Sunday’s (3 May) HK$14 million Group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin offers the exciting prospect of a head-to-head between the horse rated the world’s equal best and Hong Kong’s latest star on the rise.
Able Friend heads into the mile feature eyeing a sixth straight win - with three international G1 triumphs to his credit already this season - and a possible date at Royal Ascot in mid-June. Luger has raced above handicap class only once, but that once - a powerful victory in the HKG1 BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) in March - marked him as a horse on the cusp of fulfilling his prodigious potential.
Luger has long been highly-regarded and a record of seven wins from 10 starts across three seasons - five at 1400m and one at 1600m - gives some hint of his ability. But it is his Derby win that really makes the Choisir four-year-old stand out as the most serious threat to Able Friend’s Champions Mile ambitions.
“My bloke’s coming from a fantastic run in the Derby when he travelled wide with no cover,” said Zac Purton, who has a one from one record on the gelding. “It was his first time at the 2000m distance and he was extremely strong to the line. John’s given him a freshen-up and brought him back to the mile; he’s had two trials, I rode him in his last trial and he travelled quite nicely for me. He gave me a good turn-of-foot and he feels like he’s ready to run up to his best.”
That latest trial came five days ago on the Sha Tin all-weather track over 1200m. Luger travelled one back on the rail, shifted out in the stretch and quickened effortlessly at the furlong mark to coast through for an easy second behind the decent miler Santa Fe Sun.
Trainer John Size, never one for hyperbole, is satisfied with Luger’s preparations for the Champions Mile. The Australian has chosen the 1600m contest over last week’s G1APQEII Cup at the Derby distance, even though no Hong Kong Derby winner has ever managed to succeed in the race. The only one to have tried, Collection, finished fifth behind the Size-trained Sight Winner in 2009.
“Luger’s been okay. He has had his run in the Derby, which is a tough run, but he had a couple of weeks off, he seems in generally good health, his trial was normal, so we would hope to go to the races and find out if he measures up to the open class horses. There is only one way to find, we’ll go and see what happens,” said Size.
“Both the QEII Cup and the Champions Mile are very strong races. The decision was based on the fact that the horse has less to do if he runs 1600m, it’s easier on him and that is my approach towards him. It has always been the same, I’ve never over-raced him or tried to over-tax him, and he appreciates that. He had a tough run in the Derby and to find out if he’s over it we’ll come back to a mile and if he runs well that’s fine.”
Neither Purton nor Size are under any illusions about the task at hand given that, according to each horse’s peak international rating, Luger falls 12lb shy of Able Friend’s very best of 127.
“Able Friend’s done nothing wrong; he’s a fantastic horse and probably is the best miler we’ve seen here in Hong Kong,” said Purton. “He’s going to be extremely hard to beat but he’s had a long season, I know he was carrying a little bit more condition in his last start, but he looked as though maybe he was a little bit tired. If he’s going to be vulnerable, this might be it.”
Size, never one to speculate about the opposition, nonetheless gave a hint as to his thoughts about the task ahead. “We’ve got nothing to lose. I’d be happy to run second, let’s put it that way,” he said with a droll smile.
“It’s only a small field but that doesn't mean the race loses anything. It is still an interesting event and still a great contest. It will be interesting to see what Luger can do, from my point of view, but normally I just wait and see what can happen, don't expect too much and hope for the best.
“If he runs well he should get an invitation to go to the Yasuda Kinen in Japan. If he runs well and shows us that he is up to it we will do that.”
The high-class field of six also features Able Friend’s John Moore-trained stablemates Dan Excel, the 2013 Champions Mile winner, Rewarding Hero and Secret Sham, as well as the Size-trained Real Specialist. The Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Flame was scratched this morning due to lameness.
