Divine Calling is the headline draw in this Saturday’s (21 February) Chinese New Year Cup (Handicap) over 1400m at Sha Tin. Tony Millard’s charge is set to face seven rivals as he steps back into Class 1 after a smart second last start in the HKG1 Hong Kong Classic Mile.
The Australian import was a short-priced favourite for that first leg of the Hong Kong Four-Year-Old Series but was unable to match the storming run of Beauty Only as he finished two and a quarter lengths second.
Joao Moreira was in the plate for that race, the grey gelding’s third in Hong Kong. On Saturday, the Stratum four-year-old will reunite with Zac Purton who sat motionless for the win when Divine Calling made a sensational Sha Tin debut back in October.
Purton partnered the 2013 G1 Caulfield Guineas runner-up in a 1200m all-weather track gallop last Thursday. The classy gelding, who will shoulder 130lb on Saturday, clocked 1m 19.5s (29.8, 27.4, 22.3).
“He’s progressed well since the Classic Mile, he just needs to reproduce that work he did the other day and he’ll be very competitive,” said Millard, who chose to side-step last Sunday’s HKG1 Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and has opted out of next month’s BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m).
“It was a comfortable call not to go for the Derby with him,” said the South African handler. “Historically we’ve seen horses not suited to the distance go that route and then take a lot of time to recoup their form.
“He does get a mile, there was nothing wrong with his second in the Group 1 race last month, and we have the option to look for the mile again later in the season.”
Divine Calling is one of two Millard hopes engaged in the Chinese New Year Cup. Super Lifeline (129lb) will also take his chance, with Karis Teetan in the plate. And while the five-year-old will naturally be viewed as the stable’s second string, the trainer has every confidence that he too can be in the shake-up.
“I think both will run well but the one horse (Divine Calling) has got proper Group form, so obviously you’ve got to lean towards him,” he said. “But on his day Super Lifeline is not a bad horse over 1400m. He ran second to Gold-Fun at the start of the season and that’s not a bad run. He won the Hong Kong Macau Trophy at the course and distance last year and he’s a decent type of horse.
“Super Lifeline is doing really well and he comes good at this time of year. He ran a really good race earlier this season when he was second to Gold-Fun in a Group 3 and that horse won a Group 1 at 1200m on Sunday.”
The John Size-trained Real Specialist will head the weights on 133lb with Moreira in the saddle. The seven-year-old, a four-time course and distance winner, has had only one start so far this term, when seventh behind Able Friend in last month’s G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m).
Trainers John Moore and Dennis Yip are double-handed. Moore relies on the useful course and distance winner Kabayan (126lb) and the French import Prince Falcon (113lb); Yip looks to Gurus Dream (124lb) and the consistent Winning Leader (124lb). The field is completed by the David Ferraris-trained Kiram (113lb), a G2 winner in France but unplaced in two starts in Hong Kong.
