The Longines Hong Kong International Races will be run this Sunday afternoon at Sha Tin Racecourse. As usual, horses from Europe, Asia, and Australia ship in for the four Group 1 races, billed as the Turf World Championships, with the HK$25 million (about US$3.2 million) Hong Kong Cup the highlight of the afternoon, contested at 2000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles). Conditions were excellent during training hours Wednesday, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the high 60's.
Here are photos for 22 of the international horses out on on the track at Sha Tin on Wednesday morning. Click the small photo to see a larger version.
A Shin Hikari (Hong Kong Cup) Cantered on the all-weather under exercise rider Tomoyasu Sakaguchi. Trainer Masanori Sakaguchi said: "He usually has a difficult temperament, but he has settled well and is happy enough in the surroundings. So far all has gone as planned."
|
Elliptique (Cup) worked 7f on turf in 1:42.00 under exercise rider Amelie Foulon. Richard Lambert assistant to trainer Andre Fabre said: "Everything went fine. It was just a little canter to keep him ticking over and to introduce him to the grass track. All the real work was done before we came out."
|
Maurice (Cup) Worked 1½ laps over the Sha Tin all-weather track. Groom Tomohiro Takahashi said: "All three (of trainer Noriyuki Hori's) horses are on target for their upcoming gallops. We will decide tonight if we will gallop them on Thursday or Friday."
|
Queens Ring (Cup) worked 5f on all-weather in 1:11.80. Trainer Keiji Yoshimura said: "Everything has been under control including today's gallop. She moved nicely and looks very fit. She's maintaining good condition. I would like to get an inside draw."
|
Staphanos (Cup) worked 5f on Polytrack in 1:18.90. Groom Yohei Fujino said: "He was pretty keen today, especially during the first part of his work, but he relaxed into it as he went around the backstretch. He is in good form for his breeze tomorrow."
|
Benzini (Hong Kong Vase) cantered on the all-weather under assistant trainer Harry Bull. Jockey Rosie Myers who will make her Hong Kong race-riding debut at Sha Tin on Sunday said: "I've just arrived but the reports from Harry are very positive. I'll ride Benzini in some work on Friday and we're confident that our horse will run right up to his best on Sunday."
|
Garlingari (Vase) cantered on the Polytrack, clocking the final 4f in 1:12.80. Trainer Corine Barande-Barbe said: "He watches everything around him everywhere but he is younger than Cirrus Des Aigles and it is his first time. I think he is in good health and a good mood and he is dancing. It is a quite a hard race with a lot of good horses but Garlingari will be the freshest. He has had a big year but he had a real break in the summer and I think it will be a good point in his favour. He is only five and it is difficult to go the whole year."
|
Highland Reel (Vase) cantered in company with stablemate Cougar Mountain, timed 4f in 1:03.90. Pat Keating, assistant to trainer Aidan O'Brien said, "They are grand, they'll just keep ticking over now on the all-weather track for the rest of the week until Sunday."
|
Nuovo Record (Vase) cantered on the turf, schooled in the paddock, then worked 2f in 26.60 on the Polytrack. Groom Hideyuki Obara said: "She schooled well today, we don't think the paddock will bother her. She is coming along very well. Tomorrow she will breeze five furlongs over the turf."
|
Quechua (Vase) worked 4f on turf in 58.70 seconds under exercise rider Nooresh Juglall. Race jockey Barend Vorster said, "Everything's good with him. He's taken the four-hour flight from Singapore really well. He hasn't lost any weight and that's a good sign." Ricardo Le Grange, assistant to trainer Patrick Shaw, said: "He was striding out nicely and that's about what we wanted to see from him this morning. He did run third in the Singapore International behind Dan Excel last year and on that you'd think he's up to the class. He's a bit older now, of course, but he's a real trier and the trip is going to suit him. He's an out and out stayer."
|
Satono Crown (Vase) galloped 1 1/2 miles on Polytrack. Groom Tomohiro Takahashi said: "All three (of trainer Noriyuki Hori's) horses are on target for their upcoming gallops. We will decide tonight if we will gallop them on Thursday or Friday."
|
Silverwave (Vase) worked 5f on Polytrack in 1:12.10. Fabrice Dolbois, assistant to trainer Pascal Bary, said: "It was no more than a canter just to maintain his form. First day was very gentle, then we stepped it up a little bit today and he might have a turf breeze at some stage. He continues to please me with how calm he is compared to the way he can sometimes be at home, while all the other signs – eating, drinking – are good and he has settled in very well. Sylvain rides him every day at home."
|
Smart Layer (Vase) cantered on Polytrack. Exercise rider Kota Kato said, "I think she likes the life in Hong Kong since she is very relaxed. Everything has been under control. She will gallop on turf tomorrow.
|
Big Arthur (Hong Kong Sprint) Worked 1½ laps around the Sha Tin all-weather track. Trainer Kenichi Fujioka said: "We want to draw a middle barrier this time to avoid the issues he had in his last start. We want 5, 6, or 7 if possible."
|
Rebel Dane (Sprint) cantered on the all-weather track. Trainer Gary Portelli, who arrived last night, was pleased with his sprinter. He said: "I thought he looked really well this morning. He was on his toes but he's always like that and he wasn't as agitated as he was yesterday. He probably thought he was out there to go racing yesterday.
|
Red Falx (Sprint) cantered slow on turf, schooled in the paddock then galloped on the Polytrack, clocking 2f in 31.40. Dai Saito, the assistant trainer, said: "We have figured out the current condition of the surface on turf from the warm up this morning. I think he has familiarised himself with it. The track was harder than I thought. He's in good form and is eating up well. He will gallop on turf tomorrow with Mirco Demuro aboard."
|
Signs of Blessing (Sprint) cantered around the Sha Tin all-weather under work rider Wilfred Conart, taking a lead off Vase contender Silverwave. Clocked 5f in 1:12.50.
|
Takedown (Sprint) cantered around the all-weather track under work rider Petra Kankova and quickened up over the last 4f for a time of 53.40. Trainer Gary Moore commented: "I'm delighted with that. He was strong at the finish and his rider says that Takedown feels better than he did at the time he won the big race in Perth. What I like is that he is a horse who can quicken again for a jockey at the end of a race, which is why he usually wins by small margins. But small margins are OK with me."
|
Cougar Mountain (Hong Kong Mile) cantered on the turf under regular exercise rider Craig Bryson, final 4f in 1:04.10. (17.9, 16.3, 15.1, 14.8). Cougar Mountain followed his stable companion Highland Reel: "They are grand," said Pat Keating, "They'll just keep ticking over now on the all-weather track for the rest of the week until Sunday."
|
Logotype (Mile) cantered easily for two laps on the all-weather under trainer Tsuyoshi Tanaka. Tanaka said: "He's maintaining good form. Everything has gone well so far. About the draw, I would like to draw from inside to middle."
|
Neorealism (Mile) worked 1½ laps over the Sha Tin all-weather track. Groom Tomohiro Takahashi said: "All three (of trainer Noriyuki Hori's) horses are on target for their upcoming gallops. We will decide tonight if we will gallop them on Thursday or Friday."
|
Satono Aladdin (Mile) cantered on the all-weather under jockey Yuya Mizuguchi. Mizuguchi said: "He moved powerfully and nicely. I think he is in good form. He also looks pretty good and is getting used to the surroundings and track at Sha Tin. Jockey Yuga Kawada will gallop him on turf tomorrow."
|