Multiple Group 1-placed CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (Inchinor [GB]) was reported in great form
following an impressive trial at Sha Tin last week. The six-year-old chestnut is
preparing for a run in Sunday’s Hong Kong Sprint (HK-G1) at the same track.
“Clearly the Sprint is going to be very hard to win with (defending
Sprint champion) Silent Witness (El Moxie)
being phenomenal and Var (Forest Wildcat) clocking some exceptional times in Europe, but
my horse will hopefully get into the prize money,” trainer David Oughton said. “He is a superstar and has
given us all so much fun. He hasn’t won for a while but was third in this race
last year and should be there or thereabouts again.
Cape of Good Hope has yet to earn a stakes win but finished just a neck back
in third in the Golden Jubilee S. (Eng-G1) in mid-June.
“He was third in the Sprinters’ Stakes (Jpn-G1) at Nakayama over 1200 meters in October and
I have been easy on him since he got back to Hong Kong,” Oughton said. “He needed his last start
in the International Sprint Trial (where he ran fourth) and has done really well since. With
Silent Witness around it is going to be hard for him to win a sprint in Hong Kong
so after Sunday we’ll get his passport out again and take him to Japan in
March.”
Sprint hopeful PIVOTAL POINT (Pivotal) had a canter on Thursday and looked
much more relaxed than earlier in the week, going just one circuit of the
dirt track at Sha Tin. The four-year-old has won both the Diadem S. (Eng-G2) and
Prix du Petit Couvert (Fr-G3) so far this year.
“He will have a blow on the grass tomorrow,” trainer Peter Makin said. “So
far so good, he is very pleased with himself and feeling quite cheeky. I
couldn’t be happier.”
Trainer Hiroyuki Oneda is very happy with the form of Japanese leading
sprinter CALSTONE LIGHT O (Warning [GB]) after the six-year-old galloped
steadily over the dirt track Thursday morning.
“He looks great, and this warm weather makes him happy because he is a
‘summer horse’ — he has won the Ibis Summer Dash (Jpn-G3) in August twice,”
Oneda said. “I know there is one big star from Hong Kong in the Sprint,
but I believe our horse will compete well on Sunday.”
Another Japanese contender, SUNNINGDALE (Warning [GB]), looked very relaxed
following a fast piece of work on the turf stretch course under his jockey,
Yuichi Fukunaga.
“I am
satisfied with his good shape,” trainer Tsutomu Setoguchi said. “His weight now is the same as when he won the
Takamatsunomiya Kinen (Jpn-G1) in March.”
As for defending champion Silent Witness, Setoguchi said, “If there is a horse who can finally beat him, it
will be our sprinter.”