Racing News  

Military Attack aiming for a hat-trick in G1 Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup

24/02/2015

Military Attack missed an intended face-off with his big rival Designs On Rome earlier this month due to “inappetence” but Caspar Fownes’ charge is likely to take his chance against the current Hong Kong Horse of the Year in Sunday’s  (1 March) G1 Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup.

The 2000m contest, the second leg of the Hong Kong Triple Crown series, will be staged as an international Group 1 race for the first time and carries increased prize money of HK$10 million.

With Military Attack absent from the HKG3 Centenary Vase (Handicap, 1800m) on 7 February, Designs On Rome scored a narrow win and heads into the weekend as the horse to beat. The pair last met in December’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup at Sunday’s course and distance, with Designs On Rome arriving late on the scene to head Military Attack in the final stride.

Military Attack, the 2012/2013 Hong Kong Horse of the Year, has won the past two editions of the Hong Kong Gold Cup, and, of his eight potential rivals listed at the entry stage, Fownes naturally sees John Moore’s charge as the biggest threat to his stable star achieving the hat-trick. In four meetings, the tally is tied at two apiece in terms of which horse has finished ahead of the other, but of those four races, Designs On Rome edges the verdict with two wins to Military Attack’s one. The facts suggest that when both are primed there is very little between them.

“John’s horse is younger than us, stronger, but if we’re in good condition, hopefully we can have another good fight,” said Fownes.

“Military Attack hasn’t missed any work and he’s pleased me enough to go into the race on Sunday, he’s in pretty good condition,” he continued. “He’s had a few problems but that is to be expected, we’ve learned to live with that every day. The main thing is that hopefully on the day he will be in good condition. If he is and if he’s feeling well, he’s going to run well. His body weight is up a little bit. I would like it to be up a bit more, but it’s fine.”

Military Attack will sport blinkers for the first time on Sunday. The Oratorio gelding, winner of the G1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup and G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup in 2013, when in the care of Moore, tested the headgear in a 1200m barrier trial at the end of January. 

“He’ll have the blinkers on to help him concentrate a bit more,” explained Fownes. “You can see in a couple of his races, the last part, he just shies away from the winning post and runs out a little bit and that has cost him. Hopefully, with the blinkers on, he’ll just run through to the line strongly. If he can do that, well he’s already racing very well this season so if he can stay where he’s at he will be very competitive.”

The outcome of Sunday’s race could shape the rest of Military Attack’s campaign with the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) at Meydan in late March and the G1 SIA Cup (2000m) at Kranji in May both on the agenda. 

“I’ll make a decision about Dubai after the race but he’s been invited to run in the 1800m (Dubai Turf) there. That’s not a problem, I can drop him back a furlong. The big target for him is Singapore,” said Fownes.

As well as Designs On Rome, Moore has engaged the up-and-coming Harbour Master. Tony Cruz has three arrows strung to his bow with the top-class Blazing Speed and California Memory alongside the talented Helene Super Star; John Size has entered G2 winner Endowing and the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase third Khaya; and the Danny Shum-trained Mr Gnocchi is also slated to take his chance.

Able Friend won the first leg of the Hong Kong Triple Crown series, the G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m), last month. The third and final leg is the HK$10 million G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m), also open to overseas contenders, at Sha Tin in May.

 

Related Website�G

Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup

Close

Copyright © 2000-2024 The Hong Kong Jockey Club. All rights reserved.