The selection panel has left one vacancy in both the Hong Kong Cup and Hong
Kong Vase that will be filled after the running of the Japan Cup on Sunday.
It is expected that Powerscourt will be added to the list of
runners.
The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup
Gr.1 - 2000m - HK$18 million (US$2.3 million)
The richest race in the world on turf over 2000m and the final leg of
the World Series Racing Championship. At this stage, nine of this year's field,
comprising seven Gr.1 winners, are from overseas.
Sha Tin is familiar territory to Rakti ¡V he ran second to Falbrav
in the 2003 Hong Kong Cup and now seeks to go one better. First up this year,
he landed the prestigious Prince Of Wales's Stakes (Gr.1-2000m) at Royal Ascot
and later dropped back to a mile to take the QEII Stakes (Gr.1) on his penultimate
outing.
Ancient World, trained by Godolphin, and successful in last
month's Premio Vittorio di Capua (Gr.1-1600m), is ranked second in Cup with
Latice, the French Oaks (Gr.1-2100m) heroine, and Touch
Of Land, the in-form Prix Dollar (Gr.2-2000m) winner.
Three horses are tied for third ranking: tough-as-teak filly Alexander
Goldrun, winner of the Prix de l'Opera (Gr.1-2000m) in October; the
2003 Cox Plate winner and this year's runner-up, Fields Of Omagh;
and Solider Hollow, the victor of the Premio Roma (Gr.1-2000m)
and his last four starts at the Cup distance.
Execute, who landed the Gr.1 Prix Ganay (2100m) in May, and
brilliant Japanese filly, Dance In The Mood, winner of the Japanese
1,000 Guineas (JpnGr.1-1600m), will also make the journey to Sha Tin.
Much travelled this year, Bowman's Crossing is joint-highest
ranked of the Hong Kong defence along with Bullish Luck. The
runner-up in last year's Hong Kong Mile, Bowman's Crossing has seven
WSRC points owing to his fourth in the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup (Gr.1-2000m)
and third in the Singapore Airlines International Cup (Gr.1-2000m). Bullish
Luck, meanwhile, posted the best performance of his career over this journey
in the CSL Hong Kong Gold Cup (HKGr.1) in February.
Trainer David Hayes supplies two strong local contenders in Ain't Here
and Elegant Fashion. The former ran fourth in Singapore
Airlines International Cup (Gr.1-2000m) in May, but is much improved this
term, winning his last two races - both Pattern events ¡V and he stylishly
claimed the Cathay Pacific International Cup Trial (HKGr.2-2000m) on November
14. The latter, Hong Kong's champion race mare, Elegant Fashion,
bids to improve on her excellent third in this race last year behind Falbrav
and Rakti. She displayed her readiness for the task with a strong-finishing
third in the Cathay Pacific International Mile Trial (HKGr.2-1600m) last weekend.
The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile
Gr.1 - 1600m - HK$14 million (US$1.8 million)
The richest race in the world on turf over 1600m. Hong Kong horses finished
one-two in this race last year as Lucky Owners defeated Bowman's Crossing.
Japan's Champion Sprinter-Miler in 2003, Durandal is likely
to receive the same accolade this year after starring in a second straight
Mile Championship (Gr.1-1600m) success last weekend. He is the highest ranked
Mile contender.
Ireland's best miler, Antonius Pius, is without a win at Gr.1
level in 2003 but has placed in Gr.1 mile races in England, France and the
United States, finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Mile most recently.
Telegnosis returns to Sha Tin for another attempt at this race.
This year he has won a Gr.2 in Japan and been placed in both of Japan's premier
mile events, the Yasuda Kinen and the Mile Championship; while Firebreak
is another seeking to improve on last year's finish in the Mile when beaten
two lengths fifth. This year he has landed Gr.2 races in Dubai and Newmarket.
Eagle Rise from Germany and Valentino from France
are two older horses that have shown considerable improvement this year and
both will arrive in Hong Kong after respective back-to-back wins at Gr.2 and
Gr.3 level; Martillo, a Classic-winning German four-year-old,
has four times been successful in Gr.2 races throughout a career notable for
its consistency.
The presence of seven Hong Kong horses says plenty about the current depth
of the local milers and three of the first five past the post in last weekend's
Cathay Pacific International Mile Trial (HKGr.2-1600m) ¡V The Duke,
Meridian Star and Perfect Partner - will re-oppose
in the Mile.
However, highest-ranked of the Hong Kong defence is Oriental Magic,
formerly Kalaman when he raced for the Aga Khan and was trained by
Sir Michael Stoute in Britain. He was unlucky not to win the St James's Palace
Stakes (Gr.1-1600m) last year when second and has won twice in 2004 and ran
third in the Eclipse Stakes (Gr.1-2000m). Oriental Magic will have
his first start for trainer David Hayes and owner Larry C K Yung in the Mile.
Next is Grand Zulu, whose meteoric rise to prominence in Australia
earlier this year culminated in a track record-breaking win in The BMW (Gr.1-2400m).
He makes his HK debut this weekend.
Scintillation, Hong Kong's Most Improved Horse in 2003/04,
also finds a place in the Mile. Both Scintillation and The Duke
are graduates of the Hong Kong International Sale from 2002 and 2001 respectively.
The classy Figures, winner of last year's Champions Mile (HKGr.1-1600m),
completes a very strong local Mile line-up.
The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase
Gr.1 - 2400m - HK$14 million (US$1.8 million)
Seven Gr.1 winners will assemble for the Vase, won for the last two years
by French runners, Ange Gabriel (2002) and Vallˆme Enchantˆme (2003).
Last year's Vase produced a tight finish as just one-and-a-quarter lengths
covered the first four past the post. Those four - Vallˆme Enchantˆme,
Polish Summer, Warrsan and Roosevelt ¡V will renew
rivalries in a fascinating 2004 renewal.
Vallˆme Enchantˆme has been unlucky not to win another Gr.1 since her
finest hour last December, unlike Polish Summer, who cruised to Dubai
Sheema Classic (Gr.1-2400m) glory in March; and Warrsan, victor of
a second Coronation Cup (Gr.1-2400m) in June and later the Grosser Volkswagen
Preis von Baden (Gr.1-2400m). Warrsan is also the highest ranked member
of the field.
Simonas will arrive in Hong Kong from Germany after a career
best effort behind the top class Sulamani in the Pattison Canadian International
(Gr.1-2400m), a race in which Brian Boru, Aidan O'Brien's winner
of last year's St Leger (Gr.1-2920m), ran third. Another German contender,
the firm ground lover Senex has made rapid strides this year,
securing his first Gr.1 in Italy over 2400m.
Trainer John Hammond prepared Red Bishop to take home the Vase in
1994 and, a decade later, is trying to regain the trophy through Sweet
Stream, his Prix Vermeille (Gr.1-2400m) winning filly. Sights
On Gold, meanwhile, will carry the famous blue Godolphin livery in
a race never before won by the Dubai-based team. He was a Gr.3 winner over
2200m in England in September. Imperial Dancer, midfield in
last year's Vase after his win in the Premio Roma (Gr.1-2000m), returns to
HK after running second in the same race to Cup aspirant Soldier Hollow.
Hong Kong is without a win in the Vase since the late, great Indigenous scored
in 1998 but this could change this year. Hong Kong's Champion Stayer, Super
Kid, so versatile at the highest level, succeeded in winning two legs
of the local Triple Crown ¡V a rare feat ¡V in the Stewards' Cup (HKGr.1-1600m)
and the HK Champions & Chater (HKGr.1-2400m) last term.
Roosevelt has had another interrupted preparation but
that didn't stop him finishing fast to take fourth last year and he wasn't
far away in the Cathay Pacific International Mile Trial (HKGr.2-1600m) last
weekend.
Supreme Rabbit, winner of the Queen Mother Memorial Cup (HKGr.2-2400m),
will relish the Vase distance, with the same applying to Beethoven,
a creditable three lengths fifth to Ain't Here in the Cathay Pacific
International Cup Trial (HKGr.2-2000m).
The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint
Gr.1 - 1000m - HK$10 million (US$1.28 million)
The richest race over 1000m in the world. Hong Kong horses have won three
of five editions to date, with Falvelon winning twice for Australia.
The eyes of the world will focus on the living legend that is Silent
Witness when the exceptional five-year-old seeks to defend the race
he won last year and become the first Hong Kong horse to win consecutive international
titles. Undefeated in 12 starts, Hong Kong's Horse of the Year is also the
world's highest-ranked sprinter and in his first start after a seven-month
break last weekend, he posted a one-length success in the Cathay Pacific International
Sprint Trial (HKGr.2-1000m).
The opposition, however, is particularly strong this year, with the best
sprinters from Europe, Japan and the United States on a mission to dethrone
the champ.
The first four home in Europe's championship sprint, the Prix de l'Abbaye
(Gr.1-1000m) ¡V Var, The Tatling, Royal Millennium
and Osterhase ¡V have accepted their invitations. Formerly trained
in the USA, Var is the champion performer 1000m in Europe after his
Abbaye win in a scorching 55 sec, while The Tatling, seventh in this
race last year, has improved in 2004, defeating Hong Kong's Cape Of Good
Hope, third last year, in the King's Stand Stakes (Gr.2-1000m).
Royal Millennium has been in excellent form in Britain this year,
winning three Gr.3 sprints; the same applies to Irish speedster Osterhase,
who broke a 25-year-old track record for 1000m at The Curragh in June. Pivotal
Point is another rapidly improving British representative, the winner
of the Gr.2 Diadem Stakes (1200m) by three lengths on fast ground on his last
run.
Horses from Japan have won every international race in recent years in Hong
Kong - bar this one. However, Calstone Light O and Sunningdale
are the best Japanese candidates to contest this race. Japan stages just two
JpnGr.1 races per year over 1200m with this pair taking one each: Calstone
Light O was especially impressive when slamming a top class field in the
Sprinters' Stakes (Durandal and Cape Of Good Hope were four
lengths behind), while Sunnnigdale defeated Durandal in the Takamatsunomiya
Kinen in March.
Yell, the winner of three straight Gr.1 races in 2003, travels
from Australia. The John Hawkes-trained star arrives in good form judged on
a good second in the Manikato Stakes (Gr.1-1200m) during the Melbourne Spring
Carnival.
Remember Morluc? In 2000 and 2001, he came within a whisker of Sprint
glory for the United States. Connections of Battle Won, one
of America's top turf sprinters, feel their horse has as good a shot as any
at Silent Witness. Battle Won has displayed considerable improvement
since switching from dirt to turf and has scored in his last races, both Listed
sprints.
Natural Blitz completes the international representation in
the Sprint. His string of eight Macau wins undefeated (including the MacGr.1
Directors' Cup (1200m)) ground to a halt last Saturday when he finished down
the field having wrenched a shoe.
Ninth in 2002 and third in this race last year, Cape Of Good Hope
will strive to further improve his finishing position in the Sprint. The other
local challengers are Able Prince, who put up a career best
when one length second to Silent Witness in the Cathay Pacific International
Sprint Trial and Multidandy, triumphant on his penultimate start,
the HSBC Premier Vase (Premier-1200m).
