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Three kings to clash again in Sunday��s G2 Jockey Club Cup at Sha Tin

16/11/2016

By David Morgan

The three venerable kings of Hong Kong’s middle-distance realm, Designs On Rome, Military Attack and Blazing Speed will lock horns once again on Sunday (20 November) in an enthralling edition of the HK$4 million Group 2 LONGINES Jockey Club Cup (2000m), the prime lead-up to next month’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m).

Military Attack landed the Jockey Club Cup by a head from Blazing Speed last year, a reversal of the 2014 result when Blazing Speed held Military Attack by the same margin, with Designs On Rome a close fifth. Last year Designs On Rome missed the clash with his old rivals, lining up instead in the same afternoon’s G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile.

The three stalwarts have racked up an impressive tally of major wins in the past four years or so: eight G1 victories between them, three at G2, and six wins in what were then local G1 races, all of which have since been raised to full G1 status.

Designs On Rome and Military Attack have both earned Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year title, in 2014 and 2013 respectively. Blazing Speed has not, so it is interesting to note that the Tony Cruz-trained seven-year-old in fact holds something of an edge on his regular foes. In the 10 races in which the complete trio has competed together, the handsome white-faced bay has finished ahead of the other two on five occasions, three of those being victories. Designs On Rome has earned bragging rights three times, each a victory, while Military Attack has emerged on top twice in such encounters, once as the race winner.

This time, Military Attack has the assistance of an old comrade, Joao Moreira, who climbs back aboard the Caspar Fownes-trained eight-year-old for the first time since the 2014 G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup (2000m) at Kranji. The Oratorio gelding gave the Brazilian a major win in Hong Kong earlier that year.

“It’s nice to be back on him, I won the Hong Kong Gold Cup on him and I also rode him a few times to run close behind Designs On Rome a few years ago,” Moreira said. “Last year he won this race and he was getting five pounds from Blazing Speed and he’s getting five pounds again from the top two horses; that 123 pounds he is carrying, that puts him right there with the top two.”

Even with their 5lb penalties, the champion jockey still feels Designs On Rome and Blazing Speed are the two to beat, especially as they have the advantage of a race under their belts already this term. Military Attack has not raced since the G1 Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) in May. 

“Designs On Rome and Blazing Speed would be vying to be favourite, and then Military Attack comes into consideration. He’s the best ride I could get in the race,” Moreira said.

“He’s going well - he trialled well a week ago - and whatever he does on Sunday he should improve for it, so I think Caspar is doing the right thing in preparing him this way for the big race in December. I’m not committed to ride him in December but if he goes well, why not? If he runs a race this time I would definitely have to consider riding him.”

Moreira is also well-acquainted with Designs On Rome, having partnered John Moore’s charge nine times, scoring big in the 2014 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) when Military Attack was a short-head second.
 
“We know how Designs On Rome runs and if you look at the field it’s not hard to see how it will likely play out. I’ll just ride Military Attack the best I can and I’m quite confident he’s going to be right there with them,” he said.

Designs On Rome and Blazing Speed go into the Sunday showdown off a one-two finish first-up in the G2 Sha Tin Trophy over 1600m at Sha Tin last month. Each carried 133lb at the top of the handicap; a neck separated them at the post. That took their personal all-time head-to-head to nine over six in Blazing Speed’s favour; five of those being outright wins for the Dylan Thomas gelding against four victories to Designs On Rome.

“There’s nothing much between the top three,” said Neil Callan, Blazing Speed’s regular pilot. “It all comes down to draws and the right tempo and who gets the best run. That’s been the case over the last few years. Blazing Speed has usually gone into the big races as the underdog and he’s come out on top on a number of occasions, so it just goes to show that there’s not a lot between these three horses.”

Blazing Speed’s major wins have come in the (HKG1) Stewards’ Cup at a mile, the G1 AP QEII Cup (2000m), the G2 Jockey Club Cup (2000m) and the G1 Champions & Chater Cup (2400m).

“He’s shown, over the years, that he’s versatile between a mile and a mile and a half. His good run over the mile last time was a bit of a surprise but I suppose he was in a good position to take advantage of a messy race,” Callan said.

“He looks magnificent, he’s bouncing and he’s going into his pet distance off as good a run as he could have had in any season. His last run proved that he’s in really good form and that he’s ready to come out fighting again this season.”

Karis Teetan delivered a ride of opportunistic savvy to land the Sha Tin Trophy on Designs On Rome last start and keeps the mount. For all that Blazing Speed comes out in front in the head-to-head tally Designs On Rome is the top dog when it comes to the biggest occasions. The Holy Roman Emperor six-year-old is a four-time G1 winner, a Hong Kong Derby victor, and the only one of the veteran trio to have landed a coveted win at Hong Kong’s December showcase.

“His first-up win was good,” Teetan said. “Even before I rode him last time I said he was ready to go again. He felt good, it was great to see him win and come back to his old form again. For an old horse like that, he’d had a hard season last season and to see him come back like that was great.”

“I’ve seen his track work videos and he looks good in the morning, John (Moore) is happy with him so he should run a good race. Even now it’s a smaller field and given his style of racing he’s not going to be too far out of it.”

Also among the entries for the LONGINES Jockey Club Cup are Helene Happy Star, Secret Weapon, Flame Hero, Helene Super Star, Anticipation and Eastern Express.

Sunday’s Jockey Club Races also features the G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile and the G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Sprint (1200m).

Military Attack (in green) edges out Blazing Speed in the 2015 edition of the Group 2 LONGINES Jockey Club Cup (2000m).
Photo 1:
Military Attack (in green) edges out Blazing Speed in the 2015 edition of the Group 2 LONGINES Jockey Club Cup (2000m).

Designs On Rome (No. 4) makes a winning debut this season in the G2 Oriental Watch 55th Anniversary Sha Tin Trophy.
Photo 2:
Designs On Rome (No. 4) makes a winning debut this season in the G2 Oriental Watch 55th Anniversary Sha Tin Trophy.

 

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