Hong Kong contenders gear up for Sunday’s extravaganza

Cirrus des Aigles’ trainer believes that he will take care of “unfinished business” in the HK Cup (Hong Kong Jockey Club)

Grand campaigner Cirrus des Aigles is in Hong Kong for the fifth time, and
Sunday’s Group 1 Hong Kong Cup will be his fourth International run (he missed
last year through injury on race eve). He’s yet to win in Hong Kong but trainer
Corine Barande-Barbe is quietly confident he will produce his best this time.

“He will run his race this year, I’m sure of that,” Barande-Barbe said. “The
signs have been good with him on the track and I think now that we understand
everything that is required here, maybe this will help him win. He’s really very
well.

“I want this. I want him to show here in Hong Kong what he can really do.
It’s not about redemption. Redemption implies guilt and he is guilty of nothing,
this horse, he’s been so wonderful. Perhaps you might say it’s unfinished
business.”

American Cup contender Little Mike stretched his legs on the all-weather on
Friday, covering about a half-mile in a leisurely 1:04.6.

“With horses it’s all about the little hurdles getting them ready, and he’s
crossed them all no problem,” trainer Dale Romans said. “Now we’ve just got one
big one left to jump on Sunday and hopefully he can do it. It would be great to
have a U.S.A. win here.”

Neatico (Cup) has struck career-best form this campaign (Hong Kong Jockey Club)

“He is very well, and I was very pleased with his last bit of work here
earlier in the week. Unfortunately he is drawn a bit wide in gate 11, and I am
not sure if he can get cover from there, but I’ll leave that to his jockey,”
said Schiergen, who was himself a multiple champion jockey in Germany.

The jockey in question is Andrasch Starke, who has ridden Neatico in his last
seven racecourse starts.

British-based Grandeur worked about a half-mile on the all-weather in :57.4
in preparation for the Cup. The Jeremy Noseda trainee recorded splits of :32 and
:25.4.

Compatriot Andrew Balding remains upbeat about the chances of Side Glance on
Sunday after his charge completed his morning routine with a school in the
paddock. 

“He’s looking good, moving well and we’ve got a good draw in gate 2, so
there’s a lot to look forward to,” the trainer said of his Cup chances. “I hope
he can get a piece of the cake on Sunday.”

Side Glance (Cup) has competed exclusively at the Group 1 level in 2013 (Hong Kong Jockey Club)

Three of Hong Kong’s Cup entrants posted Friday works.

Akeed Mofeed strode about six furlongs on the all-weather under Douglas Whyte
in 1:22.1 (splits of :30.3, :26.9 and :24.9).

Same World, with Tommy Berry aboard, covered the same ground in 1:22.6
(splits of :30, :28 and :24.6)

Rainbow Chic blew out about a quarter-mile in :26.1 on the all-weather.

Hong Kong Mile threat Moonlight Cloud exercised about a half-mile on the
all-weather in :49.9 (splits of :25.3 and :24.6).

“She’s in very good shape after settling in beautifully,” trainer Freddy Head
said. “She’s done all that we wanted of her on the track here. She goes to the
Mile, but that’s fine for her now, I think. In the early days she raced too
keenly but now she settles well in her races.

Linton (Mile) has regrouped well after settling in at Sha Tin (Hong Kong Jockey Club)

Rival Sky Lantern cantered on the turf under Richard Hughes and eased through
about two furlongs in :27.3.

Several other Mile hopefuls went for a spin on the all-weather.

Ireland’s Gordon Lord Byron toured about a quarter-mile in an easy :29.

Australian flag-bearer Linton cantered, and stable manager Troy Corstens said
that his confidence was growing about the gray’s prospects.

“He’s getting better and better every day here,” Corstens said. “I’d say he’s
close to spot-on and now it’s just a question of whether he’s good enough but we
do have a great jockey (Damien Oliver) and a good draw.

“The horse has well and truly recovered from the slight setback which forced
us to scratch him during Melbourne Cup week,” he added, alluding to an ephemeral
bug, “and this has been his target race since he came back into work, so it’s
not an afterthought. Maybe a few more days here for him would have been ideal,
but he’s well and the track will suit him. Now we just hope for some luck.”

Dan Excel (right) ran down pacesetter Helene Spirit in the Champions Mile here in May (Hong Kong Jockey Club)

Dan Excel, ridden by Weichong Marwing, clocked the same distance in 1:24.9
(splits of :31.5, :28.1 and :25.3).

“He went out this morning and ran a good time and came home in :12.55 for the
last 200 meters,” trainer John Moore said of his final eighth. “Marwing reported
that he pulled up very clean-winded and he was very happy with the work, even
though he’s going into the race one run short — there’s still going to be a
tiny bit of doubt about him being 100 percent. He’s a horse that improves as the
season goes on.”

Packing Whiz worked about a half-mile in :58 (splits of :31 and :27).

Hong Kong Vase favorite The Fugue went a gentle lap of the turf course under
William Buick and strolled about two furlongs in :29.1.

Simon Marsh, racing manager to the owner, Lord Lloyd-Webber, commented: “She
looks very well. She did her final piece of work at Newmarket last Friday, and
she’s race fit, so she won’t be doing much here.”

Galileo Rock (Vase) quickened smartly in his tune-up (Hong Kong Jockey Club)

“He looks very well — he looks fantastic, so we will see,” jockey Gerald
Mosse said.

“He’s in good order,” said trainer Ed Dunlop, who inspected the horse for the
first time this week. “We were happy to miss the Japan Cup this year after he
had a tough run in the Melbourne Cup, which wasn’t the case the year before.
He’s recovered from that race now and has done well here.

“The Fugue’s going to be very hard to beat but the old boy (Red Cadeaux) will
run well and it would be nice if we could go back-to-back here.”

Dunlop added that the seven-year-old would begin his 2014 racing year in
either Sydney or Dubai.

Irish sophomore Galileo Rock made a good impression in his about half-mile
hit-out, logging :54.5 (splits of :30.1 and :24.4) on the grass.

Dunaden (Vase) wheels back just two weeks after the Japan Cup (Hong Kong Jockey Club)

“My concern in coming here was that it might come a bit soon for him after
his last run in the Japan Cup, which will have been only two weeks before
Sunday,” trainer Mikel Delzangles said after the work.

“While that is still a
slight concern, I am as happy as I could be with his general well-being, so I
hope all goes well on Sunday, but we’ll find out in the race.”

Fellow French representative Ebiyza recorded 1:25.6 for the same distance
(splits of :34, :28.4 and :23.2).

Mount Athos looked bright as he cantered on the all-weather.

“He did have a hard race in Melbourne (third in the Melbourne Cup),” trainer
Luca Cumani’s assistant Charlie Henson said, “but there’s every indication now
that he’s come through that really well, and after Melbourne we now know we have
options with him tactically.”

Japanese Vase contender Asuka Kurichan was caught in 1:28.6 (splits of :31.8,
:30.8 and :26).

“He is in a perfect condition,” trainer Naosuke Sugai said. “It is just about
the same condition as when he won his last race (the Copa Republica Argentina)
and he feels very bright. He understands the race comes soon.

Nymphea (Vase) will get her preferred ground conditions (Hong Kong Jockey Club)

Germany’s Vase triumvirate all took to the all-weather.

The filly Nymphea loped about six furlongs under Starke in 1:38.8 (splits of
:31, :34 and :33.8).

“She is in good form and everything has gone well,” Schiergen said of his
Grosser Preis von Berlin winner. “The key to her is a good pace and firm ground.
You can forget her last run at Ascot where it was soft (in the British Champions
Fillies and Mares), and in Istanbul the pace was only ordinary (when third in
the Bosphorus Cup). I hope there is a good pace, but my jockey (Starke) knows
her and if he has to go forward then he will.”

Seismos negotiated the same distance in 1:26.6 (splits of :33.1, :28.8 and
:24.7).

Trainer Andreas Wohler said of his Munich Group 1 winner and Canadian
International third: “He has had a good year, but a long one. Yet every time I
think he’s needed a break he bounces back in a couple of days and tells me he is
ready for more.

“Everything has gone well out here, and while The Fugue is probably the best
horse in the race, the others are pretty evenly matched, so it’s really all
about the race, and how it is run, and what sort of trip we get.”

Sole Power hopes to improve on his ninth in the 2011 HK Sprint (Hong Kong Jockey Club)

Reigning Hong Kong Sprint winner Lord Kanaloa is giving off the right vibes
ahead of his swan song, striding out about a quarter-mile on the all-weather in
:27.3.

“He has now switched on,” assistant trainer Shogo Yasuda said. “He has a
great mood this morning and I feel his energy is getting ready for the big game.
He has a good gait and moved very flexibly. I am sure he is in very good form.
His work has been perfect up to now. We will work him on turf again tomorrow
morning.”

Trainer Eddie Lynam sent his Sprint duo of Sole Power and Slade Power out
onto the Sha Tin turf.

Sole Power worked about a half-mile in :53.8 (splits of :31.7 and :22.1),
while Slade Power popped out of the gates at the five-furlong start to sharpen
the Irish colt.