Ambitious Dragon and Glorious Days have enjoyed their share of tussles in the past. There was a time when the latter was the emerging pretender to the former’s position of pre-eminence in Hong Kong but now they find themselves in danger of edging into the “stars of yesteryear” bracket.
Sunday’s (25 January) G1 Stewards’ Cup, a race both have won in the past, is a chance for each to turn back the clock and ruffle the rising force of the John Moore-trained Able Friend. The stunning winner of last month’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile was this week revealed as the equal third-best horse in the world according to the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.
Ambitious Dragon, Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year in 2011 and 2012, returned earlier this season from an 18-month lay-off to find a new kid stirring up the block. But after running third to Able Friend in November’s G2 Jockey Club Mile, the brilliant former champion missed the chance to again lock horns with the upstart Able Friend in December’s mile showcase - a lame off-fore foot resulting in his withdrawal the morning of.
Able Friend won the Hong Kong Mile impressively. Ambitious Dragon had claimed the same prize in 2012 with a brilliant turn-of-foot and ended that year with an international rating of 124, the joint-highest ever achieved by a Hong Kong horse. Able Friend topped that with a mark of 127.
Now an eight-year-old, Ambitious Dragon will aim to become the first horse of that age to win the Stewards’ Cup, the first leg of the Hong Kong Triple Crown. Maxime Guyon, the man who partnered the gelding to HKG1 Hong Kong Derby success back in 2011, will be back in the plate for the first time in over three years. The stage could be set for a resurgence should Ambitious Dragon be capable still of engaging his famed afterburners.
Trainer Tony Millard was giving little away but stressed that the gelding’s setback in December was minor. Ambitious Dragon moved sweetly when cruising to fourth in a recent 1000m turf barrier trial, a length behind Able Friend.
“He was walking two days later,” said Millard. “He’s going okay and I’m happy with him.”
Glorious Days saw off a slightly below-par Ambitious Dragon to win the Stewards’ Cup two years ago. John Size’s stable star then made hay with his old foe sidelined and defeated subsequent Champion Miler Gold-Fun to earn a deserved victory in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile that December. Glorious Days was unable to hold onto his title last month as he finished five lengths fifth to Able Friend.
“This race on Sunday will be better than last time,” said jockey Mirco Demuro of the seven-year-old’s chances. “I hope to have the same pace but I hope to settle him a little further back this time. I was too handy last time and I moved too soon, and that actually cost me second or third place. I hope to have better luck on Sunday.”
Glorious Days strode out in the same 1000m turf trial as his fellow Stewards’ Cup protagonists and travelled quietly in behind to run sixth.
“He went nicely in his trial, he’s an older horse and he knows what he has to do,” continued Demuro. “Able Friend looks like he’s the horse to beat, he’s the number one miler in the world but you never know - that makes horseracing more fun, you want to beat that horse!”
The Stewards’ Cup has been upgraded to international G1 status for the first time this year, having been staged as a local G1 contest since 1991. The race is the first leg of the Hong Kong Triple Crown series, which carries a bonus of HK$10 million to the owner of any horse that can win all three legs. The series continues with the G1 Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) in March and the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) in May. Each of the three legs carries a prize fund of HK$10 million.
