A total of 54 horses from all corners of the globe, including 25 Group/Grade
1 winners, have been extended invitations to the 2012 Hong Kong International
Races at Sha Tin December 9.
“The Hong Kong International Races, now sponsored by Longines, continues to
attract elite runners from across the globe,” Hong Kong Jockey Club Executive
Director of Racing Bill Nader said. “Year on year, the wide response from
leading horsemen emphasizes the premier standing of this great occasion as the
Turf World Championships.”
Making the trip to Hong Kong for the fourth consecutive year is Cirrus des
Aigles, who is exiting a runner-up effort to Frankel in the Group 1 Champion at
Ascot. But for all his success worldwide, the six-year-old winner of this year’s
Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan is unplaced in his three previous runs at
the International meeting and could do no better than fifth to California Memory
in last year’s Group 1 Hong Kong Cup. Cirrus des Aigles will have the chance to
even the score with local star California Memory, who last Sunday took down the
Group 2 Jockey Club Cup over the course and distance.
This year’s Cup, featuring increased prize money of HK$22 million, has also
attracted The Queen’s Carlton House; Irian, last year’s runner-up; and
Australia’s Alcopop, last-out winner of the Group 1 Mackinnon.
The Group 1 Hong Kong Mile looms a battle between the host and a pair of
top-class rivals from Japan. Ambitious Dragon enters the HK$20 million event as
the marquee horse, but will have to reverse form with Glorious Days, who added
blinkers and beat the heavy chalk on the square in the Group 2 Jockey Club Mile
last weekend. Eishin Preston and Hat Trick struck for Japan in 2001 and 2005,
respectively, but the locals have annexed the last six runnings. Sadamu Patek,
runner-up to Orfevre in the Group 1 Japanese Two Thousand Guineas last season
over 2000 meters, has proved at least as effective at the mile and comes in off
a neck success from Grand Prix Boss in last Sunday’s Group 1 Mile Championship.
Dunaden is expected back for a title defense in the HK$15 million, Group 1
Hong Kong Vase, but looks to face a stiffer challenge than he did 12 months ago.
The six-year-old, 14th in defense of his Group 1 Melbourne Cup title last time
out, could rematch in Hong Kong with Red Cadeaux, eighth at Flemington November
6 and third at Sha Tin last December. Mount Athos had a troubled passage and was
finishing well when fifth in Melbourne, but won the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer in
August and looms an interesting alternative in a wide-open race. The Fugue, the
Group 1 Nassau heroine, will take her place in the field after being
supplemented this week. Fifteen of the last 18 runnings have gone to horses
representing France or Great Britain.
Lucky Nine was reportedly well short of peak fitness for last Sunday’s Group
2 Jockey Club Sprint, but managed to find the wire first and looms a serious
threat to repeat in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint. The 1200-meter test, worth
HK$15 million, has also attracted Group 1 King’s Stand upsetter Little Bridge,
as well as a pair of classy sprinters from Singapore — Group 1 International
Sprint winner Ato and Super Easy, who lost a shoe and bled when a decent sixth
in the Jockey Club Sprint.
Sea Siren will add Australian flavor to the Sprint. The Group 1 Manikato
winner, she exits a runner-up effort in the Group 1 Victoria Racing Club up the
Flemington straight November 10. There are no entries from Europe for the first
time in recent memory.
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