Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up Mondialiste is on target for the HK$23 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin on 13 December.
Trained in North Yorkshire, UK, by David O’Meara, the five-year-old produced a career-best performance last time out when a fast-finishing second to Tepin in the prestigious G1 mile contest at Keeneland, USA, on 31 October.
Prior to that great run, Mondialiste had his first taste of international racing when coming from near last to capture the G1 Woodbine Mile by a half-length in 1m 36.66s at Woodbine, Canada, on 13 September.
The son of Galileo, owned by Geoff & Sandra Turnbull, registered his first victory for O’Meara in the Listed Pomfret Stakes (1600m) at Pontefract, UK, in July and overhauled Mutakayyef in the final strides to win the G3 Strensall Stakes (1800m) by a neck at York, UK, in August.
O’Meara said: “The plan is for Mondialiste to go for the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.
“He travelled to and from the Breeders’ Cup really well and has come out of the race in great form.
“We were absolutely delighted with the run because going into it, although he had won the Canadian race, we looked up against it with horses like Esoterique, Make Believe and a few others in the line-up.
“It was always the plan to drop him out in Canada with the long straight there and, because it worked so well, we decided to do the same at Keeneland.
“As it turned out, they only went 48 seconds for the first half-mile. It was not ideal being held up off such a steady pace but he showed a great turn of foot and came home really well.
“He made the running when he won by 10 lengths at Pontefract and sat handy when he won at York. He is a versatile horse and can be ridden whatever way we like on the day.
“Although it is obviously the other way around, the configuration of Sha Tin is probably more like Woodbine rather than Keeneland in the fact that you only have one turn. At Keeneland, you have two turns for the mile. The track at Sha Tin should be fine.
“At the moment, the plan is to leave for Hong Kong on 6 December.”
Bred by Wertheimer Et Frere, Mondialiste raced for them in France during 2013 and 2014 when trained by Freddy Head.
The LONGINES Hong Kong Mile is one of four G1 contests at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday, 13 December. The afternoon also features the HK$25 million LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), the HK$16.5 million LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) and the HK$18.5 million LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m).
