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Aerovelocity handed plum draw in Sunday��s Takamatsunomiya Kinen

27/03/2015

Trainer Paul O’Sullivan got the ideal draw he wanted when Hong Kong Sprint winner Aerovelocity drew favourably in Gate 4 for the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) at Chukyo Racecourse on Sunday.

But even before the barrier draw was held, O’Sullivan was quietly confident his horse will do well.

In Chukyo for the second day today, O’Sullivan watched the six-year-old bay stepping out onto the dirt track shortly after 6.45am for an easy canter over one and a half laps under his regular work rider before schooling at the paddock.  Aerovelocity completed his fast work, an 800m gallop on the turf, on Thursday and the trainer said he’s very pleased with the horse’s well-being for Sunday’s race, the third leg of this year’s Global Sprint Challenge.

“He’s the same as usual, nothing’s changed.  He eats very well.  For the gallop [yesterday], he’s okay and it’s just 30 and 28 [seconds],” O’Sullivan said, adding that the weight of the horse was 1,188 pounds on Thursday, similar to when he won the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint in December.

Before the draw was held, O’Sullivan said he would be pleased if the six-year-old bay is drawn to start from stall five to seven, but it’s not all important as “he will take whatever draw he gets”.

“It isn’t like Hong Kong which is always pacy.  If you draw a [high] gate, you have to run and roll up your sleeves.  I’m not that familiar with the pattern of racing here, but I talked to Zac Purton and he said he’s not too concerned about the draw,” he said.

The draw results came out later this morning, putting a big smile on O’Sullivan’s face. The Pins gelding will break from barrier 4, which has produced four winners — the highest number of any draw –- in the past 19 renewals of this sprint contest.

It’s not the first time that O’Sullivan is taking a horse to Japan as he saddled Horlicks to win the G1 Japan Cup in 1989, at the time when he was plying his trade in New Zealand.  After moving his base to Hong Kong, he sent Fellowship to race in the G1 Yasuda Kinen in 2010, and the horse finished 9th in that 1600m contest.  He said Aerovelocity is in Japan as a much fresher horse when compared to Fellowship.

“Fellowship had a long, hard season, having raced around the year before going to Japan.  However, Aerovelocity’s season started just six months ago. He’s only had four races and this will be his fifth run.  So he has had a pretty easy year.  He missed the first 1000m sprint in October. So we had the idea of sending him overseas,” he said.

O’Sullivan is quietly confident about the chances of his horse who will be the first runner from Hong Kong to contest the Takamatsunomiya Kinen.

“If this race was being run at Sha Tin, I think he will win for sure,” he said. “But he has to travel a long way [to here].  I have been travelling horses most of my life.  When they go overseas, at a different track, they will either run very well or they do not perform.  It’s very hard to predict which one.  But he’s giving me all the signs that he should race up to his best,” O’Sullivan said.

Aerovelocity will take on 17 Japanese opponents, led by last year’s winner Copano Richard (gate 17), Sakura Gospel (gate 12), and the re-opposing Straight Girl (gate 18) who finished a one-length third behind Aerovelocity in the Hong Kong Sprint.

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Aerovelocity, to be running in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, exercises at Chukyo racecourse this morning.
Photo 1:
Aerovelocity, to be running in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, exercises at Chukyo racecourse this morning.

Paul O��Sullivan (left) is pleased with the well-being of Aerovelocity.
Photo 2:
Paul O��Sullivan (left) is pleased with the well-being of Aerovelocity.

 

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