APQEII Cup News : Work pace picks up for Audemars Piguet QE II Cup stars

19 April 2002

With just 48 hours to go before all the speculation is ended for Sunday's HK$14 million Group 1 Audemars Piguet QE II Cup over 2000 metres at Sha Tin, the second leg of the World Series Racing Championship, several of the international challengers put in their final preparations on Friday morning.

First up was Grandera, the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Godolphin representative from Dubai, who, under his regular work rider John Phelan, did his first piece of fast work since his arrival last Saturday, going about 800 metres on the all-weather with his lead horse Atlantis Prince, quickening up to draw clear with some enthusiasm.

Travelling head lad Ross Campbell was happy enough with the performance of the son of Grand Lodge, who will wear a visor for the first time in Sunday's race, saying: "We just wanted to give him a pipe opener, and he did that well."

Shortly afterwards the French pair, Lethals Lady and Okawango, had a short sharp workout on the all-weather track, with the Robert Collet-trained filly leading Criquette Head-Maarek's Okawango over 600 metres. Both appeared to go well.

Australian trainer Bede Murray put his AJC Derby winner Universal Prince through solid 1200 metre work on the turf with race jockey Justin Sheehan aboard.

"We put the headgear on him for this work," Murray said. "I don't know what the time was, but he wasn't there to clock a time, just to have a solid workout. We will take him down to the paddock tomorrow to get him used to the place after a light workout. The hard work's already been done and we're looking forward to the race."

Trainer Toshiaki Shirai's challenger from Japan, Agnes Digital, was out on the all-weather track again and he said of the Crafty Prospector five-year-old, who was given an easy canter over 1400 metres: "Agnes Digital is in great order today, much more so than yesterday. I don't have any concerns about his draw in gate number 13, because he was drawn 12 when he won the Hong Kong Cup. Tomorrow, he will do some work at half speed. His weight is 450kgs [990lbs], his optimum weight."

The other Japanese runner Eishin Preston was kept to the trotting arena where he did a warm-up lasting 20 minutes. After that he was taken over to get acquainted with the paddock area.

"He is very well today," his trainer Shuji Kitahashi said. "His draw in gate number five is a good spot for him because I think the going on the inside is better that it is out wide. Toyomitsu Hirai, his owner, would like to aim him at the Japan Cup later this year and tackling 2000 metres for the first time in Hong Kong is the first step along that path.

"We haven't decided yet what Eishin Preston will do tomorrow morning. His weight is 468 kgs [1029 lbs] and that is a little bit under his ideal mark, but he did have a fast breeze yesterday."

No worries were reported from any of the Hong Kong connections. Ivan Allan, trainer of Olympic Express, last month's Hong Kong Derby winner, as well as Indigenous and Cheers Hong Kong, was more hopeful than confident of a good showing from his trio.

"Olympic Express was only a handicapper in England last year, albeit a very good one, and it is a big step-up to contesting an international Group 1," he said. "If the going is good [which it is currently], he will be the best of my three runners. Indigenous and Cheers Hong Kong could both probably do with a drop of rain to aid their cause."

David Hayes, trainer of Helene Vitality, was not happy with the wide draw from barrier 14 but said: "We will have to make the best of it. He's well anyway and that's the most important factor."

Eric Legrix, rider of recent home-team inclusion Rebel Leader, said: "I haven't ridden the horse this week or, in fact, since his first-ever run back 20 runs ago. Geoff [Lane, trainer] says he is in good form and is happy that he is getting a run."