Cirrus des Aigles among foreigners aiming for Hong Kong

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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