LONGINES Hong Kong International Races Wednesday (7/12) track notes

07/12/2016

LONGINES Hong Kong Cup

A SHIN HIKARI (JPN)
Cantered on the all-weather under work rider Tomoyasu Sakaguchi.
Trainer Masanori Sakaguchi said: “He usually has a difficult temperament, but he has settled well and is happy enough in the surroundings. So far all has gone as planned.”

BLAZING SPEED (HK)
Cantered one lap of the small all-weather track at Sha Tin.
Jockey Neil Callan said: “He’s in really good form. He probably didn’t run to his best last time (G2 Jockey Club Cup) but he’s shown in the past he can bounce back from a below par run. He’ll run a strong race.”

DESIGNS ON ROME (HK)
Cantered two laps of the inner all-weather track at Sha Tin.

ELLIPTIQUE (FR)
Cantered around the turf track under work rider Amelie Foulon. Continues to be the most positively ridden of the French contingent: 1400m in 1m 42.0s (15.7, 14.6, 15.0, 15.0, 14.8, 13.0, 13.9).
Andre Fabre's head man Richard Lambert said: “Everything went fine. It was just a little canter to keep him ticking over and to introduce him to the grass track. All the real work was done before we came out.”

GUN PIT (HK)
One-lap canter of the inside all-weather track at Sha Tin.
Jockey Karis Teetan said: “Last time (G2 Jockey Club Mile) he ran a very good race. I got checked. When we came back Caspar and I both said we thought 2000 metres would be better for him. If they go a good pace, where he’s comfortable, I think he can run well. Some people see him as just a dirt specialist but he’s won on the grass and he’s run some good races on the grass. I’m not saying he’ll win but I’d like to see him running strongly to the line – he has the ability to fly home and run a very good race.”

HORSE OF FORTUNE (HK)
Two-lap canter of the Sha Tin inner all-weather track.

HELENE SUPER STAR (HK)
One lap of the Sha Tin small (inner) all-weather circuit.

LOVELY DAY (JPN)
Cantered on the all-weather under work rider Joji Yamamoto.
Yamamoto said: “He has improved his condition and become familiarised with the surroundings every day. He will gallop on turf tomorrow.”

MAURICE (JPN)
Worked 1½ laps over the Sha Tin all-weather track.
Groom Tomohiro Takahashi said: “All three (of trainer Noriyuki Hori’s) horses are on target for their upcoming gallops. We will decide tonight if we will gallop them on Thursday or Friday.”

QUEENS RING (JPN)
Galloped on all-weather under work rider Yusuke Yoshimoto: 1000m in
1m 11.8s (17.0, 15.2, 15.0, 12.8, 11.8).
Trainer Keiji Yoshimura said: “Everything has been under control including today’s gallop. She moved nicely and looks very fit. She’s maintaining good condition. I would like to get an inside draw.”

SECRET WEAPON (HK)
Two easy rounds of the Sha Tin inner all-weather track.

STAPHANOS (JPN)
Worked 1½ laps around the Sha Tin all-weather track; clocked at 1m 18.9s (17.0, 16.1, 16.4, 14.5, 14.9) for 1000m.
Groom Yohei Fujino said: “He was pretty keen today, especially during the first part of his work, but he relaxed into it as he went around the backstretch. He is in good form for his breeze tomorrow.”

LONGINES Hong Kong Mile

ABLE FRIEND (HK)
Solid one-lap canter on the all-weather track.

BEAUTY FLAME (HK)
Cantered one lap of the small all-weather track.
Big-race jockey Derek Leung said: “I rode the horse once before a couple of years ago and I’ve seen him run often enough to know that he’s a pretty straightforward horse. Tony can always get his horses to peak in good form for the big races and from what I’ve seen, the horse looks well.”

BEAUTY ONLY (HK)
Led a string of Tony Cruz-trained horses for a canter around the small all-weather track under Cruz’s assistant Cody Mo.

CONTENTMENT (HK)
Worked 800m on the all-weather track in 58.9s (33.0, 25.9).
Trainer John Size said: “Contentment is in his normal routine. They are all on track now.”

COUGAR MOUNTAIN (IRE)
Cantered on the turf under regular exercise rider Craig Bryson: final 800m in
1m 04.1s (17.9, 16.3, 15.1, 14.8).
Cougar Mountain followed his stable companion Highland Reel: “They are grand,” said Pat Keating, “They’ll just keep ticking over now on the all-weather track for the rest of the week until Sunday.”

GIANT TREASURE (HK)
One easy lap of the small (inner) all-weather track.

HELENE PARAGON (HK)
A canter for one round of the Sha Tin all-weather track.

JOYFUL TRINITY (HK)
A one-lap canter of the main all-weather track under John Moore’s assistant trainer Terry Wong.

LOGOTYPE (JPN)
Cantered easily for two laps on the all-weather under trainer Tsuyoshi Tanaka.
Tanaka said: “He’s maintaining good form. Everything has gone well so far. About the draw, I would like to draw from inside to middle.”

NEOREALISM (JPN)
Worked 1½ laps over the Sha Tin all-weather track.
Groom Tomohiro Takahashi said: “All three (of trainer Noriyuki Hori’s) horses are on target for their upcoming gallops. We will decide tonight if we will gallop them on Thursday or Friday.”

PACKING PINS (HK)
Took to the small all-weather track to canter one circuit.

ROMANTIC TOUCH (HK)
A fast canter around the inside all-weather track under big race rider Matthew Chadwick.

SATONO ALADDIN (JPN)
Cantered on the all-weather under jockey Yuya Mizuguchi.
Mizuguchi said: “He moved powerfully and nicely. I think he is in good form. He also looks pretty good and is getting used to the surroundings and track at Sha Tin. Jockey Yuga Kawada will gallop him on turf tomorrow.”

SUN JEWELLERY (HK)
Galloped over 800m on the all-weather track in 58.2s (33.3, 24.9).
Trainer John Size said: “Sun Jewellery worked normal, he was nice. As I said, everything is normal. They are all on track now.”

LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint

AEROVELOCITY (HK)
Easy canter on the inner all-weather track.

AMAZING KIDS (HK)
Worked over 800m on the main all-weather track, stopping the clock in 1m 00.3s (33.8, 26.5).
Trainer John Size said: “Everything’s normal. Amazing Kids, we’re keeping him the same. They are all on track now.”

BIG ARTHUR (JPN)
Worked 1½ laps around the Sha Tin all-weather track.
Trainer Kenichi Fujioka said: “We want to draw a middle barrier this time to avoid the issues he had in his last start. We want 5, 6, or 7 if possible.”

GROWL (UK)
Cantered around the all-weather track and rider Fionn McSharry then kept him
walking for about another 10 minutes.

LUCKY BUBBLES (HK)
A one-lap canter around the small all-weather track.

NOT LISTENIN’TOME (HK)
One round of the all-weather track at a canter.

PURE SENSATION (USA)
Remained in the quarantine stable and exercised in the sand ring following his turf work out on Tuesday.

PENIAPHOBIA (HK)
Cantered one lap of the inner all-weather track.

REBEL DANE (AUS)
Cantered on the all-weather track.
Trainer Gary Portelli, who arrived last night, was pleased with his sprinter. He said: “I thought he looked really well this morning. He was on his toes but he’s always like that and he wasn’t as agitated as he was yesterday. He probably thought he was out there to go racing yesterday.

“He's putting some weight back on and settling into the routine here now. He’s not tucked up and is generally in good order. He’s just had an easy canter today; he doesn’t need to do too much. It’s not going to be easy on Sunday but we’re hopeful. On his day he can match it with the best.”

RED FALX (JPN)
Did a slow canter on turf, schooled at the paddock and galloped on the all-weather under work rider Isao Futaguchi: final 400m in 31.4s (16.1, 15.3).
Dai Saito, the assistant trainer, said: “We have figured out the current condition of the surface on turf from the warm up this morning.  I think he has familiarised himself with it.  The track was harder than I thought.  He’s in good form and is eating up well. He will gallop on turf tomorrow with Mirco Demuro aboard.”

SIGNS OF BLESSING (FR)
Cantered around the Sha Tin all-weather under work rider Wilfred Conart, taking a lead off Vase contender Silverwave. Clocked through 1000m in 1m 12.5s (16.9, 14.8, 13.7, 13.5, 13.6).

STRATHMORE (HK)
Given a two-lap canter of the Sha Tin inner all-weather track.
Jockey Neil Callan said: “He’s had an interrupted prep and had just the one lead-up run but I felt that wasn’t a bad effort in the (G2) Jockey Club Sprint. Obviously his run in the (G1) Chairman’s Sprint last May was very good behind Chautauqua and he’s in the game if he can reproduce something like that."

SUPER JOCKEY (HK)
Given a two-lap canter of the inner all-weather track.
Big-race jockey Karis Teetan said: “He’s going well, he’s flying. His last trial was impressive, he ran a good time and he still had a lot in the tank. I think Mr. Millard knows the horse well, he’s kept him fresh. We went to Korea  and won pretty well – we could see that performance he gave us running fresh, so Mr. Millard decided to just give him a couple of trials coming in. He could win a race like this if he gets lucky. Even on the grass he’s run some good races before, so he’s the type of horse I can have confidence in and the way he’s going at the moment, it’s the best I’ve felt him.”

TAKEDOWN (AUS)
Cantered around the all-weather track under work rider Petra Kankova and quickened up over the last 800m for a time of 53.4s (14.7, 12.9, 12.2, 13.6).
Trainer Gary Moore commented: “I’m delighted with that. He was strong at the finish
and his rider says that Takedown feels better than he did at the time he won the big race in Perth. What I like is that he is a horse who can quicken again for a jockey at the end of a race, which is why he usually wins by small margins. But small margins are OK with me.”

LONGINES Hong Kong Vase

ANTICIPATION (HK)
Easy canter for one lap over the main all-weather track.

BENZINI (NZ)
Looked comfortable cantering around the all-weather track under assistant trainer
Harry Bull.
Jockey Rosie Myers who will make her Hong Kong race-riding debut at Sha Tin
on Sunday said: “I’ve just arrived but the reports from Harry are very positive. I’ll ride Benzini in some work on Friday and we’re confident that our horse will run right up to his best on Sunday.”

BIG ORANGE (UK)
Breezed around the all-weather track under regular work rider Gillian Dolman.

EASTERN EXPRESS (HK)
Breezed-up over 400m on the main all-weather track in 26.5s.
Trainer John Size said: “Eastern Express just did his normal workout. They are all on track now.”

FLAME HERO (HK)
Slow canter on the inside all-weather track.

GARLINGARI (FR)
Cantered solo around the Sha Tin all-weather under work rider Zoe Gargoulaud under the watchful eye of trainer Corine Barande-Barbe: final 800m in 1m 12.8s (17.3, 18.4, 17.8, 19.3).
Barande-Barbe said: “He watches everything around him everywhere but he is younger than Cirrus Des Aigles and it is his first time. I think he is in good health and a good mood and he is dancing. It is a quite a hard race with a lot of good horses but Garlingari will be the freshest. He has had a big year but he had a real break in the summer and I think it will be a good point in his favour. He is only five and it is difficult to go the whole year.”

HELENE HAPPY STAR (HK)
Steady canter for one lap of the Sha Tin all-weather track.

HIGHLAND REEL (IRE)
Cantered on the turf under regular exercise worker Davy Bergin ahead of stablemate Cougar Mountain: final 800m in 1m 03.9s (17.3, 17.0, 14.9, 14.7).
Aidan O’Brien’s representative Pat Keating said: “They are grand, they’ll just keep ticking over now on the all-weather track for the rest of the week until Sunday.” The discreet thumbs up from his rider, and the smile on the face of O’Brien’s long time travelling head lad told work watchers all they needed to know.

NUOVO RECORD (JPN)
Slow canter lap around the turf course, schooled in the paddock, finished with a light gallop around the all-weather course and was clocked at 26.6s (12.9, 13.7) for the final 400m.
Groom Hideyuki Obara said: “She schooled well today, we don’t think the paddock will bother her. She is coming along very well. Tomorrow she will breeze five furlongs over the turf.”

ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN (FR)
Jogged around the sand ring in the quarantine stable.

QUECHUA (SIN)
Turf work with Nooresh Juglall aboard: final 800m in 58.7s (18.2, 14.8, 12.8, 12.9).
Juglall was happy with the outcome and said: “He did that very nicely, he has settled in well here.”

Ricardo Le Grange, assistant to trainer Patrick Shaw, said: “He was striding out nicely and that’s about what we wanted to see from him this morning. He did run third in the Singapore International behind Dan Excel last year and on that you’d think he’s up to the class. He’s a bit older now, of course, but he’s a real trier and the trip is going to suit him. He’s an out and out stayer.”

SATONO CROWN (JPN)
Worked 1½ laps over the Sha Tin all-weather track.
Groom Tomohiro Takahashi said: “All three (of trainer Noriyuki Hori’s) horses are on target for their upcoming gallops. We will decide tonight if we will gallop them on Thursday or Friday.”

SILVERWAVE (FR)
Exercised around the Sha Tin all-weather under work rider Sylvain Guillot: final 1000m in 1m 12.1s (15.9, 14.3, 14.4, 14.0, 13.5).
Fabrice Dolbois, assistant to trainer Pascal Bary, said: “It was no more than a canter just to maintain his form. First day was very gentle, then we stepped it up a little bit today and he might have a turf breeze at some stage. He continues to please me with how calm he is compared to the way he can sometimes be at home, while all the other signs – eating, drinking – are good and he has settled in very well. Sylvain rides him every day at home.”

SMART LAYER (JPN)
Cantered on the all-weather under work rider Kota Kato.
Kato said: “I think she likes the life in Hong Kong since she is very relaxed.  Everything has been under control. She will gallop on turf tomorrow.”