The first-time inclusion of the Group 1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup into the World Series Racing Championship, coupled with a 40% increase in prize-money to HK$14 million, has generated an excellent response from trainers and owners across the globe.

The runners for the 2000-metre showpiece to be staged at Sha Tin on April 21 are of unprecedented strength. Eight of the fourteen-strong field are Group 1 winners and two others have been placed at the highest level. Four contenders are already winners of international races in Hong Kong and leading performers from seven countries have been invited.

"We are looking forward to a terrific race," Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Jockey Club's Executive Director of Racing said. "It is very encouraging that owners and trainers that were here for the Hong Kong International Races are keen to come back. Four of the first five past the post in the Hong Kong Cup will do battle against the Hong Kong Mile winner, while the home defence is stronger than ever as it combines two Hong Kong Derby winners with two international Group 1 placegetters."

Eishin Preston, the dazzling winner of the Hong Kong Mile (Gr.1-1600m) last December, and Agnes Digital, who captured the Hong Kong Cup (Gr.1-2000m) on the same day, will return to the scene of their finest victories. Connections of both horses have the incentive of a HK$1 million bonus open to whoever can add this title to success at the Hong Kong International Races. Eishin Preston is the joint-highest rated Audemars Piguet QEII aspirant, while Agnes Digital was the Japan Racing Association's Champion Older Horse in 2001.

Joint-highest rated alongside Eishin Preston, the relentless Jim And Tonic spearheads the European challenge yet again. Amazingly, next month's race will be the famous French gelding's eighth in Hong Kong since 1998 and he has only finished out of the frame once. He has run second in this race twice having won it in 1999 and, in the process, set a course record that still stands over the Sha Tin 2000m. The other French runner is the progressive filly Terre A Terre, the winner of the Dubai Duty Free (Gr.1-1777m) last weekend. She ran half a length third at big odds behind Agnes Digital in the Hong Kong Cup on her first visit to Sha Tin.

The Southern Hemisphere challenge will be led by New Zealand's Queen of the Turf Sunline, twelve-times a Group 1 winner and hardly in need of introduction to racing fans the world over. Sunline's brilliance was reaffirmed in Sydney today with victory in the Doncaster Handicap (Gr.1-1600m) by a short half-head from triple Australian Group 1 winner Shogun Lodge, with whom she carried joint top weight of 128lbs. Hopefully both will re-oppose in Hong Kong next month when Sunline will be in receipt of her mare's allowance of 3lbs. Universal Prince, last year's AJC Australian Derby (Gr.1-2400m) hero and the recent winner of the Ranvet Stakes (Gr.1-2000m), will also represent Australia. Last weekend Melbourne Cup heroine Ethereal pipped Universal Prince in the BMW Stakes (Gr.1-2400m).

Grandera will carry the Godolphin standard. He was placed in three consecutive Group 1s last summer in Europe when trained by James Fanshawe and is expected to be a strong addition for his new connections. Meanwhile, owner Gary Tanaka will enjoy dual representation through Hawkeye, trained in England by Michael Jarvis, and Sarafan, prepared by Neil Drysdale in the United States. Hawkeye is a rising star who ran fourth in the Hong Kong Cup having displayed excellent Group 1 form for Aidan O'Brien as a three-year-old. Sarafan, on the other hand, is in top form having won the Grade 2 Explosive Bid Handicap over 1800m on March 24 beating several high-class performers in the process. On his previous outing, he ran second in the Frank E Kilroe Mile (Gr.2-1600m) at Santa Anita, finishing ahead of the Breeders' Cup Mile (Gr.1-1600m) champion Val Royal.

Since 1997 overseas and home-based runners have won alternate renewals of the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup - a pattern that predicts a Hong Kong victory in 2002! Four horses will strive to keep the Cup at home and it is a strong team that counts an international Group 1 winner as well as two Hong Kong Derby (HKGr.1-2000m) victors.

Helene Vitality heads the quartet on international ratings. The New Zealand Derby (Gr.1-2400m) winner in 1999 when he raced as Hades, he excelled when finishing second to Nayef in the Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr.1-2400m) last weekend.

A very convincing Hong Kong Derby (HKGr.1-2000m) winner by over three lengths on March 17 on his first attempt beyond a mile, Olympic Express, formerly Ecclesiastical, is likely to make his presence felt and is bidding to provide a second Audemars Piguet QEII Cup win for trainer Ivan Allan and owner Larry Yung who won this race with Oriental Express in 1998.

Champion trainer Brian Kan relies on Industrial Pioneer, his 2001 Hong Kong Derby hero. He is in good form judged on his last start success in the Hong Kong Gold Cup (HKGr.1-2000m) by a head from Helene Vitality.

Ivan Allan is also represented by Cheers Hong Kong who finished strongly to end up just a head and half a length behind Industrial Pioneer and Helene Vitality in the Hong Kong Gold Cup (HKGr.1-2000m) on his penultimate outing.