Track Notes & Barrier Draw Reaction - Cathay Pacific HKIR

8 December 2005

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup 

A win in the CXHK Cup for Vengeance Of Rain, Hong Kong's Champion Middle Distance Performer and Champion Stayer, will net him another title in 2005: that of the World Racing Championships.

So trainer David Ferraris couldn't hide his delight after Vengeance Of Rain drew a "perfect" gate four.  

"The draw's ideal and the horse is in great shape. He's 100 per cent. The opposition is strong but they've got to beat him. He's fresh and set for this race while the Europeans are coming off long hard seasons. I think the hardest to beat will be Maraahel and Alexander Goldrun," Ferraris said.

Alexander Goldrun worked on Thursday morning with CXHK Vase runner Norse Dancer and there was no question about which horse worked better.

Norse Dancer was shaken up to cover the turf as Kevin Manning contained the defending CXHK Cup champion with a strong hold, covering the final 400m in 23.4 seconds.

"She did a super piece of work there," Manning said later, "she did it very easily and she was very well in herself when I pulled her up."

Asked if the mare was in similar form to when she snatched the Cup twelve months ago, Manning said: "I think so. That work she did this morning speaks for itself."

Later Alexander Goldrun drew the inside position - almost the opposite of her winning barrier in 2004 when she came from gate 12 - but trainer Jim Bolger nonetheless declared some contentment with the outcome.

"To get the one draw this time is closer than last year. As for her condition, I'd say she's the same as last year. It would be lovely to win it again," Bolger said.

Pride, drawn in three, worked on the turf in 24.1 seconds to the satisfaction of trainer Alain de Royer Dupre who later said: "Everything's okay but I can't say I'm confident as it is difficult for a filly at this time of year. We will just have to see how things go on Sunday."

The fastest times of the morning all came from Tony Cruz's international runners and CXHK Cup Russian Pearl, drawn in the seven hole, blazed the all-weather in 21.7 seconds.

Brother Derek Cruz's Green Treasure, second to Vengeance Of Rain in the CX International Cup Trial last month, has pleased jockey Olivier Doleuze in the mornings.

"I tell you, the horse has never been better. He relaxed better over the longer trip in the trial race and he has improved in his work since. I am hoping he can run a place and I think he can, especially if he gets a good barrier," Doleuze predicted, before Green Treasure was handed stall nine.

Trainer Henri-Alex Pantall, after watching his Touch Of Land work on the turf under Christophe Lemaire observed: "Things have very well. He seems to be in a very good frame of mind. He has travelled well, settled in and is in good form. The ground here will be perfect for him if it stays as it is."

River Dancer will exit gate two and while John Size is predicting an honest run, it would appear that a repeat of his shock win in the 2004 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup is less likely.

"At his best form he would have some chance, but the fact is that he hasn't had the racing; it's only his second run for 18 months. Ideally you'd like him to have a few more runs under his belt," the leading trainer noted.    

"He's a long way off being 100 per cent but he's well in himself and a slow pace in the race would suit him as his fitness wouldn't be put to such a test under those circumstances," Size added.

A slow pace may not materialise, however. Possible speed influence Epalo always seems to draw wide on his travels and it was the same outcome as he picked gate 10. The American runner Willow O Wisp has gate eight to contend with and trainer Vladimir Cerin anticipates a forward role.  

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile

Raktidrew gate 3 after a slow piece of work on the all-weather track and while the post-position was to his satisfaction, jockey Philip Robinson said the gate is not the most critical factor with his mount.

"It's not so much which gate Rakti races from but how he leaves it. He hasn't been too bad at the jump of late but it's different at home because they let you take the hood off yourself before the gates open. The last two times I was here it was left to the stall handler to do take it off so the timing has got to be spot-on."

Raktidrops back to he mile this year after two Cup attempts over ten furlongs - one of the main reasons his connections have opted for this race.

"The stands and the big crowd being so close to the Cup start stirred him up last year. They start on the far side away from the crowd in the Mile so we think that will help him relax better," added Robinson.  

Raktidid not appear on the track on Monday and Tuesday but Robinson reported that trainer Michael Jarvis' team were much happier with his condition as his final race approaches.   

Japanese trainer Michifumi Kono's AsakusaDen'en breezed impressively on the turf course in 22.4 seconds with jockey Yusuke Eda giving his mount some extra urging late in the piece.  

Kono watched the workout and said: "He is in good form and settled.  As I walked over the turf track this morning, I thought it was a little rough, but firm is his best going, so I hope they don't water it too much before the race."

Later Kono drew gate 14 and was a little disappointed with the outcome: "Racing from outside is better than being in sandwiched in, I suppose. But it would have been better to be in the middle," he said.

The other Japanese CXHK Mile contender Hat Trick breezed in 23.5 seconds on the all-weather, pleasing connections before drawing gate 11. 

"The draw does not matter to me, but jockey Olivier Peslier would like to start from outside, so I took a good draw for him," racing manager for trainer Katsuhiko Sumii, Toshihide Kiyota, commented afterwards.  

One outside draw that did not go down to well was The Duke's gate of 13. "Every time he is in a big race he draws either barrier 12 or 13," an exasperated trainer Casper Fownes sighed, "the horse is very well but the gate is just not helpful. They say the draw's not important from the mile start but is important for this horse. I'd much prefer him further in."

A better gate went the way of Scintillation, one of the likelier pacesetters (even though he has missed the kick on his last two starts) and a horse that cut out the running in this event 12 months ago. 

"Got to be happy with that draw," said jockey Eric Saint-Martin. "I rode him on the Riverside Gallop this morning and he broke very well for me and worked nicely. But it depends on when the gates open. If he breaks well and takes me along then we could lead. We'll see then."

High Intelligent is one of the better Hong Kong hopes and did his chances no harm with pulling gate two. Trainer John Size envisaged that the potential speed of Scintillation and Rakti on either side could well place his five-year-old in the box-seat position.

"He's not a sit-and-sprint type of horse so being close to the pace could work to his advantage. He's not as highly rated as some of his rivals but he does have the hometown advantage and I am extremely happy with him," Size said.

The Tony Cruz pair of Bullish Luck, sure to be one of the favourites, and Perfect Partner were given gates five and six after bullet workouts of 21.7 on the all-weather and Dave's Best, trained by Dennis Yip, has gate four to break from.

"Dave's Best is lazy in his work. He doesn't really like the all-weather track and he saves his best form for the turf. I was surprised when he won the Mile Trial - it was such a good run. He's in much the same form now as he was when he won three weeks ago so I'm hopeful," Yip, who also fields Wealthy.

Wealthy, described by Yip as "just a very consistent horse, he has a great fighting heart," exits gate seven. 

Overseas challengers Court Masterpiece and Designed For Luck drew 12 and eight respectively. 

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase

Those planning a punt on a breakthrough Gr.1 success for Norse Dancer in the CXHK Vase contender should not pay too much attention to his turf gallop with Alexander Goldrun, trainer David Elsworth said, after the Irish mare worked much the better of the pair. 

"The object of the exercise was to get Norse Dancer acquainted with the place and give him a little blow at the same time," Elsworth remarked.  

"He was fit off the plane so don't read anything into his work here. He never does anything in front but it was nice to give the filly a lead and he will like the ground on Sunday."

After Norse Dancer drew gate one, the trainer also said he would have preferred to have been a little further off the fence.

After watching OuijaBoard performing light work on the dirt track, her trainer Ed Dunlop tried to explain his decision to tackle the CXHK Vase instead of the 400m shorter, more valuable CXHK Cup. 

"There is no real reason why. When I spoke to everybody I got many different theories on which race to go for. I am told Saturn is likely to lead in the Vase and this will suit," he said.  

"My mare still has her summer coat and the ground is fine. Her ideal trip is probably 2200 metres but she's adaptable and has got speed. Phoenix Reach finished in a similar position to her fifth in the Japan Cup last year before coming on here to win the Vase - so that's a good omen. What I'm looking for is a draw not too high and not too low," Dunlop went on, before being allocated barrier seven of 12.

Trainer Elie Lellouche was happy with another middle draw (gate six) granted to Westerner, while Shamdalahas the four alley. 

"He is fine and the ground will not be a worry for him," said Alain de Royer Dupre, trainer of the latter.   

Samando, in gate nine, was described by jockey Eric Legrix as "not very big but she's tough and she had no luck Arc. She's been freshened up since then and if she has luck in the race she can compete with the best."

Cherry Mix did a very steady canter on the grass and Godolphin's travelling head lad, Sam Avis, who later looked less than pleased with being drawn widest in 12, said: "He really prefers some give in the ground but he does cope with this fast surface."

Tackling the Vase for the third time is Warrsan, again accompanied this morning by a lead horse on the dirt. "As you can see he's wearing cheekpieces [side-winkers in HK] today. It's to stimulate the old boy. It's Warrsan's Viagra!" trainer Clive Brittain joked.  

"He ran a shocking race in the Vase last year and I can't explain why. The ground was too fast for him in the Japan Cup last time but the surface is easier here. I am keeping him to the all-weather until race day in the hope that when he hits the turf it will really make him go."

Finally, trainer Hiroyuki Nagahama watched his colt Six Sense breeze a come-home time of 23.2 seconds on the all-weather track and liked what he saw.

"The horse wasn't hanging out and looked powerful. Coming here it was his first time on a plane but he did not lose much weight and is in good condition." 

After Six Sense earned post 11, Nagahama was nonplussed and said: "I would prefer an outside draw to being cluttered up on the inside."

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint

Winless in Hong Kong since October 2002, thanks principally to a certain local hero who sadly will be absent on Sunday, this is the chance for Cape Of Good Hope to profit in his fourth CXHK Sprint.

David Oughton's chestnut star has proven his worth at the highest level in Silent Witness-free arenas in both hemispheres and his draw in gate seven was well received by the trainer.  

"There is speed on both sides and it could be that down the centre is the quickest part of the track. He was a bit tired after his two runs in Australia and had a little time off but he is back to his best now. This is his fourth run in the Sprint - he was unplaced in 2002, third two years ago, second last year... this could be the one," said a smiling Oughton.

One of two French runners, Nipping'sgate of six was enough to make her trainer Robert Collet look forward to a good run on Sunday.

"I will be disappointed if we are not in the first five," he said, adding the caveat: "It is never easy to say how well a three-year-old filly will go against older horses at this time of the year. However she really grew up when running in the Nunthorpe at York in August, her first time against the very top opposition.

"She then won at Longchamp in great style and you can forget her run back there in the Abbaye in October. The ground was too soft; fast ground is essential for her and that is why we are here."

Admire Max worked well on the dirt for jockey Hiroyuki Uemura who said: "This is his first time race over 1000m so the horse handles the distance is the main query. But I think he is in a good form and performed very strongly today.  He didn't hang out - that is something he has done recently - and we have a good draw in stall five. I wanted to start next to Cape of Good Hope and he is in seven.

Planet Ruler was drawn in gate one, before which trainer Almond Lee predicted the same prominent tactics that were successfully employed in the Cathay Pacific International Sprint Trial.

"He has his chance if he can run like that again but he hung off the fence when he had the race in control last time. It might not be as easy this weekend."

Lee also races Absolute Champion, reunited with Robbie Fradd on Sunday. "Robbie knows him best," Lee said. "He always tends to hang in and Dwayne Dunn who ride him in the Sprint Trial said he would have run third if he had known him a bit better so I have Robbie back on board. But this race is his biggest test yet."   

Drawn on the opposite side of is anticipated trailblazer Nicole's Dream, whose connections were thrilled with the outside barrier in 13. "She will just break and go for her life," said trainer Larry Rivelli.