Audemars Piguet QE II Cup nominations enhanced by World Series presence

18 March 2002

The first-time inclusion of the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup into the World Series Racing Championship, allied with a 40% increase in prize-money from last year to HK$14 million, has had a tremendous effect on the quality of overseas nominations for this 2000-metre Group 1 to be staged at Sha Tin on April 21.

Early nominations are of unprecedented strength: the close of the first entry stage counted a total of 22 individual Group 1 winners from ten countries including champions from several regions and 15 horses rated 115 or higher on the international scale.

"We are very pleased with the positive response the race has once again received," Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Jockey Club's Executive Director of Racing said. "Owners and trainers that were here for the International Races are keen to come back - five out of the first six home in last December's Hong Kong Cup, for example, hold entries. And there are plenty of exciting new names on the list. The early signs are that a fantastic race is in store."

Val Royal is highest-rated of the early nominations. Last year's Breeders' Cup Mile (Gr.1-1600m) winner in a record-breaking time at Belmont Park, Val Royal met with a training setback just before he was set to ship to Sha Tin for the Hong Kong Cup. He turned in an encouraging return to the racetrack in the Kilroe Mile (Gr.2-1600m) at Santa Anita on March 2.

Irish Prize and With Anticipation may bolster the American assault on the AP QEII Cup. The former finished fourth past the post behind Val Royal last year subsequent to taking out the Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile Stakes (Gr.1-1600m) last May while With Anticipation was the leading stayer on turf in the United States in 2001 thanks to Grade 1 successes over 2200m and 2400m.

Eishin Preston and Agnes Digital, so impressive when victorious for Japan in the Hong Kong Mile and Cup respectively last December, are on course to return to the scene of their finest victories. Connections of both horses have the added incentive of a HK$1 million bonus open to whoever can add this race to success at the International Races.

Eishin Preston is second highest of all the entries for this event, while Agnes Digital, the JRA's Champion Older Horse in 2001, demonstrated his well-being with a seasonal comeback success in the February Stakes (JpnGr.1-1600m), his fifth consecutive victory.

Northerly, the Australian champion, Cox Plate (Gr.1-2000m) winner and the highest-rated Australian-trained horse in the International Classifications 2001, heads the Southern Hemisphere contingent. Also there is New Zealand's marvellous mare Sunline, eleven-times a Group 1 winner and hardly in need of introduction to racing fans the world over. Universal Prince, last year's AJC Australian Derby (Gr.1-2400m) hero and the recent winner of the Ranvet Stakes (Gr.1-2000m) and La Bella Dama, successful in the Mackinnon Stakes (Gr.1-2000m) last year, are other eminent entrants.

Another year, another major international race in Hong Kong with Jim And Tonic spearheading the European challenge. Amazingly, next month's race will be the famous French gelding's eighth here since 1998 and he has only finished out of the frame once. Other notable French nominations include Terre A Terre, half a length third at odds of 33/1 behind Agnes Digital in the Hong Kong Cup following on from victory in the Prix de l'Opera (Gr.1-2000m) at the Arc meeting, and Okawango, a Grand Criterium (Gr.1-1600m) winner as a juvenile and close one-length fourth in the French Derby (Gr.1-2400m) last June for trainer Criquette Head-Maarek.

Germany triumphed in this event last year thanks to the grit of Silvano and the 2001 Deutsches Derby (Gr.1-2400m) winner Boreal and Paolini, already twice a winner at the highest level, will attempt to make it a second successive win for the Germans. Both of these contenders finished runner-up in World Series races last season. Boreal finished 1? lengths behind Morshdi in the Grosser Preis von Baden (Gr.1-2400m) and Paolini, like Silvano trained by Andreas Wohler, found Mutamam half a length too good in the Canadian International (Gr.1-2400m).

Hawkeye, is the highest-rated British-based contender. He ran an excellent race to finish a length fourth in the Hong Kong Cup on his first start since being bought from Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle stables by owner Gary Tanaka. He has finished third and fourth twice in his last four starts - all at Group One level.

Horses trained in the United Arab Emirates won this race in 1995 and 1996 when it was first opened to international runners and Grandera and Ekraar, both owned by Godolphin and trained by Saeed bin Suroor, appear as the principal chances from Dubai at this early stage. Grandera was placed in three Group 1s last summer including a half-length third in the French Derby and runner-up by the same margin in the Eclipse Stakes. Ekraar, meanwhile, may return to the track where he all but won the Hong Kong Vase (Gr.1-2400m) last December when he poached four lengths out of the field on the home turn only to be foiled by Stay Gold in the final strides.

Another entrant of note is Saddle Up, sixth in the Hong Kong Cup and a multiple Group 1 winner in India. He is now trained in Singapore.

World Series Racing Championship
2nd Leg Audemars Piguet QE II Cup (Int'l G1)
2000M Turf Sunday 21 April 2002 ¡V Sha Tin

Overseas Entries (As of 18 March 2002)

Total number of overseas entries: 62
International Group One winners are highlighted in bold and marked with an asterisk.