willing to invest in talented stayers like Russian Emperor, Exultant and Viva Pataca.

Going forward, however, the ease with which Rebel’s Romance trousered the HK$7.28 million winner’s prize might see that change.

For the sake of a bit more of the colour and excitement genuine top-level participation brought to the dreary late stages of the Hong Kong season, we can only hope it does.

Class Two fields disappoint

Hong Kong’s need for more upper-class depth has been well documented and that deficiency is again on full display this week, with the Jockey Club dishing up two of the smallest Class Twos of the season.

Wednesday night’s opener, the Chun Shek Handicap (1,650m) on the all-weather track at Sha Tin, is the first five-runner Class Two contest since September, while officials considered cancelling Sunday’s six-horse 1,400m Class Two on the Sha Tin turf.

On reopening entries for the race, which only had five runners as of Monday morning, officials confirmed “this race may be cancelled if insufficient number of entries are received”, however the addition of one more runner saw it survive the cut.

Perhaps the decision to run a 1,400m Class Two on the same day as the Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m) and Group Three Lion Rock Trophy (1,600m) was a mistake?

After a trio of late scratchings hurt turnover at Sha Tin on the weekend and betting numbers were again down, it’s hard to see punters getting too excited about this week’s skinny Class Twos.