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Hong Kong International Races 2001

Date: 16 December
Time: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Venue: Sha Tin Racecourse

Treble Group One joy for Japan at Hong Kong International Races

JAPAN enjoyed its greatest ever day on the international racing stage as it claimed all three Group One races at the Hong Kong International meeting at Sha Tin on 16 December 2001.

The highlight of the day was Agnes Digital's victory in the Hong Kong Cup, the final leg of the World Series, where he gallantly held on by a head to beat the renewed challenge of Godolphin's Tobougg.

They were also successful in the Hong Kong Mile with Eishin Preston and with Stay Gold in the Vase. The only remaining spoils of the International race series went to Australia with Falvelon repeating his 2000 victory.

Agnes Digital came to Hong Kong on the back of a victory in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) where he beat 2000 Japan Cup winner, T M Opera O, over today's trip of 2000 metres.

But on that day, under a driving finish from Hirofumi Shii, he found it tough to overcome the tenacious Tobougg, who went off the 6-4 favourite and tried to make all under Frankie Dettori.

Shii said: "I felt we had to get to the front so we came around the first turn in very strong position, and from that point onward I felt that victory was in our hands. The pace of the race fitted right into our plans. I could feel and hear the other horses trying to make a run at us, but I knew that we had the situation completely under control. After the two other Japanese horses won their races, I did feel some pressure, because I knew I was expected to win my race, too. Now, I'm going to go out and have a very fine celebration."

Eishin Preston waltzed away with the Mile. The Green Dancer colt swept through from the back of the field in the home straight to readily go three and quarter lengths clear and upset the Sha Tin crowd, who were willing home their star miler, Electronic Unicorn, who finished second.

Winning jockey, Yuichi Fukunaga, said: "This horse can be a little bit difficult to ride, but he showed us his best today. I was under no pressure."

The mighty Japanese middle-distance star, Stay Gold, was backed as if defeat was out of the question in the Vase. The odds-on shot won but he gave his supporters a very anxious time as he endeavoured to catch Dettori on Ekraar up the home straight.

Dettori had cleverly stolen a march on his rivals as he kicked for home at the 1000-metre mark and was four lengths clear off the final bend - but Stay Gold stayed on to snatch victory right on the line to win by a head. It was exactly what he did when defeating Fantastic Light in the Dubai Sheema Classic in March 2001.

Yutaka Take, ten times champion jockey in Japan, said: "In the early part of the race, I was a little bit farther back than I wanted to be but everything worked out fine. I'm very happy. There are no difficulties in riding a horse like Stay Gold. He does what he's supposed to do, virtually on his own."

The first of 2001 Hong Kong International races was the HK$8 million Hong Kong Sprint and the result replicated what happened in 2000 with Australia's Falvelon beating the American speedster Morluc by a short head, the same distance as previous year.

Jockey Damien Oliver was delighted: "They went fast early and I was further off the pace than I expected but the horse really responded in the closing stages. He's a foolproof horse."

Falvelon, prepared in Queensland by Danny Bougoure, will return to Australia where connections will determine whether his racing career continues or whether they will accept any one of several offers for the horse to stand at stud. However, a third trip to Hong Kong in 2002 has not been ruled out.

"It's not impossible," said Oliver. "He loves this place." Bougoure added that the five-year-old may return to Hong Kong next year if he is fit and healthy.

For the second year in succession, Simon Crisford received the Emirates World Series trophy in Hong Kong for Godolphin, whose brilliant Fantastic Light had wrapped up the title at the Breeders' Cup meeting on October 27.
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