Atlantis Prince fills Jim And Tonic void; HK quartet limber up at Kranji

3 May 2002

Jim And Tonic, the runner-up in the Singapore Airlines International Cup for the past two years, was yesterday withdrawn from this year's race after slipping his lumbar vertebrae during trackwork at home in France.

However, the number of international runners for the S$3 million (HK$12.6 million) international Group 1, the third leg of the World Series Racing Championship, is not affected as Singapore Turf Club officials announced that Godolphin's four-year-old colt, Atlantis Prince (International Rating 110), a Group 2 winner as a juvenile and second to Sakhee in Dubai earlier this year, will be a late addition to the 14 horse field.

After a day of rest on Thursday, the four Hong Kong runners for the Singapore Airlines International Races came out to familiarise themselves with the Kranji track this morning. The SAI Cup candidates Indigenous (117) and Olympic Express (111), and KrisFlyer Sprint pair Charming City (117) and Firebolt (114), cantered just one round on the fibresand track. They all appeared in good form since their late arrival on Wednesday night.

Two of the foreign contenders impressed this morning. Caller One (124) from America, the winner of the last two renewals of the valuable Dubai Golden Shaheen, trotted one round and sprinted over the final 600m in 40.1 seconds on the turf track. Caller One, however, has yet to win on turf. Meanwhile, Grandera (119), the leading Godolphin hope, stepped up his work for the Cup with a 600m gallop in 38.9 seconds after cantering one round on the turf track.

England's SAI Cup candidate Hawkeye (117) trotted one round on the fibresand track before clocking an easy 43.9 seconds for the last 600m. Universal Prince (116) from Australia, on the other hand, took it easy with nothing more than a light exercise on the fibresand track.

The other American challenger at the meeting Western Pride (115), who, like Caller One, is trained by James Chapman, cantered one round on the No. 7 track. Chapman is apparently confident of a good showing by his charges having paid supplementary entry fees totalling S$160,000 (HK$672,000) for their inclusion.

Of the Singapore horses, only Bocelli (112) went against the clock today. Ridden by jockey Larry Cassidy, the Patrick Busuttin-trained reigning Horse of the Year was not extended in 40.1 seconds for the final 600m on the turf track. Bocelli, who is entered for the Cup race, has not done anything of note since his unplaced run in the Hong Kong Cup last December, but is steadily picking up on this morning's evidence.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has decided to simulcast and conduct betting on both Singapore Airlines International Cup and Singapore Airlines Krisflyer Sprint. Win, Place and Quinella pools will, as usual, be in operation and provided there are no more than 14 starters in each race, Double, Tierce, Trio and Quinella Place pools will also be available.