APQEII Cup News : Audemars Piguet QE II Cup hopes please on the work tracks

16 April 2002

The powerful looking Okawango had a steady canter Tuesday morning.

Universal Prince, the Bede Murray-trained challenger from Australia for Sunday's HK$14 million Audemars Piguet QE II Cup, the second leg of the World Series Racing Championship, was out on the turf track at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning with his trainer on hand to supervise his final preparations for the weekend showpiece.

The 2001 AJC Australian Derby winner with big race rider Justin Sheehan aboard did a half-speed workout that pleased connections.

"He has settled in very well," Murray said. "He makes himself feel at

Lethals Lady took a keen hold of her rider on Tuesday morning.

home wherever he is. He has a great constitution and temperament and nothing bothers him. He shipped well and he put all his weight back on within 48 hours of getting here. Depending on what Justin says, he will do one more piece of work before the race."

French challengers Okawango and Lethals Lady were again seen out on the all-weather track. Okawango did a steady canter while the Robert Collet-trained filly took a keen hold under her work rider over about 1400 metres.

"She's in good form and I think she is better now than she was in Singapore (where she finished second in the Group 3 Singapore Classic)." Collet's travelling head lad Jean Lauguere said.

Lead horse Atlantis Prince again accompanied

Grandera is normally equipped with blinkers in his morning work.

Godolphin's Grandera, ridden by John Phelan, through a gentle canter on the all-weather.

The Toshiaki Shirai-trained 2001 Hong Kong Cup champion Agnes Digital was given an easy canter over two circuits of the all-weather track under exercise rider Mr Shirasaka.

The five-year-old's groom, Mr Inoue, said: "

He is still eating up very well and he is in top form. The flight from Japan to Dubai (where he disappointed in the Dubai World Cup) was held over en route in Hong Kong for six hours because of mechanical problems so the horse arrived there tired and stressed.

Agnes Digital looks marvellous in his Tuesday's gallop.

"However, the trip from Dubai to Hong Kong was very smooth. It took about six hours to get here. Agnes Digital will have an easy canter tomorrow morning."                  

Eishin Preston, the dazzling Hong Kong Mile winner at December's International Races, left the quarantine facility at the Miho Training Centre outside Tokyo at 5am and was scheduled to arrive at Chek Lap Kok airport on Tuesday afternoon.

On the local scene, Brian Kan's Industrial Pioneer was withdrawn on Monday and has been replaced by the reserve Dashing Winner, trained by Peter Ng, who finished third in last month's Hong Kong Derby.

Kan, however, is still represented by Rainbow And Gold, to be ridden by Gerald Mosse.  The Geoff Lane-trained Rebel Leader is now on standby as reserve. 

Trainer David Oughton said Precision and Idol, two of Hong Kong's hopes for the big race, worked on the turf track this morning and he was pleased with their performance.

"They are fine. I think Idol is better at this time of year, while Precision has possibly levelled out a bit for the season. If both finish better than midfield on Sunday, I will be delighted," Oughton said.

Simon Yim will ride Precision, runner-up in the Hong Kong Derby, while Craig Williams comes in for the mount on Idol.

Elsewhere, David Hayes was pleased with Helene Vitality's gallop on the turf track under race rider Dwayne Dunn, and champion jockey Douglas Whyte put Cheers Hong Kong through his paces satisfactorily on the all-weather.