International Bloggers

LAST LOOK AT THE MILE AND THE CUP

 

This year's Cathay Pacific Hong Mile looks very similar to the sprint - wide open with lots of chances. Last year there was only 2.2 lengths between the first seven across the line and something similar wouldn't surprise in 2011.

 

However, if there's good speed and the track is not playing to the advantage of front-runners then I'm keen on Japanese filly/mare Apapane.

 

She comes back in trip from a second-up run at 2200m but she has a great record at the mile (1600m) and will be very strong at the end. And that second-up run was very good behind last year's CXHKIR Cup winner Snow Fairy who is top class.

 

Plus, she looks to have settled in well in Hong Kong and I think that Jimmy Choux, Rajsman and Flying Blue will push up enough to hold forward spots to ensure that the likely leaders Beauty Flash and Able One (who are drawn wider) will have to do a bit of work early.

 

My second choice would be Xtension. His closing splits were very good in the Jockey Club Mile and, on that occasion, he conceded weight to all his International Mile rivals. He won the Champions Mile in April and Darren Beadman says he's much more mature now. 'He's gone from being a teenager to a young man,' Beadman said.

 

If Jimmy Choux can begin well and hold a forward place (3rd, 4th or 5th) from barrier two, he will run well and I wouldn't be shocked if Sunday is the day we see the 'real' Fair Trade. Look out for Caspar Fownes going berserk if he happens to win.

 

Ambitious Dragon is the top selection in the Cup. We all saw his huge effort in the Jockey Club Mile when wide. He had won at his previous seven starts at Sha Tin and Douglas Whyte (two from three on the horse) is back on board.

 

Cirrus Des Aigles is an amazingly consistent animal - 28 times he has finished first or second in his 38 starts. With him it doesn't matter whether it's wet or dry or hot or cold - he just gives his best every time.

 

Irian ran second in this race last year after winning the Jockey Club Cup. He didn't win it this time around but his third placed effort was a beauty. He's my third pick.

 

So, there we have it. And by the way, to Ulf who responded on our feedback page about Lucky Nine....the horse looks to be in great shape; he didn't have any luck last time in Japan; I like him at 1200m when he's fresh and his jockey Brett Prebble seems to be pretty confident. Good luck to everyone on Sunday.

COUNTDOWN ALMOST OVER - LET'S FIND SOME WINNERS

 

The big day is almost upon us and it's time to put my reputation (if I have one!!) on the line by sorting out some recommended bets. Today, we'll look at the first two majors on the card - the Vase and the Sprint. Tomorrow, the Mile and the Cup.

 

In the absence of Super Pistachio, there is no natural leader in the Vase. Perhaps Darren Beadman will take it up on Mighty High and Darren told me he believes the horse can improve on his poor form in Mebourne for three reasons - he's fitter now, working better now and prefers to race right handed (they race left handed or anti-clockwise in Melbourne).

 

So, if Mighty High has done you a favour in the past then perhaps you shouldn't ignore him this weekend but he is hard to back on current form.

 

While I concede there may well be more than just four chances in this race I am happy to back my judgement and box up/combine numbers 1, 3, 9 and 13 in the tierce, the quinella and even the quinella place if a couple of them are bigger odds than expected. Here's my thoughts.

 

Trailblazer - after a long campaign he was given a break in July. He returned from that break and has turned in three excellent runs in a short space of time so I have no fears about him backing up from the Japan Cup. In that race, he ran a very good fourth and beat home the Arc winner Danedream. This year's Japan Cup was very strong in my opinion.

 

Silver Pond - went back to last from barrier 16 in the Arc and finished a creditable 8th given that the race was not run to suit the backmarkers. Drawn two here! Lightly raced, not over-taxed and looks like he's been targeted for this race, rather than coming here as an afterthought.

 

Thumbs Up - excellent win in the Jockey Club Cup. His two runs since coming back from Japan have been first rate. He's simply in great form. If he begins well, he can settle handy from barrier one at this distance. He doesn't have to get a long way back. Brett Prebble assures me he will run 2400 metres. He wasn't far away in the 2009 vase when immature.

 

Vadamar - two three-year-olds have won the Vase and both were French like Vadamar. The most recent was Daryakana, like Vadmar, trained by Alain de Ryer Dupre. This horse is still improving. Two starts back, finished a short neck behind Meandre who then ran sixth in the Arc.

 

I've concentrated on the Vase here because I've gone backwards and forwards a hundred times through the Sprint and I just can't figure it out. I wouldn't be surprised to see seven or eight horses go across the line with a length or so between them.

 

If push comes to shove, then Lucky Nine each way. And I never, ever thought I'd be giving English sprinters a chance in Hong Kong but I wouldn't faint if Bated Breath and Society Rock ran well and they'll be huge odds. But, in my opinion, the race is impossible. My father always told me - 'son, you can beat a race but you cannot beat the races.'

THE NUMBERS HAVE IT

 

The Hong Kong Jockey Club's release, last week, of statistics on the country of origin of the winners and placegetters in the four Cathay Pacific sponsored International races certainly made for interesting reading.

 

While many of them would have confirmed what many punters would have already suspected, they do look to provide some compelling pointers when you look at them in black and white.

 

The strong performance of the local Hong Kong horses in all races bar the Vase speaks well to the continued improvement of standards here even allowing for the HK horses having a greater number of runners and a home ground advantage.

 

Since 1999, 66 per cent of the first three home in the Sprint have been Hong Kong horses and the figure is almost 50 per cent in the Mile.

 

The Cup has been more evenly spread with five winners and 14 placegetters from Hong Kong while the combined English and French raiders boast six wins and 17 placings. The Vase, has of course, been dominated by the Europeans with the two nations separated by the Channel having 14 winners and 16 placegetters - six winners from Great Britain and eight from France.

 

Bragging rights will be up for grabs this year as, at the moment, Hong Kong boasts 23 wins overall in the four races while Great Britain and France combined have the same total.

 

Alas, the only bragging we Aussies can do is to point out that every sprint winner from 1999 until last year (J J The Jet Plane) was Australian bred.

 

This year there's a total of 17 horses competing who were bred in Australia or New Zealand and you'd expect a winner or two with the list including Ambitious Dragon, Jimmy Choux, Fair Trade, Thumbs Up, Rocket Man, Sacred KIngdom and Little Bridge.

 

I do think that Jimmy Choux will run well but will keep an eye on him over the next couple of days. The only problem for him is that he's stabled by himself and horses can often fret in isolation.

 

By the way, you can follow Jimmy Choux or become a fan as he has his own page on Facebook.

 

PS. Thanks to all the readers who've offered some feedback to our blogs. To WM and Ah Ho, thanks for your kind words and I will provide some final tips for the big races later in the week...and to Brian, I will check out your recommended restaurant in TST.

MAKING ALL THE MEN IN HONG KONG JEALOUS!

 

I told in you in my previous blog that I was born lucky. And now you know it's true if you look at the photo taken of me at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.

 

I am pictured, of course, with the beautiful model Jeana and all my friends here tell me that this will make me the envy of all the young men in Hong Kong. She was very friendly and it was great to meet her. Now, she's my girlfriend. Only joking!

 

I am a great golf fan (but a very poor player) and it was great that the club also hosted many of the golfing superstars here to play in this week's Hong Kong Open at Fanling. However when I saw Jeana, I lost interest in having my photo taken with one of the golfers!

 

Jeana, the hottest model in town, was at the races to promote the Club's themed event - Fashion Styles the Valley. This combines the excitment of the races with the happy hour atmosphere of the beer garden, plus fashion shows, rock bands and hip hop dancing. All in all, turning the track into a mini version of Lan Kwai Fong.

 

I had a fantastic night. In the past when I have visited Happy Valley I have been too busy working to enjoy the beer garden and soak up the atmosphere. I have lost count of the number of racetracks I've visited around the world but I know that for atmosphere, setting and location there is no doubt that Happy Valley is the BEST RACECOURSE on the planet.

 

And it will be even better this coming Wednesday night with all the usual attractions plus many celebrities, international visitors and the International Jockeys' Championship which will feature many of the best jockeys from all over the globe.

 

There will be a spectacular pyrotechnics display and fans who vote for their favourite jockey at voting points in the Beer Garden will receive a free pair of fashionable souvenir "cheering glasses" to wear.

 

Naturally, I will be cheering for Aussie jockey Luke Nolen. He's the man who rides the girl who is even more beautiful than Jeana. That, of course, is Black Caviar who is unbeaten in 16 starts and the best racehorse I've seen.

 

Nolen has been the champion jockey in Victoria for the past two seasons and even though he's inexperienced at Happy Valley, he could easily win the series if he draws a couple of good horses. I look forward to seeing you in the beer garden.

JAPANESE HORSES, LIKE HONG KONG, ARE SUBARASHI (EXCELLENT)

 

Hi. I'm on my way to Hong Kong after being fortunate enough to attend the Japan Cup on Sunday. Fortunate? Or maybe just lucky - after all my birthday is 8/8 so maybe I was born to be lucky.

 

A wise man once said that is better to be born lucky than smart. One thing is for sure, I am smart enough to know that my fellow blogger Naohiro Goda, from Japan, is much smarter than me - especially when it comes to the form of the Japanese horses.

 

So, I will leave it to him to tell us about the Japanese contenders for the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International races. Trust me, you should follow his advice.

 

However, there is one more thing I know. That is we should not underestimate the Japanese horses anywhere thesedays. They have improved dramatically since the mid 1990's when Sunday Silence started to make his mark on their racing. The international Japan Cup challenge is still strong suit but they have now won their own Cup nine times since 2000.

 

Sadly there is no Australian horse running at the CXHKIR meeting this year. This is not because we are not interested but more because we do not have good enough horses at 1600 metres and beyond at the moment. Hopefully this will change in the next couple of years.

 

It probably needs to change or Australia will fall behind on the world stage. We do not even have an Australian bred runner in the Cup or the Vase.

 

We well, of course, be barracking for Jimmy Choux from neighbouring New Zealand and I am confident he's good enough to pose a serious challenge in the Mile. Plus we have the Australian bred stars Rocket Man and Sacred Kingdom in the Sprint and the up-and-comers Entrapment and Admiration.

 

And we have Australian jockey Craig Williams flying in to ride the Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden in the Vase. Williams has been in great form - winning the Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate. He missed the Melbourne Cup win because of a suspension and was runner-up in the Japan Cup on Tosen Jordan.

 

I am going to be busy this week doing all the form on all the international runners. Or maybe I will just read my fellow bloggers and take their advice. Or maybe I will just stick with number eight.

 

Mind you, I won't be too busy to go and find some good restaurants so if anyone has any recommendations, let me know.

TRIAL DAY CAN POINT US TO CXHKIR WINNERS

 

Many an army has lost a battle only to eventually win the war and that may be the best way to appraise the results from the three trials races for the CXHKIR turf championships which were run at Sha Tin on Sunday.

 

Favorites and local stars Ambitious Dragon, California Memory and Entrapment may have had their colours lowered but defeat in the preliminary battle does not automatically condemn them to defeat on the big day - 11 December.

 

In fact, the opposite could well be true. The past two Hong Kong Mile winners Beauty Flash and Good Ba Ba were beaten into fourth and third, respectively, at the corresponding meetings/races in 2011 and 2010. The 2009 Hong Kong Sprint winner Sacred Kingdom was beaten in the Trial.

 

In contrast, it's interesting to look at the past two Cathay Pacific Jockey Club Cup winners - Iran and Collection. Both held their form and went on to run second in the Hong Kong International Cup behind two top class Europeans in Snow Fairy and Vision D'Etat.

 

That augurs well for this year's winner Thumbs Up who came from last to win the Jockey Club Cup despite a just even tempo. His closing sectionals were naturally the best in the race - finishing with a quick 22.15 for his last 400m. So while you might argue that California Memory was unlucky (and he was), I would not underestimate Thumbs Up on the second Sunday in December.

 

Caspar Fownes, who trains Thumbs Up, said the horse might now go to the Vase rather than the Cup. I have no doubt he could run well in either race. Pure Champion and Irian also ran very well behind Fownes' horse.

 

This year was the first time I have attended the trial meeting and it is always an advantage to see the horses in the flesh. It is also interesting to observe the body language of the people involved and, I'd say, if you were measuring a body language positive vibe from the meeting then topping the list would be Fownes with Thumbs Up and Fair Trade and Gerald Mosse with Lucky Bridge.

 

Obviously there is not a great deal between the top Hong Kong sprinters at the moment. There was just on three lengths separating the first seven home in the Jockey Club Sprint and the first five to finish plus Let Me Fight and California Choice all ran similar last 400 sectionals. Little Bridge certainly won well but he did enjoy the run of the race courtesy of his French jockey.

 

The Jockey Club Mile was run at a leisurely pace. There were four obviously good performances - those of Destined For Glory, Ambitious Dragon, Fair Trade and Xtension.

 

The winner enjoyed the perfect run while the might Ambitious Dragon was three to four deep throughout and conceded weight to all his rivals. He lost nothing in defeat. He lost this battle but I still think he might win the war.

MELBOURNE CUP HORSES BOUND FOR HONG KONG

 

Australians cannot claim Dunaden and Red Cadeaux as our own but we will certainly be boasting about our most famous race - the Melbourne Cup - should these two European stayers replicate their one-two finish at Flemington in next month's Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase.

 

Only millimetres separated the two in the Melbourne Cup with Dunaden gaining the verdict in a photo finish so tight that only today's sophisticated camera technology could have found a margin. Years ago there's little doubt that a dead-heat would have been the decision.

 

We Aussies are always looking for reasons to say a great horse belongs to us. After all the most famous Australian horse of all time- Phar Lap - was born in New Zealand and owned by an American. Mind you he was trained and raced in Australia. So You Think was also born in New Zealand but don't tell anybody!

 

Of course, if the New Zealanders are going to claim Phar Lap then we will claim Hong Kong's champion Silent Witness as he was bred in Australia and he was seen for the first time on a racetrack in Victoria - albeit in a trial at a place called Ballarat which just happens to be where I was born.

 

Ballarat is also where gold was discovered in 1851 and did you know, that by 1858, 10,000 chinese had migrated to that Victorian city and it was estimated that a quarter of the men on the goldfields were of chinese heritage.

 

More than 150 years later another nugget of gold was discovered there when Silent Witness won that trial in August 2002 before being sold by Price Bloodstock to owner Archie da Silva.

 

And, by the way, Australia's latest champion Black Caviar (and yes she was bred here) has now stretched her unbeaten run to sixteen wins. That's just one behind Silent Witness' unbeaten sequence of 17 wins. I think we should talk EB (Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges) into running a huge International Sprint in Hong Kong early in the new year and lure Black Caviar to the world's most exciting city (meaning Hong Kong of course) to equal the record of Silent Witness. What could be more appropriate?

 

But I digress from the point - the Melbourne Cup and the Vase. Last year's Melbourne Cup winner Americain progressed to Hong Kong and ran third behind Mastery in the Vase. He was beaten only a half length and a faster pace early might have seen him win it.

 

So Dunaden and Red Cadeaux, owned by former HKJC chairman the Hon Ronald Arculli, will be worthy Vase contenders this year.

 

Red Cadeaux is trained by Ed Dunlop who, on Sunday, won the Queen Elizabeth 11 Cup in Japan for the second year straight with last year's Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup winner Snow Fairy. The trainer now looks set to have both Snow Fairy and Red Cadeaux at Sha Tin in December.

 

After Sunday's win, Dunlop said: 'Snow Fairy has had a hard enough race here and the Japan Cup will come too quick for her, so we will go on to Sha Tin and decide when we get there whether we defend our title in the Hong Kong Cup or go instead for the Vase."

 

Dunlop has a decision to make but much to look forward to in Hong Kong like all of us. Maybe I will discover that someone who works for Dunlop or Dunaden's trainer Mikel Delzangles is an Australian. Maybe I will back the winner of all four International races or maybe get the triple trio. Now that would be better than finding gold.

What an exciting night at this year’s International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) to see Frankie Dettori beat out stiff competition to win the challenge. There’s no doubt he outclassed the other riders as none of the mounts he scored points with—Travel Guide, Ambitious Treasure and Regency Winner—were clear favourites. Plus, the way the track was running that evening, horses in the lead had a better chance. Therefore, it was no easy feat to take those three widely different horses to a good finish. But Dettori showed us why he’s at the top of the game. Travel Guide with him atop was able to easily lead from start to finish, you can’t even get such perfect sectionals in a car. With both Ambitious Treasure and Regency Winner, Dettori had to come up from behind and amongst horses, but absolutely nothing got in his way. That's what you call class!

 

The highlight for me that night was definitely the chance to watch Dettori’s trademark flying dismount up close in the winners’ circle and I surely wasn’t disappointed. What was surprising though was when asked after the races why we haven’t seen him at the IJC in recent years, Dettori said he’s been grounded by his wife because he has to attend all his kids’ Christmas activities. A cheeky answer like this can only come from him. Then again, not only is his riding top-notch, he’s such a jolly and charismatic guy that watching him race is a joy each and every time.

 

As for the first runner-up, James McDonald, he certainly wowed us all on Wednesday night. Sunny More overcame a tough run from behind to beat Bumper Strike and Easy Ahead. Not only does this 19-year-old have a solid foundation, he’s mentally strong. There haven’t been many outstanding jockeys out of New Zealand of late, but after seeing his exceptional performance on Wednesday, it’s no wonder the media down there have been hailing McDonald as the most promising rider since 12-time champion Lance O’Sullivan.

 

While writing this, barriers had already been drawn for the four Hong Kong International Races. I’m very pleased that most of the Hong Kong representatives in the Sprint drew good gates. The only unfortunate draw was Sacred Kingdom’s in Gate 14, but I was so relieved to see that the three top foreign contenders, Curren Chan, Bated Breath and Rocket Man, drew Gates 11, 12 and 13, respectively. Little Bridge, Lucky Nine, Entrapment, Joy and Fun and Admiration! You all must run your best race! Not only will you help the home team recover the Sprint trophy, you might all come back in the first three!

Despite my busy life as a racing journalist, I've always made sure I get some exercising done during my off-hours. Apart from playing football and running, I finally had the opportunity recently to get on the back of a horse. I've had my share of watching jockeys race, but it wasn't until I got on a horse that I realized it’s no easy feat to steer one. Forget about getting a horse to make a turn, just trying to keep a horse on a straight course for a few steps is harder than it looks. That's why we should be a little more forgiving when a jockey occasionally underperforms, but repeat mistakes should not be condoned!

 

Speaking of jockeys, this coming Wednesday is the International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) where we'll be seeing some regulars and a few new faces. You're all certainly familiar with the European riders coming to town, John Murtagh, Ryan Moore, Andrasch Starke, Christophe Lemaire and Maxime Guyon. We also have Luke Nolen from Australia and James McDonald from New Zealand who you've seen in action in some simulcast overseas races, but this will be their first trip here to compete in the IJC.

 

Nolen and James McDonald are in fact top riders in their respective countries, with the former being the champion jockey in Victoria for the last two years and McDonald becoming the youngest champion jockey in New Zealand since Michael Walker. I was told by a buddy in New Zealand that McDonald had been keen to come to Hong Kong as a club jockey since being crowned champion jockey in 2008. However, that opportunity hasn't materialized due to the fact that he's still an apprentice. This year, he's competing in the IJC as both New Zealand's champion jockey and champion apprentice jockey. At present, McDonald is ranked fourth in New Zealand.

 

As for Nolen, he's been at the top of the game in Victoria these last few years, much of it certainly owed to the support he gets from trainer Peter Moody, with whom he has gotten tremendous recognition with Black Caviar alone. I personally think that although Nolen doesn't ride as aggressively as Darren Beadman, Brett Prebble or Craig Williams, he’s certainly at the very least as strong as his fellow countrymen Zac Purton, Ty Angland, Tim Clark and Nash Rawiller, so he might put on an impressive show for us in Hong Kong at the IJC.

The runners for the Hong Kong International Races were announced at the Happy Valley race meeting on Wednesday, and here’s my take on the competition. Last year’s Hong Kong Cup winner, Snow Fairy, has decided against defending her crown even though she’s been running strong of late. She has opted to enter the Hong Kong Vase instead, which no doubt has lifted some pressure off the home team. Among the other foreign contenders in the Cup, we also have the recent winner of the Champion Stakes in England, Cirrus Des Aigles, and the previous Prince of Wales’s Stakes title holder, Byword. But strictly speaking, these two horses are quite close in class with Snow Fairy, and since Irian only lost by a slight margin to take second last year, the home team should have a great chance to reclaim the Cup with the even more solid California Memory and Ambitious Dragon competing.

 

As for the Sprint, Rocket Man returned to his winning form at the Kranji Stakes after placing out of the first three at Japan’s Sprinters Stakes. Nevertheless, I still feel that he has declined somewhat in the second half of the year. On the other hand, even though Curren Chan, who took the Sprinters Stakes, was the widely expected winner of that race and had a relatively easy run, she shouldn’t be underestimated. In addition, Society Rock, Bated Breath and Sole Power from the UK are all straight course specialists, so we’ll have to see if they’d be able to adapt to the 1,200-metre track at Sha Tin where they’ll have to fight for a good position at the turn. As for the home side, I’m still favouring Little Bridge right now, as he had just shown much improvement at his last win with Gerald Mosse onboard.

 

In the Mile, we have the Prix du Moulin winner, Excelebration, Japan’s Triple Crown filly, Apapane, and current New Zealand Horse of the Year, Jimmy Choux. If the home team runners want to keep the trophy in Hong Kong, they’ll have to step up their game as all three are at their peak and they’ll surely be forces to contend with. On the contrary, Rajsaman and Sahpresa, both of which competed in the same race last year, have not shown much progress in Europe this year and hence pose less of a threat. As for the home side, it looks like the pair from John Moore’s stables, Xtension and Destined For Glory, will have to carry the weight!

 

The Hong Kong Vase has always been dominated by European horses and this year looks to be no exception. Apart from Snow Fairy, the first runner-up of the Melbourne Cup, Dunaden, and Red Cadeaux are also arriving in strong form. Along with the Aga Khan pair, Vadamar and Shareta, the Vase will most likely be fought over by these runners. But even so, I’ll surely be rooting for our three local challengers, Thumbs Up, Mighty High and Mr. Medici, and hope they’ll all be gunning for the best finish.

You’re all probably really disappointed after watching Sunday’s three Cathay Pacific Jockey Club title races. With both California Memory and Ambitious Dragon losing, I’m sure a lot of racing fans felt like the sky had fallen, but don’t be discouraged, winning and losing are all part of the game. We often say that in warm-ups and qualifiers of major races, the most prominent runners usually don’t compete in their best form. And even if they do, trainers and riders often handle them more conservatively in order not to overexert them. If not, it’d be a disaster if they can’t sustain their fitness levels for the big race!

 

The reason why California Memory lost was obviously because he was boxed in shortly after entering the Straight, and remained behind runners all the way to the finish. He definitely drew the short end of the stick, but I think there’s also a positive in all this because he wasn’t used up too much! As for Ambitious Dragon, although he was beaten by Destined For Glory, he clearly lost because of poor positioning. Throughout the race he was caught four-wide without cover and began to lead on the outside before entering the Straight. However, slightly more worrisome is the fact that Ambitious Dragon looked like he was carrying a bit of condition prior to the race and wasn’t fully fit. We also saw how Maxime Guyon rode him quite aggressively in the last few strides, and I hope he didn’t overexert himself because of that and can regain his fitness in time!

 

On only his fifth outing in England, Destined For Glory was able to go head to head with Singapore Airlines International Cup winner Gitano Hernando. So it was no surprise that he was able to upset the favourite and take the Cathay Pacific Jockey Club Mile. Pure Champion, however, was a revelation this time around as he had been unable to regain his form since arriving in Hong Kong. Previously named Steinbeck, he was a rising star at Aidan O’Brien’s stables and had raced against Xtension in England. If he can keep improving after this last race, he has an outside chance in the Hong Kong Cup.

 

As for the Sprint, Little Bridge performed outstandingly with Gerald Mosse onboard. Zac Purton gave him up for Sacred Kingdom and may have picked the wrong ride. Among the John Size stablemates, Entrapment and Rich Unicorn, the latter looked to be the stronger of the two, but don’t underestimate Entrapment. And truth be told, 1,200 metres does seem a bit short for Admiration. But no matter what, with the below-par performance of Rocket Man at the Sprinters Stakes in Japan, Black Caviar not coming to Hong Kong and last year’s winner JJ The Jet Plane in rehab, there’s a chance the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint will be back in Hong Kong hands this year without much overseas competition.

Prior to the clashes at this weekend’s three Cathay Pacific Jockey Club title races, a number of trainers had already engaged in a heated battle. However, the site of their skirmish wasn’t’ Hong Kong, but at the Ready To Run Sale of 2YOs in Karaka, New Zealand. At the time of writing this, I had just returned from attending the second day of the sale. As bidding was relatively quiet on the first day, the second day was naturally more intense (surely because everyone was worried to come home empty-handed!) Fortunately, our Hong Kong trainers all did quite well. Among them, David Hall and Ricky Yiu both secured offspring by Pins, which is currently a very popular sire in Hong Kong.

 

At this year’s sale, I observed that there were a good number of vendors who opted to forgo a sale when buyers fail to offer an ideal price. It turns out that in the 2008 sale, “Ambitious Dragon,” also a colt by Pins, had an ask price of only NZD50,000 but had no interested bidders. At the end, the vendor had no choice but to give up the sale. I don’t know how “Ambitious Dragon” ended up with its current owner, but he has now become the strongest endorsement for Pins. Speaking of which, the fact that “Ambitious Dragon” has chosen the Cathay Pacific Jockey Club Mile as a warm-up for the HKIR makes it even more likely for it to rake in more profits for his sire, Pins!

 

As for the race with the fewest runners, the Cathay Pacific Jockey Club Sprint, the first four placegetters in the 1,200-metre HK G2 Premier Bowl that was held at the end of October—Rich Unicorn, Little Bridge, Entrapment and Joy and Fun—will all be competing. Although Entrapment lost his unbeaten record in that race, don’t forget that he carried more weight than the other three, was constricted throughout the race by the tactics of Little Bridge, and was finally beaten half a length by his stablemate Rich Unicorn. All in all, he didn’t disappoint. This time he’ll be competing at level weights, and as long as he’s not boxed in on the fence at the early stages, he should have a good chance of avenging his loss. Of course, his rival, Little Bridge, has always excelled at 1,200 metres and will remain a thorn in his side.

It hasn't been long since the start of the season, but we're already into November. And as you all know, December is the biggest month for racing here in Hong Kong, it's when the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races (CXHKIR) will be held. Naturally, all camps are vying for a spot in the HKIR during this key month! At Sha Tin Racecourse this coming Sunday, 20 November, three G2 races are scheduled to be run: The Cathay Pacific Jockey Club Cup (2,000 metres), The Cathay Pacific Jockey Club Mile (1,600 metres), and The Cathay Pacific Jockey Club Sprint (1,200 metres).

 

This year's HKIR will be held on 11 December, and after watching a slew of simulcast overseas races in October, I'm sure you all have a good idea on which overseas contenders will pose a threat to our local runners. However, none of them will be entering the G2 races this weekend. Therefore, the home team will be going through a round of internal elimination in all three races. After looking through the list of entries, I think it's more obvious how the Jockey Club Cup and Jockey Club Mile will play out.

 

The reason why it's more clear-cut how these two races will pan out is mainly because the two stars among stars, Ambitious Dragon and California Memory, are going their separate ways. It makes perfect sense for Ambitious Dragon to choose the Jockey Club Mile as a warm-up. First, the last race he ran in and won was The National Day Cup, which was only 1,400 metres, so a small step-up in distance will lessen the chance of injury. Second, the competitors in the Mile are on average weaker. As for California Memory, I believe you’re all still savouring his spectacular win at the 1,600-metre HK G2 Sha Tin Trophy, and he'll be back at his optimal distance on Sunday, which I think is a perfect strategy!

 

Speaking of Ambitious Dragon, I was recently listening online to a live radio broadcast of some New Zealand races and discovered that he has become the poster boy for local commercials. It turns out that ever since Ambitious Dragon was crowned Horse of the Year in Hong Kong, his sire, Pins, has become one of the hottest stud sires over there. And Pins's home, Waikato Stud, has made an excellent business move to use our Horse of the Year to market their stud sires! The commercial also mentions Smart Giant and National Treasure, both outstanding progeny of Pins!

 

An uneventful trip to Hong Kong gives Trailblazer a leg up on his compatriots

 

It's rare that everything goes according to plan when you travel abroad, and you must always be ready to meet the unexpected. The connections of three HKIR runners from Japan who left home in the afternoon on 30 November did not expect to have an uneventful trip. However, what they encountered at the airport was still something they didn't expect at all.

 

The aircraft on which Apapane, Curren Chan and Pas de Trois were onboard, left the parking apron at Kansai Airport on time at 9:00p.m., but had to return to the apron after stopping for a while on the runway. It turned out there was some sort of engine disorder that took some time to repair as the replacements parts had to be sent from Singapore. It was slightly after noon the following day when the aircraft was able to finally leave Kansai Airport after a 15-hour delay!

 

All three horses were looked after very well on their trip to Hong Kong, and after arriving at Sha Tin Racecourse none of them showed any signs of physical deconditioning. However, I do wonder if they would be ready to produce their best form on Sunday, just ten days after such a long and tiring journey.

 

As horses must spend five days at a quarantine facility prior to shipping, Trailblazer, who ran the Japan Cup on 27 November, could not join the rest of the Japanese runners and was shipped to Hong Kong alone on 3 December. Trailblazer was lucky to have an uneventful journey and arrived safely at Sha Tin Racecourse at 2:30a.m. on 4 December, six and a half hours after he left Narita Airport.

 

Yasutoshi Ikee, who trains Trailblazer, immediately decided to send the four-year-old colt by Zenno Rob Roy to Hong Kong after he won the G2 Copa Republica Argentina on 6 November, and his performance in the Japan Cup, where he finished fourth to Buena Vista, was very encouraging for the trainer. "When I was working as an assistant trainer for my father, Yasuo Ikee, I was involved in Stay Gold's 2001 campaign in Hong Kong," said Ikee. "Stay Gold ran in the Japan Cup, where he finished fourth, and won the Hong Kong Vase in his next start. I would really like Trailblazer to follow in his footsteps."

 

When Ikee entered Trailblazer in the Hong Kong Vase, Shareta and Snow Fairy, second and third finishers, respectively, in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, were in the likely field. However, both have been withdrawn and Trailblazer is now the runner with the highest international rating in the field of thirteen. It looks like things are moving favorably for Trailblazer, who I believe is the best hope for Japan on Sunday.

Unique roster of Japanese jockeys at the HKIR

 

The roster of Japanese jockeys who are competing in the HKIR this year is rather interesting, as they come from different generations with very diverse backgrounds and unique personalities.

 

Katsumi Ando, 51, who is booked to ride Pas de Trois in the Hong Kong Sprint, is the second oldest jockey at Japan Racing Association (JRA) after his older brother, Mitsuaki Ando, who is 52. Katsumi Ando started to ride at the regional level at Kasamatsu Racecourse in 1976 when he was 16. He won the riding title there in 1978 with 116 wins, and remained at the top of the table every year until 2002. After scoring 3,299 wins at the regional ranks, Ando decided to leave Kasamatsu to ride at JRA in 2003 when he was 43. Since then, he has won more than 1,000 races, including the G1 Japanese Derby in 2004 aboard King Kamehameha. This veteran jockey is one with an artisan spirit and it’s well known that he never reads the racing form. Fellow jockeys are sometimes asked by Ando before the start of a race, "What's the distance?"

 

Forty-two-year-old Masayoshi Ebina has established himself as a jockey with a strong drive and cool head and has won nearly 2,000 races at JRA. Ebina, who will ride Apapane in the Hong Kong Mile on Sunday, had already made history in Hong Kong in December 1995 when he rode Fujiyama Kenzan to capture the Hong Kong International Cup, the first victory scored by a Japanese-trained horse there. Eniba has also enjoyed much success in France, where he won the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud when partnered with the great El Condor Pasa in 1999. Later that year, Eniba and El Condor Pasa placed second behind Montjeu with just a half-length margin in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. In 2010, Ebina was back again at the G1 Prix de l”Arc de Triomphe, this time with Nakayama Festa who was beaten by only a neck behind Workforce. Apapane was originally invited to run in the Hong Kong Cup, but Ebina insisted that 1,600 metres is the best trip for Apapane and strongly urged trainer Sakae Kunieda to hold out for the invitation to the Mile.

 

The hottest jockey in Japan at the moment is no doubt Kenichi Ikezoe who will ride Curren Chan in the Hong Kong Sprint. The son of former jockey Kaneo Ikezoe, who is currently running his training stable at JRA’s Ritto Training Center, the 32-year old Ikezoe started riding in 1998 and scored his 700th win on 23 January 2011. Ikezoe is the regular rider of Orfevre, the seventh horse to win Japan’s Triple Crown. In addition to three G1 wins with Orfevre, Ikezoe also captured the G1 Sprinters’ Stakes aboard Curren Chan and the G1 Mile Championship with Eishin Apollon in 2011.Never shy to show his emotions, Ikezoe often gets choked with tears when he wins at major races, and I believe he will surely be moved to tears in the event he wins the Hong Kong Sprint on Sunday.

Ladies' man Yuichi Fukunaga at Happy Valley this Wednesday

 

I'm sure you're all familiar with one of Japan's most popular jockeys, Yuichi Fukunaga, who turns 35 the day following the Cathay Pacific International Jockeys' Championship (IJC). He's well-known in Hong Kong since winning the G1 Hong Kong Mile in 2001 with Eishin Preston and completing back-to-back victories in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup n 2002 and 2003.

 

Fukunaga is as popular back home as he is in Hong Kong, and is particularly well-liked by the young ladies for his good looks and surely because he’s still single.. And it seems that not only female race goers find him charming, but also fillies and mares. He has won 19 Graded One Stakes so far and 11 of them were won by fillies and mares. It's one of the seven wonders of racing in Japan that Fukunaga has never won a three-year-old classic, while he has won all three legs of the fillies' Triple Crown. On top of that, he's also won the G1 America Oaks Invitational at Hollywood Park with Cesario in 2006.

 

It goes without saying that Fukunaga has a way with the ladies, and I'd think he would be a good betting chance for punters if he rides a filly or mare at the IJC this Wednesday at Happy Valley.

 

Apart from his professional duties, Fukunaga has been working hard to raise funds for areas hard-hit by the March 11th earthquake as he has long understood the importance for horse racing to contribute to society. One of the high-profile charity events that Fukunaga organized was the "Pork and Rice at Yuichi's Restaurant at Morioka Racecourse". Fukunaga captained the JRA team in the "Jockey's Championship, JRA versus NAR" on 15 August at Morioka Racecourse in Iwate Prefecture, which was devastated by the earthquake. The JRA team won the competition and Fukunaga received a large piece of the famous local specialty, Iwate Pork, as the prize. He was also presented with a bag of Iwate Rice for the “Riding Performance of the Day” award. Wanting to give something back to the people of Iwate who were having a very difficult time after the disastrous earthquake, Fukunaga came up with the idea of serving them "Pork and Rice" with his prizes.

 

On 12 September when he next had a ride at Morioka Raceourse, Fukunaga opened a restaurant for the day and served beautifully cooked pork and rice and also filled in as a waiter. Thousands of racing fans enjoyed a meal organized by one of Japan's most famous jockeys, and the proceeds from the day were donated to charity. It's a shame that the crowds at Happy Valley on Wednesday won't have a chance to enjoy Fukunaga’s pork and rice, but I believe local racing fans will certainly enjoy watching his beautiful riding performances.

Pas de Trois represents the Yoshida family's Shadai empire

 

Pas de Trois, an intended runner in the Hong Kong Sprint, was bred by Teruya Yoshida of Shadai Farm and owned by him along with his partners. Yoshida, one of the world’s most prominent owners and breeders, is the grandson of Zensuke Yoshida, the founder of Shadai Farm. Zensuke Yoshida, a dairy farmer who bred cattle, decided in 1928 to start breeding thoroughbreds when he heard that the Japan Racing Association was planning to organize the inaugural Japanese Derby in 1932. To set up his new operations, Zensuke bought land facing the Pacific Ocean in the southwest of Hokkaido, the north island of Japan, and named his farm after the village where the farm was located, Shadai. This land is still used as part of Shiraoi Farm, the breeding operation run by Shadai Corporation that is owned and run by Teruya Yoshida with his two younger brothers, Katsumi and Haruya.

 

Zensuke handed the reins over to his son, Zenya Yoshida, a horseman with global aspirations, who expanded and developed Shadai Farm into the leading breeder in Japan partly through importing many high-profile horses from Europe and America to improve the quality of the horses he bred. One of Zenya’s most notable acquisitions was Sunday Silence, the greatest sire we have seen in Japan and the grandsire of Grand Pas de Deux, dam of Pas de Trois. Berliani, the third dam of Pas de Trois, is also an import from the United States, where Zenya Yoshida bought her at the Keeneland November Sale in 1989 for US$150,000.

 

When Zenya died in 1993, his eldest son, Teruya Yoshida, took over a part of his broodmares as well as the brand name of “Shadai”. Teruya’s younger brothers, Katsumi and Haruya, inherited another portion of their father’s broodmares and started their own breeding farms, Northern Farm and Oiwake Farm, respectively.

 

The three brothers have carried on the success of their grandfather and father with multiple winners. Star Ballerina, the first foal out of Berliani and second dam of Pas de Trois, became the winner of the G2 Rose Stakes and earned 180 million yen for Shadai Race Horse, a successful racing syndication founded by Zenya Yoshida and taken over by Haruya Yoshida when Zenya died. Grand Pas de Deux, the first foal out of Star Ballerina and dam of Pas de Trois, is by Fuji Kiseki, the first champion sired by Sunday Silence. Grand Pas de Deux, bred by Teruya Yoshida’s Shadai Farm, won three races including the G3 Chunichi Shimbun Hai from 26 starts and earned 125 million yen for Sunday Racing Club, the racing syndication run by Katsumi Yoshida.

 

Finally, Pas de Trois is the fourth foal out of Grand Pas de Deux. He is by Swept Overboard, the American-bred winner of the G1 Ancient Title Stakes and G1 Metropolitan Handicap who was bought by the Yoshida brothers. Swept Overboard started his stud duty in 2003 at Shadai Stallion Station, a stallion complex run by Shadai Corporation. On 11 December in Hong Kong, Pas de Trois, who carries the history of the Yoshida family's breeding operations, will attempt to add another great victory to the Shadai empire.

Japanese Mile Queen Apapane eyes glory in Hong Kong

 

Apapane, the four-year-old filly by King Kamehameha, is currently one of the most popular horses in Japan, enjoying as much fame as this year’s Triple Crown winner, Orfevre. While many male fans support the mighty Orfevre, the favourite among female fans is Apapane, who has a beautiful head and graceful composure.

 

The Apapane is a small bird native to the forests of Hawaii that is an agile flyer and characteristically alert. Makoto Kaneda, who bred and owns Apapane, was reminded of the little bird in Hawaii where he has a second home when he watched the young filly running with her dam in the paddock. Like the Apapane, the filly was a smallish animal when she was a foal and ran alertly. And as her sire was named after the King of the Hawaiian Islands in the 18th Century, Kaneko decided to call the filly "Apapane". At the racecourses on days when Apapane runs, members of her supporters club, most of whom are women, wear a badge of the little Hawaiian bird or a scarf decorated with them.

 

Just like the Apapane bird, which has a variety of calls and singing patterns, the filly has proven to be a versatile racehorse. In 2010, Apapane became the third horse to complete the Triple Crown for three-year-old fillies when swept the G1 Oka Sho, Japanese 1000 Guineas over 1,600 metres, the G1 Yushun Himba, Japanese Oaks over 2,400 metres, and the G1 Shuka Sho, Japanese St. Leger for fillies over 2,000 metres. The two champion fillies before her were Mejiro Ramonu who achieved it in 1986 and Still In Love in 2003.

 

While Sakae Kunieda, who trains Apapane at JRA’s Miho Training Center, and her regular rider, Masayoshi Enina, appreciate her versatility, both see the mile as the best trip for Apapane, and her supporters agree. It’s widely acknowledged that Apapane’s best performance so far was at the showdown with Buena Vista in the G1 Victoria Mile on 15 May 2011 at Tokyo Racecourse. Another versatile female athlete, Buena Vista had already won three mile-long Graded One Stakes, including the Victoria Mile of the previous year. It was one of the most exciting finishes Japan saw in 2011, with Apapane hitting the wire first, holding off a late challenge by Buena Vista by a neck.

 

When Kunieda initially entered Apapane in the 2011 Hong Kong International Races, his first choice was the Mile, then the Cup. When Kunieda received the invitation to the Cup, he discussed it with the owner and decided to wait for the invitation to the Mile. The good news was given to the connections on 22 November, the day before the public announcement. Kunieda reports that Apapane came out of the G1 Queen Elizabeth Commemorative Cup on 13 November, where she finished third to Snow Fairy, very well and has been training beautifully for the Hong Kong Mile.

Yasutoshi Ikee returns to Hong Kong with Trail Blazer

 

The hottest trainer in Japan at the moment is Yasutoshi Ikee. Orfevre, the three-year-old Stay Gold colt trained by Ikee, became the seventh Triple Crown winner in the history of horse racing in Japan. Earlier this year, he swept the G1 Satsuki Sho, Japanese 2000 Guineas on 24 April and the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japan Derby) on 29 May, both in Tokyo, and in Kyoto, he won the G1 Kikka Sho, Japanese St.Leger on 23 October. A week after the Kikka Sho, Tosen Jordan, the five-year-old horse by Jungle Pocket from Ikee’s stables, won the G1 Tenno Sho, Emperor’s Cup, in Tokyo on 30 October. And a week after that, another colt trained by Ikee, four-year-old Trail Blazer by Zenno Rob Roy, won the G2 Copa Republica Argentina in Tokyo on 6 November. In addition, the Ikee-trained, four-year-old colt by King Kamehameha, To the Glory, won the G2 Nikkei Sho at Hanshin on 2 April. By 13 November, runners trained by Ikee had earned a total purse of JPY1,864,056,000, leaving fellow trainers far behind on the leaders’ board.

 

Forty-two-year-old Yasutoshi Ikee is the son of legendary trainer, Yasuo Ikee. Ikee Senior is the well-known handler of Deep Impact, the two-time Japanese Horse of the Year who won seven stakes with premier grade. Although Yasutoshi had ambitions to become a jockey when he was young, he gave it up as he grew to a height of five feet six inches. Since then, Yasutoshi dreamed of becoming a trainer like his father. After graduating from Doshisha University, Yasutoshi went on to the racing school of the Japan Racing Association at Shiroi and got a job as the assistant trainer at Kunikazu Asami’s stables at Ritto in 1993. He then joined his father’s stables a year later.

 

When he was working for his father, Yasutoshi was involved in the overseas campaign of Stay Gold in 2001. The son of Sunday Silence went to Dubai in March and won the G2 Sheema Classic, beating Godolphin’s globetrotter Fantastic Light by a nose. In December of the same year, Stay Gold visited Hong Kong and won the G1 Hong Kong Vase, beating another Godolphin horse, Erkaar, by a head. While Japanese-trained horses had won Graded/Group One events abroad, all of them were achieved by American-bred horses, such as El Condor Pasa and Eishin Preston. Stay Gold’s 2001 win of the Hong Kong Vase was the first Graded One Stakes outside of Japan won by a Japanese-bred horse. At the prize-giving ceremony, Yasutoshi was determined that he would become a trainer and send his own runners to the Hong Kong International Races.

 

After stints working for Michael Stoute in Newmarket and Neil Drysdale in California, Yasutoshi received his trainer’s license and began operating his own stables in 2004. After Trail Blazer won the G2 Copa Republica Argentina, the first Graded Stakes for the colt, Yasutoshi felt the time had come to make a trip to Hong Kong with his horse. Hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps, Yasutoshi’s Trail Blazer is now an intended runner for the 2011 Hong Kong Vase, the same race that Stay Gold won 10 years ago.

Curren Chan runs for Curren and her family

 

Takashi Suzuki, the 49-year-old renowned ophthalmologist and owner of Curren Chan, a Hong Kong Sprint-intended runner, has been a great sports fan since he was a child. While he follows baseball closely and boxing gives him great excitement, his favorite sport has always been horse racing. Suzuki’s love for the sport began when, at the age of 10 in 1972, he watched Long Ace win the Japanese Derby on television. He had wanted to become a jockey, but had to give that up as he had grown too big to become a professional rider. Since then, Suzuki’s dream was to become a racehorse owner.

 

A well-known expert in glaucoma surgery, Suzuki owned his first horse in 1998, and his first winner was Curren Cabriole by Tayasu Tsuyoshi, which won the maiden race at Kokura on 15 November 2000. When Curren Cabriole won the maiden, Suzuki was attending a close friend’s wedding, however, he stole away from the party to watch the race at an off-course betting parlour in the city centre of Osaka and was choked to tears when he witnessed his first win as an owner.

 

With a profound knowledge of pedigree, Suzuki picked up a filly by Kurofune consigned by Shadai Farm in the catalogue of the JRHA Foal Sale in 2007 at the price of JPY25,000,000. Apart from the dam, Spring Ticket by Tony Bin, who was a winner of six races including five stakes, there was no notable runner in her previous three generations. However, he liked the mating of the Tony Bin mare and Kurofune. And he remembered that Vivaldi, the first foal out of Spring Ticket, was talented even though he had failed to win any race as he broke his leg during his second start where he finished second in a good maiden.

 

All horses owned by Suzuki have “Curren” in their name. In fact, Curren is the name of Suzuki’s daughter, who is also a big fan of horse racing along with her father and mother, Akiko. Whereas “Chan” is a suffix that is usually added to a young girl’s name to denote affection. Suzuki reserved the name Curren Chan for a horse that he would take a particular liking to and expect to be a very good one. As Suzuki was very impressed with the filly when she was pre-trained at Shadai Farm, he had decided that this was the horse that would deserve the name. When the filly moved to JRA’s Ritto Training Center to be trained by Takayuki Yasuda, she was officially named Curren Chan.

 

Curren Chan has more than proved herself worthy of her name. She has won four Graded Stakes, including the G3/Hanshin Himma Stakes on 9 April 2011 at Hanshin, which was the first Graded Stakes for Suzuki, and the G1/Sprinters Stakes on 2 October 2011 at Nakayama, the first stakes with premier grade for the owner. Curren Chan’s close bond with the Suzuki family is such that photos taken at the winners’ circle always feature her namesake, Curren Suzuki.

The waiting is nearly over. Racing journalists and track-watchers can put away their pens and stop-watches, and get set to enjoy the ‘Battle of the Giants’ A star-studded cast of jockeys, trainers, owners and celebrities have travelled from around the world to be part of the World Turf Championship in Hong Kong – the envy of racing-set around the globe. Sunday is D-Day with four championship races worth $68m in prize money and boasting the richest 1600mtrs race in the world – the $20m CXHK Mile.

 

No wonder an armada of 17 European horses – including Godolphin – have travelled over, licking their lips with anticipation with the prizes on offer. The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase (Race4) has long been a happy hunting ground for team Europe who have run off with the trophy in the last nine years. Their challenge looks equally impressive on Sunday, with recent Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden heading the seven-strong challenge. There is plenty of confidence behind French raiders Vadamar and Canadian Woodbine winner Sarah Lynx, while the connections of both Campanologist and Redwood have been positively enthusing about their charges chances. A difficult race to call, but maybe the glowing health of W on the Sha Tin track sways me towards a French win.

 

I can see all the headlines now – 'Dragon-Slayer' if Cirrus des Aigles should beat Hong Kong's finest Ambitious Dragon in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup (Race8) but a word of warning, keep an eye on another French challenger Byword. The five-year-old would win no prizes in beauty contests judged on his appearance at Sha Tin, but there is a quiet air of confidence about him for Sunday.

 

The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile sees a couple of challengers from last year in both Sahpresa and Rajsaman looking to improve on their third and fifth spots behind reigning champ Beauty Flash. Both can be given chances especially Sahpresa who looks trained to the minute. Connections of Cityscape will need to get their prayer-mats out and pray for rain for their contender to show his true form, while UK challenger Dubawi Gold would have carried my cash if he hadn’t been given the ‘coffin box’ barrier of 14.

 

The last time the Europeans won the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint (Race5), Noah was loading his animals into the Arc! The three European challengers Bated Breath, Sole Power and Society Rock suggest it will be another year before those statistics are smashed.

What a difference 24hrs makes. There was I yesterday bemoaning the fact there didn't seem any confidence in team Europe's camp ahead of Sunday's CXHKIR meeting – except for the French who always have confidence – and suddenly it's 'all change'.

 

There was no way the likes of Redwood and Campanologist were going to carry my hard-earned $10 wagers in the Cathy Pacific Hong Kong Vase, but now I can’t wait to join the queue for the betting counter on Sunday. Why? Waiting outside the jockeys changing room after the IFC at Happy Valley on Wednesday evening I bumped into former legendry trainer Barry Hills and his lovely wife Penny on their way home after an exciting night at the races. Now Barry may have passed the reins over to his son Charlie as the official trainer in UK, but there can be no disputing Barry would have plenty to say in the background at the stables in Lambourn.

 

Barry is renowned for his short and sharp answers to any questions about his horses, but on this occasion was positively oozing with confidence about Redwoods chances in the Vase. Now the former classic winning trainer is not known for hyping his horses, but I felt he expected last years Vase runner-up Redwood to go one better this time. Then lo and behold I bumped into the master trainer of Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor at the breakfast barrier draw at Sha Tin this morning (Thursday) Saeed was at pains to point out he had never had Campanologist in better condition and was confident of a huge run in the Vase. Now if you add Frankie Dettori who will ride the six-year-old into the equation, you can see the reasons for my revised opinions.

 

Talking about the Breakfast Barrier Draw, poor UK trainer Roger Charlton looked like he had been stung by a bee when he twice peeled back the dreaded 12 barrier draw numbers for his hopes Cityscape in the CXHK Mile and Bated Breath in the CXHK Sprint. Now Bated Breath probably looked Europe’s best hope to crush the unwanted statistics of no European winner in the last dozen years, but it now looks like that sequence will continue. The James Fanshaw trained Royal Ascot Golden Jubilee winner Society Rock – red hot jockey Johnny Murtagh aboard – has fared better with barrier 2, but as the trainer said to me "which Society Rock is going to turn up, the one that always wins at Ascot or the one who continues to disappoint elsewhere?" Irish hope Sole Power is drawn 8, not great when he will have to use his speed to get into a good position, and is anyway a better horse over 1000mtrs.

 

The top-two rated horse in the race Rocket Man and Sacred Kingdom were given nightmare draws in the car-park, at 13 and 14 respectively. The vibes have continued to be negative about Rocket Man since he has been training at Sha Tin, and the 13 slot certainly won't make them go away. Sacred Kingdom always has to come from behind anyway, but he will now need more luck in running to find a trouble-free passage. I suppose the two happiest trainers for the event would have been Danny Shum – trainer of Little Bridge who was given the 3 barrier, and John Size, with eight-time winner Entrapment from barrier 5.

 

Finally I wouldn't have wanted to hear Richard Hannon junior’s thoughts when finding out that Dubawai Gold had been given the 'coffin-box' number 14 in the CXHK Mile. There was plenty of confidence behind the three-year's chance's when he arrived in HK, but that will now have all evaporated, and jockey Richard Hughes will have to work the miracle to win the coveted prize.

Maybe it's me, but I get a distinct feeling that the European challenge will be relying on the French to bring home the 'pots of gold' on Sunday evening. As the flying armada of European journalists, trainers, owners and jockeys have entered paradise this week, there is suddenly a ultra-cautious note from them all. It was only a couple of weeks back when talking to numerous connections back in the UK they couldn't wait to get over to Hong Kong, pick up the spoils and then go out and celebrate!

 

Of course it didn’t help with the loss of Snow Fairy in the Vase, and Execelebration in the Mile, but there hasn’t been that air of expectancy as expected on the track at Sha Tin in the last week, as the horses have been put through their paces. Maybe that will change as the countdown begins on one of the greatest days in equine sport – the Cathy Pacific Hong Kong International Race meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday.

 

Meanwhile the French challengers have continued their build up as only they can. Quietly going about their business but with an air of quiet calm and tranquility, but nevertheless looking as if they are about to explode come big race day. Recent Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden has looked exceptional both on and off the track. He has looked fresh and in the best of health, and has been particularly impressive – especially when reunited with his Australian jockey Craig Williams – in his last serious piece of work. He will be the automatic favourite to many when he lines up in the Cathy Pacific Hong Kong Vase. Don’t forget other French challenger’s in Vadamar – a winner of a Group2 race at Longchamp in October – who has looked very professional and well in the last few days, and Silver Pond rated one of the best four-year-olds in his homeland earlier in the season.

 

The UK hopes will rest with trainer Ed Dunlop’s second string Red Cadeaux, who has flown in from Australia after losing the photo verdict to Dunaden in the Melbourne Cup, Godolphin’s Campanologist who will have the one and only Frankie Dettori in the saddle, and young Charlie Hill’s Redwood who ran so well at the Dubai Carnival earlier in the season. All have place chances at their best, but won't be carrying any of my money.

Big news from the UK – top jockey Richard Hughes is stopping off on his way to India to ride the Richard Hannon trained Dubawi Gold in the $20m Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile this Sunday. Connections were very impressed by the colt’s final gallop in Wiltshire, before the colt left for Hong Kong, and are hoping he will work on the grass at Sha Tin on Friday. Remember this is a colt that finished twice runner-up in the English – behind Frankel and Irish 2000 Guineas Classic races this season. A source close to the stable informed me that with his class and speed they expect him to run a big race on Sunday, especially as they believe the field has cut up. He has been freshened up since his Champion Stakes run at Ascot and despite a long season is looking at his best.

This European blog is slowly becoming a ‘Messenger of Doom’ Yesterday came the disappointing news that star three-year-old Execelebration was suffering from an infection and wouldn’t be taking part in the richest mile race in the world – Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile – and now catastrophic news follows that wonder filly Snow Fairy was injured doing a routine canter at Sha Tin yesterday (Monday) and will be unable to take part in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase.

 

The Ed Dunlop trained filly would have been a short-priced favourite to be the first horse to successfully complete a HK Vase and Cup double, and left his Newmarket trainer distraught yesterday evening. The stable are still represented by Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux, but the odds about team Europe taking all four prizes on December 11th have gone into orbit and it is hoped there won’t be any further bad news n the coming days.

The European challenge suffered a huge blow to their expectations of winning the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin on December 11th, when probable favourite Excelebration was found yesterday (Sunday) to have an infection and now misses the race.

 

The Marco Botti trained three-year-old was rated the second-best 1600mtrs horse in Europe behind Frankel, and had been working with great enthusiasm on the Newmarket gallops with big-race rider Jamie Spencer. There was the plenty of confidence behind his bid for the world’s richest Mile race, and connections were shattered by the news.

 

Excelebration will now move from his Newmarket base and join up with Aidan O’Briens stable at Ballydoyle and hopefully become one of their flag-bearers in next season’s big races. Better news for Europe is Richard Hannon’s Dubawi Gold – who twice this season finished runner-up in both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas - has been confirmed a runner and will travel over to Hong Kong.

 

Other news concerns the confirmation of jockey Craig Williams to ride Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase. Williams missed the chance of riding the winner of the world’s richest handicap due to suspension, but gets the ride back due to Melbourne Cup winning jockey Christophe Lemaire being retained by the Aga Khan to ride French challenger Vadamar.

The battle-lines are nearly finalized as team Europe puts the finishing touches to its all-out attack on one of the greatest day’s racing in the world. – the $68m CXHKIR meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday, December 11th.

 

Gasps of surprise and shaking of heads greeted the decision by connections of ‘The Queen’ Snow Fairy to challenge for the $14m Cathy Pacific Hong Kong Vase instead of the more prestigious $20m Vase she won last year. The dual Japanese Queen Elizabeth 11 Commemorative Cup winner – she arrived safely in HK on Thursday – was expected to lock horns with her Qipco Champion Stakes conqueror Cirrus de Aigles, and Hong Kong’s finest, Ambitious Dragon, but as opted for what her owner and trainer see as the easier option.

 

Speaking to trainer Ed Dunlop at Newmarket on Wednesday morning, he was at pains to point out “there are no such things as a certainty in racing, but we do believe this is an easier race for her” That makes interesting reading! Laying in wait for her will be the French-trained Melbourne Cup winner Dunedin – reunited with regular Australian pilot Craig Williams who was suspended at Flemington – her stable companion Red Cadeaux, and two H H Aga Khan challengers in recent Group2 winner Valdamar, and surprise ‘Arc’ runner-up Shareta, although the latter is expected to miss the race after running in Japan this week-end.

 

Now while I would personally give up a life-long habit of smoking, if Red Cadeaux, who produced a performance of a life-time when runner-up in the Melbourne Cup, should win, the ex Richard Gibson trained Dunaden looks a fast improving horse, and you can never rule anything out trained by Godolphin, who run Campanologist.

 

Enthusiastic and confident vibes are coming from the camps of both French challengers Cirrus des Aigles and Byword in the $20m Cathy Pacific Hong Kong Mile. Cirrus des Aigles may have won the Champion Stakes at Ascot last month, but Andre Fabre’s Byword already holds a neck decision over his compatriot in the Prix Dollar this season, and won Royal Ascot’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes last year. There would also be interesting post-script if Byword should win. Jockey Maxime Guyon, criticized in some quarters for his ride on Hong Kong champion Ambitious Dragon last weekend, would probably have lost the ride to the "King" Douglas Whyte, but Guyon is anyway retained to ride all French trained horses owned by Khalid Abdullah – owner of Byword!

 

Europe may have won only two running of the $20m Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile, but you can guarantee they will be a short price about making it three. Leading the charge is one of the best 1600mtrs racehorses on the planet in Excelebration, who continues to impress trainer Marco Botti, and has the added bonus of globe-trotting Jamie Spencer in the saddle. With recent Group3 winner Cityscape, Dubawi Gold – runner-up in both English and Irish 2000 Guineas classics, and triple Group1 Sun Chariot Stakes winner Sahpresa all possible contenders, it is difficult to visualize the world's richest international mile race, not leaving HK.

 

Now the $14m Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint has always by-passed Europe, but there are signs that with Hong Kong’s finest sprinters all much of a sameness, this is about to be rectified. Bated Breath has always looked Europe’s chief hope, but he is now joined by the James Fanshawe trained Society Rock. Fanshawe will come as a surprise to the locals, looking more like a schoolteacher than racehorse trainer. The bespectabled Fanshaw is going to saddle Society Rock, winner of the Group1 Golden Jubilee 1200mtrs Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. Irish champion jockey Johnny Murtagh has already been suitably impressed when putting the four-year-old through his paces on the 1200mtrs Polytrack back in England, and as Fanshawe says, he and Murtagh have a good record together and the jockey is already well aquainted with Sha Tin.

Be warned! As Hong Kong prepares to take centre-stage in the world of horse racing with the CXHKIR meeting at Sha Tin on December 11th, team Europe are putting the finishing touches to their all-out assault on some of the world’s richest equine prizes.

 

The racing centre of the UK, Newmarket, maybe in sleep-mode at present - with no more championship races this season - but that hasn’t stopped the town buzzing with high expectation as local trainers Marco Botti and Ed Dunlop prepare their challengers to reach HK in prime condition. Italian bred Botti was full of confidence as he watched his stable-star Excelebration canter on the Warren Hill gallop over the week-end. The three-year-old who chased home wonder horse Frankel twice in England, but still won the prestigious Prix Moulin in France, will have globe-trotting Jamie Spencer in the saddle as they go for the world’s richest international mile race –the $20m Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile. Owner Khalid Abdullah and trainer Roger Charlton add some flavour to the race by pitching in recent French Group3 winner Cityscape.

 

Dunlop must be rubbing his hands with anticipation as his stable flag-bearer Snow Fairy finally came good for the first time this season with a scintillating success for the second time in Japan’s Queen Elizabeth 11 Commemorative Cup last weekend. HK racing enthusiasts have already seen Snow Fairy in the flesh, when she came out of the clouds to win the Cathy Pacific Hong Cup last season. Will she go for the double again, or will she opt for the 2400mtrs Vase? Dunlop has yet to make up his mind.

 

Stable companion Red Cadeaux produced a life-time best performance when beaten a whisker by French-trained Dunedin in the world’s richest handicap – the Melbourne Cup – at Flemington last month. The pair are all lined-up for a mouth-watering rematch in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase. Beaten Melbourne Cup favourite Americain, has disappointingly declined the invitation, but if Snow Fairy accepts the challenge, it would certainly add spice to proceedings.

 

European horses have a pretty good record in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup, having taken the prize eight times in the last twelve runnings. If Snow Fairy decides to defend her crown, she will come up against the highest-rated horse still in training at present –Cirrus des Aigles The French-trained colt broke the track-record when beating an International field – including Snow Fairy – when winning the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October. The five-year-old has failed twice in past visits to Hong Kong, but will certainly be fancied to make it third time lucky.

 

Europe has never won the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint but will be hoping to rectify that record with challenger Bated Breath. Roger Charlton’s flying-machine has twice only found Europe’s top sprinter Dream Ahead too good in the July Stakes and Sprint Cup at Haydock this year. Although Singapore-based Rocket Man could be in opposition, Charlton remains full of confidence after watching his horse produce a sizzling piece of home-work recently.