Hong Kong preparations hit full swing in Dubai

26/03/2015

For the first time since arrival, all seven of Hong Kong’s Dubai raiders exercised on the main tracks at Meydan this morning, Thursday, 26 March.

Al Quoz Sprint
Bundle Of Joy was finally given the chance to sample the Meydan morning experience – the last of the Hong Kong septet to do so. David Hall’s G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1000m) candidate had a first look at the vast grandstand as he worked on the turf track at around 7am. The trainer had kept his HKG1 Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup (1000m) runner-up stable-side to help the five-year-old settle in to the new environment. 

“I’m pretty happy with the way he’s travelled – first time away, obviously, the first night was a little bit new for him, he was probably a little bit tucked up but every day he has improved. He is eating and drinking really well and, amazingly, his condition is first class. I’m really happy with him,” said Hall.

“He’s had a little bit of a trot and a swim down at the quarantine track and I brought him up on the track today to just familiarise himself with the grass track and see how daunting the straight is with that big grandstand there. That all went very smoothly. He was having a look around – it wasn’t about running any time or anything, it was about him having a look. The horse seems very happy, he was having a look but he was pretty relaxed at the same time. I really couldn’t be happier with the horse’s condition so I’m sure he’ll turn up.”

Bundle Of Joy will break from gate two in the speed test, a draw seen as perhaps disadvantageous, although past Hong Kong raider Eagle Regiment placed third in this race from gate one in 2013, while Joy And Fun won the race in 2010 and was third in 2012, both times from gate six.  

“The barrier draw is a little bit confusing,” said Hall, “but I think there have been plenty of horses perform from inside draws down the straight here before, so it’s not quite as cut-throat as what the Hong Kong straight 1000m is. We’re still confident the horse will put up a big performance.”

Tony Cruz is hoping Peniaphobia can confirm Centenary Sprint Cup form with Bundle Of Joy, whom he defeated a short-head in that race. Cruz is of the opinion that the high draw, gate 16 of 16, will be beneficial to his four-year-old.

“We have three very good Hong Kong horses here and my horse has drawn the fast lane in gate 16,” he said. “I think Amber Sky will try to lead the race and Peniaphobia will be following behind him. He is a horse that is still improving and he is ready for this race – he is a horse that is improving all the time. I believe now that he is a real straight track sprinter. We thought about the Golden Shaheen but there’s a question mark about the dirt surface for him and he has never been left-handed, so we are going the safer option.”

Cruz is happy with the condition of the gelding, who did slow work on the dirt track this morning under Shell Chan. The rider had to be alert as Peniaphobia attempted to duck back down the exit chute as he came to the end of his circuit, and veered across to the outside fence.

“He needs to follow, he’s still a little bit green and he needs a lead. We have a lead in the race, anyway. Amber Sky is drawn 10, so we can follow him,” said Cruz before adding: “The horse was very calm on the journey over here but he lost a lot of weight. But he’s putting it back on tremendously fast. He’s put 30lb or 40lb back on and he’s doing well.”

Amber Sky was allowed to up the ante this morning with trainer Ricky Yiu in town to oversee. After being kept to his slow paces previously, work rider Raymond Tam felt the breeze today as last year’s Al Quoz Sprint hero went through a piece of fast work down the straight and pulled up fine.

“He’s in the same sort of form as last year when he won the race,” said trainer Ricky Yiu. “He walks a little bit awkward behind but when he is galloping he flows very well. He has drawn nicely in gate 10 and it will be the same tactics as last year, on the speed and keep kicking.”

Dubai Golden Shaheen
Three Hong Kong challengers will line up on the dirt in Saturday’s G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m). Of those, Rich Tapestry has the best dirt track form in the book having won the G1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship in October. Trainer Michael Chang was on hand this morning to watch last year’s Golden Shaheen runner-up gallop on the dirt under work rider Vincent Sit. Big-race rider Olivier Doleuze, straight off a flight from Hong Kong, watched from the sidelines. At yesterday’s barrier draw, Rich Tapestry was allotted a potentially good berth in gate four.

Lucky Nine had a sharp canter on the dirt in the hands of work rider Danny Suen as trainer Caspar Fownes watched from the side. The triple G1 winner will break from gate eight in the big race.

“I’m very happy with him and everything is on target for a big run,” said Fownes.

The Tony Millard-trained Super Jockey worked under floodlights at around 5am. The six-year-old, successful in a 1200m Class 1 dirt contest at Sha Tin last start, has drawn wide in gate 12 of 14 in Saturday night’s contest.

“We’d have liked to have drawn lower but we will just get on with it. The horse that won the race on Super Saturday was drawn widest and I guess it gives us an opportunity to get him out of the kickback. I’m very happy that we have a healthy horse, he looks a picture, and the draw is what it is,” said Millard.

Dubai Sheema Classic
Joao Moreira’s flight schedule from Hong Kong did not enable the jockey to partner Designs On Rome in his work this morning. Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year galloped under work rider Kelvin Wan.

“He worked 1200m and I’d say he went around there in 1m 26s or 1m 28s,” said trainer John Moore. “The riding boy reported that he did it very nicely without much urging. He said that, coming back, his recovery was really, really good. He looks a picture of health, so we’re going into the race with very high hopes.

“We know it’s the strongest race of the night and we’re not taking anybody for granted but we can’t do any more than show up with a horse that’s at the top of his game.”

Designs On Rome will break from gate seven in the field of nine, which also features G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Main Sequence (gate 5), G1 Hong Kong Vase hero Flintshire (gate 4) and Japan’s star filly Harp Star (gate 9).

“The race pattern doesn’t worry us – he’s drawn in seven and that’s not a problem,” said Moore. “With nine runners he won’t be so far off the pace this time, and if anyone makes the big move we know he can make the same sort of move 600m out, so that won’t trouble us one bit, it will fit into his run pattern perfectly.”