With the newly-upgraded G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) only 12 days away, a cluster of Hong Kong’s headline acts breezed through the wet, grey, murk today and brightened an otherwise drab Tuesday morning (13 January).
Able Friend, Ambitious Dragon, Glorious Days, Gold-Fun and Blazing Speed took advantage of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s willingness to accommodate trainers’ wishes with the staging of an extra turf trial. The esteemed quintet, all bound for the HK$10 million Stewards’ Cup on Sunday, 25 January, strode out over 1000m in front of the empty grandstand. Keeping them company was Peniaphobia, destined for the same afternoon’s HKG1 Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup (1000m).
The speedster, runner-up in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) last month, unsurprisingly took them along under Matthew Chadwick, scooting down the stands’ side rail to lead the nine gallopers home in 59.21s. The big-gun milers all cruised behind, each travelling smoothly and none more so than runaway G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile victor Able Friend.
Joao Moreira had the big horse tight on the bridle throughout and the John Moore-trained five-year-old remains the one to beat in the race, which carries HK$2 million more purse money than last year. He passed the winning post third in 59.59s.
“Able Friend felt great, I was asked to just give him an easy time and he travelled all the way through on the bridle,” said Moreira. “We are just looking forward to the next race. I haven’t sat on him much since his last race, but I know he’s been doing as well as before the International Race. I just hope he keeps his same form and I don’t think he would need to improve much at all to win again.”
Able Friend powered four and a quarter lengths clear of runner-up Gold-Fun in last month’s showcase, while the 2013 Hong Kong Mile victor Glorious Days was fifth.
Ambitious Dragon missed that test due to injury but the winner of the Stewards’ Cup and Hong Kong Mile in 2012 travelled strongly and closed off nicely under a hold for Maxime Guyon this morning to finish fourth (59.71s).
Gold-Fun (59.37s) went sweetly in second for Douglas Whyte, while Glorious Days settled at the rear under Mirco Demuro, who sat still as John Size’s charge eased home for a steadily closing sixth in 59.88s.
Blazing Speed (59.81s), last season’s Stewards’ Cup winner, will step back down to a mile after a below-par run in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) last time. He kept on well enough for fifth under Neil Callan, who let him roll on easily for some way past the line.
Real Specialist, another among the 10 entries for the Stewards’ Cup, crossed the line seventh in 59.93s. Also engaged in the race but not involved in the barrier trial are Military Attack, All You Wish, Beauty Flame and Rewarding Hero.
The G1 Stewards’ Cup is the first leg of the Hong Kong Triple Crown series which also features the HK$10 million Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) on 1 March and the HK$10 million G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) on 31 May.
