Steve Looks At The Hong Kong International Races
The United States (Galileo) looks our likely lone representative in the 30 April Audemars Piguet QE11 Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) and the cupboard will be bare for the 7 May Chairman’s Sprint Prize (Gr 1, 1200m) and Champions Mile (Gr 1, 1600m).
John O’Shea told me last night that a Hong Kong trip has been ruled out for Hartnell (Authorized) and that followed yesterday’s new that that connections will opt for Brisbane, rather than Hong Kong, with star kiwi sprinter Start Wondering (Eighth Wonder).
And Chautauqua (Encosta De Lago) won’t be defending his 2016 Chairman’s Sprint Prize despite his stunning in third straight T J Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) win, on 1 April, which stamped his virtual invincibility racing right handed at 1200 metres.
Le Romain (Hard Spun) and McCreery (Big Bad Bob), who hold Hong Kong nominations, are expected to run in Saturday’s All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and not proceed beyond that engagement. “There’s not much of him so we don’t want to subject him to a long campaign and he’ll be bound for the paddock sooner rather than later,” Waller said of McCreery who was runner-up to Le Romain in last spring’s Cantala Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).
“We had a good look at it (Hong Kong) but I’d say it’s highly unlikely,” said trainer Kris Lees of three time Group One winner Le Romain (Hard Spun).
All of which is a touch disappointing for the innate racing fan in all of us – particularly as the Hong Kong expedition is far less exacting than heading to Europe and the prize money’s better.
Traveling horses always has a degree of complication and there are practical and financial considerations but I’d love to see Australian trainers and owners embrace a greater sense of adventure than they have in recent years.
There’s nothing quite like victory on overseas soil to stir the patriotic fervour and you could well argue that Chautauqua’s Hong Kong win last year was the most exciting moment in Australian racing for the year, notwithstanding the extraordinary performances of Winx (Street Cry).
Ironically, perhaps, the better horse the less likely he or she may be to travel. And that’s understandable. However, we might have more to get excited about in Hong Kong in December or perhaps even April-May next year.
John Hawkes told ANZ Bloodstock News last week that a return to Hong Kong, at some stage, was not ruled out. “He was flat after he returned last year but I’d say that was just one of those things. I wouldn’t think it would make him any more or any less likely to be fatigued by another trip,” he said.
“Obviously now we will focus on the Everest,” he added.
Travel sickness is always a concern with horses but it can happen as readily on a journey down the highway as it can travelling internationally as the connections of Jameka (Myboycharlie) were unfortunate enough to find out last month.
You wouldn’t think it would be unrealistic for Chautauqua to contest The Everest (1200m) at his second or third run back in the spring before going on to the VRC Spring Classic (Gr 1, 1200m) and Hong Kong.
However it probably is unrealistic to think that Winx would campaign this spring – pursuing her third Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) – and then have a 2018 Sydney autumn campaign before heading to Europe.
In truth, there is probably no good monetary reason for connections to take her overseas but if she continued to prove unbeatable here and a sense of adventure and a desire to showcase her to the world was irresistible then Hong Kong is probably the ‘easiest’ option.
The upcoming major races in Hong Kong will have no shortage of outstanding talent with the Australian bred, locally raced and trained four-year-olds Rapper Dragon (Street Boss) and Mr Stunning (Exceed And Excel) looming large after their wins at Sha Tin last Sunday. And the Japanese force will be typically strong.
The Japanese contingent will include Neorealism (Neo Universe), one of only two horses to beat superstar and Arrowfield secured Maurice (Screen Hero) post his three-year-old season.
Neorealism resumed to win the Nakayama Kinen (Gr 2, 1800m) in February. He’ll be joined by Staphanos (Deep Impact), who was runner-up to Kitasan Black (Black Tide) in the Osaka Hai (Gr 1, 2000m) on 2 April. Kitasan Black was coming off a Japan Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) win and a narrow defeat in the Arima Kinen (Gr 1, 2500m).
Stapahanos will be making his fourth trek to Sha Tin where he’s previously finished third, behind Maurice, in the 2016 Hong Kong Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) and second behind Blazing Speed (Dylan Thomas) in the 2015 Audemars Pigeut QE II Cup (in which Sebring’s son Criterion was third).
Red Falx (Swept Overboard) returns despite his failure behind Aerovelocity (Pins) in last year’s Hong Kong International Sprint. He resumed with an excellent third in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (Gr 1, 1200m).
Dicton (Lawman), who was placed behind Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) in last year’s Prix du Jockey Club (Gr 1, 2100m) and runner-up first time out this year in the Prix Edmond Blanc (Gr 3, 1600m), is among the likely contenders from Europe.
He’s owned by Hong Kong based Robert Ng who also has the Sir Michael Stoute trained Convey (Dansili), a first-up winner – at Lingfield – after being gelded, who is a supplementary entry for the Champions Mile.