The horse racing week ahead and a brief look at the Flat Champions

It is a little quantity not quality at the start of the week with all due respect to those horses running and as of Monday nothing much is catching my eye early in the week. Cheltenham's two-day December meeting is the main event as we head towards the weekend and ITV will be covering the action from Prestbury Park on the Friday and Saturday. Epatante, Knappers Hill and Outlaw Peter are just three we might get to see come Saturday. 

The big meeting, at least from my point of view, is actually in Hong Kong with the Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday.  Featuring four Group One races at Sha Tin Racecourse, the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, LONGINES Hong Kong Cup, and LONGINES Hong Kong Vase there will be a total cash prize pot of HK$110 million up for grabs. With Hong Kong 8 hours ahead of us in the UK it will mean no lay in Sunday morning of you want to watch the races, but it's worth it. 

Charlie Appleby has been crowned Champion trainer at the 2022 Horserace Writers & Photographers Association Derby Awards even though officially the season runs until the 31st. It is the final piece of the jigsaw for Godolphin this season as they were also top owners whilst retained jockey William Buick was of course Champion Jockey. 

"I'm hugely proud of what myself and the team have achieved in backing the trainers' championship up for a second consecutive year," Appleby said, speaking to Great British Racing.

"I'm very lucky to have the team at Moulton Paddocks and Godolphin and I'm extremely appreciative of their dedication. It was our aim at the start of the year to have the champion jockey, trainer and owner; for William to get his first title was very exciting for us all.  What we've achieved this year in cleaning up all these championships, I'm not sure if that has been done before. It's another feather in the cap for Godolphin and I'm very proud to be part of it."

I should have a bet or two by midweek so do check back

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