|
HKIR News : Updated Form Comments
11 December 2001
Updated Form Comments Hong Kong Sprint - 1000M (Int'l Group 2)
| Nuclear Debate (USA) b g 1995 | Geiger Counter (USA) - I'm An Issue (USA) (Cox's Ridge (USA))
Trainer: Darrell Vienna (USA)
Owner: William Herrick
Pattern race wins: Two Group1s, Two Group 2s, One Group 3 | | One of Europe's leading sprinters for the past couple of seasons with two successes in both Group 1 and Group 2 company. Usually delivered with a strong late run when on song. After two unsuccessful cracks at the Hong Kong Sprint, his new connections (he was recently sold to race in America for 188,000gns - not bad for a six-year-old gelding) will be hoping he can make it third time lucky here. Hong Kong certainly hasn't seen the best of him - he has finished about 5 lengths off the pace in his two runs at Sha Tin so far. The way he went on the soft ground in winning a Group 1 over 1200m at Haydock on soft ground in September lends to the belief that he acts better on a surface softer than what he is likely to find here. On his first run in the States in the Hollywood Turf Express (Gr.3-1100) at the end of November, he weakened in the closing stages to finish fifth behind Swept Overboard. |
Hong Kong Vase - 2400M (Int'l Group 1)
| Stay Gold (JPN) br. h 1994 | Sunday Silence (USA) - Golden Sash (JPN) (Dictus (FR))
Trainer: Yasuo Ikee
Owner: Shadai Race Horse Co Ltd
Pattern race wins: Three Group 2s (inc. two JpnGr.2s) | | Triumphant in Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr.2-2400m) last March, Stay Gold stamped himself as one of the leading turf performers in the world over 2400m when he got up to edge out Fantastic Light, the Emirates World Series champion, in the very last stride with Silvano two lengths further back in third. A close fourth in the Takarazuka Kinen (JpnGr.1-2200m) in June, he finished first past the post in the Kyoto Daishoten (JpnGr2-2400m) ahead of the reigning Japanese Horse of the Year and last year's Japan Cup winner, T M Opera O, but lost the race in the stewards' room having caused interference. However, the general consensus was that Stay Gold was, despite the obstruction, the best horse in the race. In the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (JpnGr.1-2000m) on October 28, he failed to handle the yielding track and finished seventh. In the Japan Cup on November 25 he ran well (clearly beating Vase rivals Indigenous and White Heart) in the first-time blinkers finishing a creditable fourth behind Jungle Pocket. | | | | White Heart (GB) br. g 1995 | Green Desert (USA) - Barari (USA) (Blushing Groom (FR))
Trainer: Neil Drysdale
Owner: Sheikh Maktoum Al Maktoum
Pattern race wins: Two Grade 1s, One Group 3 | | Formerly trained in England by Mark Johnston who got this quality performer to win a Group 3 in Germany and a domestic Listed event. California-based Neil Drysdale took charge of him in 2000 and he won his first two races in the US, the second being the Charles Whittingham Handicap (Gr.1-2000m). He secured his second success at the highest level in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (Gr.1-1800m) on his first outing of 2001 but failed to match some of the very best turf horses in America (and Germany - he was beaten a long way by Silvano in the Arlington Million on the yielding track) on his next two runs. He tackled 2400m for the first ever time in the Japan Cup on his last start and was beaten six and three-quarters of a length into eighth by the winner, Jungle Pocket, with Vase rivals Indigenous and Stay Gold clearly in front of him. | | | | Tapildo (NZ) b f 1997 | Rhythm (USA) - Emulate (NZ) (Sir Tristam (IRE))
Trainer: Laurie Laxon
Owner: Silver Fern Racing
Pattern race wins: Two Group 1s (including One SinGroup1), One SinGroup 3 | | The New Zealand Oaks (Gr.1-2400m) winner in 2001, Tapildo arrived in Singapore to be trained by Kiwi trainer Laurie Laxon in March and in eight runs since then she has won the Raffles International Cup (SinGr.1-1800m) beating HK Cup-bound Bocelli by a head and a Group 3 event by half a length. She was no match for triple Group 1 winner Kutub in the Singapore Gold Cup at Kranji on his second last start, finishing fourth beaten four and a quarter lengths, but she returned to form to win an Open Handicap on December 1 at Kranji over 1800m with stablemate and Hong Kong Cup aspirant Saddle Up a length and a quarter further back. | Hong Kong Mile - 1600M (Int'l Group 1)
| | Proudwings (GER) b m 1996 | Dashing Blade (GB) - Peraja (FR) (Kaiseradler (GER))
Trainer: Ralf Suerland
Owner: Hyperion Breeding
Pattern race wins: Two Group 2s, One Group 3 | | First past the post in the Prix Jacques le Marois (Gr.1-1600m) at Deauville during the summer, Proudwings was disqualified and placed last for causing interference in the closing stages. However, she possesses a good record of 10 wins from 20 starts including victories in five different countries - Germany, Italy, England, France and Japan. Having won the Prix du Muguet (Gr.2-1600m) at Saint-Cloud, she became the first German-trained horse to win a British Pattern race since 1976 when capturing the Falmouth Stakes (Gr.2 -1600m) at Newmarket. On her second last start she proved a big disappointment in the QEII (Gr.1-1600m) at Ascot though she was later found to have been suffering from an allergy. However, she bounced back on November 25 by impressively landing the Capital Stakes (1600m). | | | | Shogun Lodge (AUS) ch g 1996 | Grand Lodge (USA) - Pride Of Tahnee (AUS) (BestWestern (AUS))
Trainer: Bob Thomsen
Owner: B T Aquilina
Pattern race wins: Three Group 1s, Six Group 2s, Two Group 3s | | One of the most consistent Australian horses in recent years, Shogun Lodge was recently named NSW Champion Horse Of The Year and was also recognised as Best Sprinter-Miler and best Middle Distance performer. Ran in the Hong Kong Cup last year but was never able to challenge Fantastic Light and company. Back home he has won three Group 1s - two of them over a mile - and, remarkably, he has finished runner-up in Group 1 races on 8 separate occasions. The top class pair of Northerly and Viscount, just got the better of him on his second and third last starts, both Group 1 races. And a welter burden and the lack of a clear run down the Rosehill straight also put paid to his chances of winning the Festival Stakes (Listed-1400m) on December 1. Acts best on a firm surface. | | | | Show A Heart (AUS) ch c 1997 | Brave Warrior (AUS) - Miss Sandman (AUS) (Regal Advice (NZ))
Trainer: Barry Miller
Owner: R A, Mrs J M, G A, Miss S M & C B Cutts
Pattern race wins: Three Group 1s | | Top class as a three-year-old, Show A Heart won the Caulfield Guineas (Gr.1-1600m) on the disqualification of Skalato to add to the T J Smith Stakes (Gr.1-1600m) and the couple of Listed Races he won as a juvenile. After unsuccessful attempts at the W S Cox Plate and the Victoria Derby, he was given a break and returned as good as ever to run an excellent second in the Newmarket Handicap (Gr.1-1200m). Some indifferent form followed that run but he bounced back to record an emphatic victory in the Toorak Handicap (Gr.1-1600m) last month to set him up for a tilt at the Hong Kong Mile. On his last start he narrowly failed to concede upwards of 15lbs to his rivals in a Caulfield Handicap. | Hong Kong Cup - 2000M (Int'l Group 1)
| | Saddle Up (IND) b g 1995 | Bold Russian (GB) - Queen's Rule (IND) (Riyahi (IRE))
Trainer: Laurie Laxon
Owner: V Mallya, Dato Terry Lee & Poonawalla
Pattern race wins: Two IndGroup1s, Three IndGroup2s, Two IndGroup3s, One SinGroup3
International rating: 110 | | Very useful and consistent gelding ranked as one of the best horses ever to race in his native India where he won ten races including the Bangalore 2000 Guineas (IndGr.2-1600m), the Bangalore Derby (IndGr.I-2400m), the Bangalore St.Leger (IndGr.2-2800m) and the Indian St. Leger (IndGr.1-2800m). He moved to Malaysia as a five-year-old and won the Tunku Gold Cup, one of the Selangor Turf Club's Classic races, at Sungei Besi in January of this year. Since moving to Singapore to Laurie Laxon's stable during the summer, Saddle Up has won the Silver Plate (SinGr.3-1400m), run a neck second to Singapore Derby winner, Bocelli, in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (SinGr.2-2000m) and finished runner-up in the Singapore Gold Cup (SinGr.1-2200m) to Godolphin's triple Group 1 winner, Kutub, beating Bocelli, and Tapildo, the New Zealand Oaks winner (Gr.1-2400m) earlier this year. Under top weight in an Open Handicap at Kranji On December 1, Saddle Up finished a good third, beaten a length and a quarter by Tapildo. Between India, Malaysia and Singapore, Saddle Up has raced 27 times, winning 13 starts, finishing 2nd six times and 3rd once. |
|
