THERE are four Irish-trained runners on Hong Kong’s biggest raceday of the year on Sunday. Aidan O’Brien sends over Magical, Mogul and Order Of Australia, while Ken Condon is represented by Romanised.

Magical, with three of her seven Group 1 wins accrued this year, is the event’s international bill-topper. This is likely to be her final start and if she wins she will become the first horse trained by O’Brien to win eight Group 1 races.

Mogul brings with him a big home reputation and a Group 1 success in the Grand Prix de Paris, and Order Of Australia shocked America and beyond last time out with a long-odds upset in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile. He presents as a fascinating rival to Hong Kong’s old and new star milers, Beauty Generation and Golden Sixty.

Romanised has been mixing it with the best in Europe this season but it was a bit disappointing he could not win a minor race at Dundalk last time out. However, his Hong Kong-based owner is entitled to have a runner on the big day.

Magical faces a typically difficult assignment and will need to see off last year’s victor Win Bright and his fellow Japanese raiders Danon Premium and Normcore, as well as Hong Kong’s revitalised 2019 BMW Hong Kong Derby hero Furore. And then there is Time Warp, the Cup victor in 2017, whose front-running style is likely to determine the shape of the race.

A couple of ex-Irish horses are also worth watching. Exultant is a shade of odds-on for the Vase, a race he won in 2018 and finished third in last year. A winner of five Group 1s in Hong Kong, he raced as Irishcorrespondent when trained here by Michael Halford and was placed in an Irish 2000 Guineas.

Watch out too for Waikuku in the Mile. He was a maiden winner for John Oxx before being transferred to Hong Kong. He is also a Group 1 winner there and was only beaten by half a length in the Mile last year.

Finally, spare a thought for Christophe Soumillon who misses the meeting as local authorities required him to take more Covid-19 tests. The tests returned negative but he has still been ruled out of Sunday’s card. Soumillon famously missed out on two Breeders’ Cup winners due to a positive Covid-19 test.

His best Hong Kong ride was to be Admire Mars in the Mile, second favourite at 6/1. This ride has has been picked up by Ryan Moore, who oddly was not required for Order Of Australia as connections decided to stick with Pierre-Charles Boudot, who won on the horse at Keeneland.

Here local racing expert Declan Schuster previews the big four races.

6.00 Longines Hong Kong Vase (Group 1) 1M 4F

Columbus County might be worth taking a chance on here as he steps up to the unknown mile and a half for the first time on Sunday. He closed off nicely last start for third at his first try at Group 2 level and if either of the big two falter, he could be the one to finish best. He’ll be a price to find out, especially off the back of his first-up run which was super impressive.. He’s a young horse open to plenty of improvement over a longer trip.

Exultant is hard to knock and he’s the one to beat. Still though, he was under pressure early on last start and while he did manage to finish off gamely, he is going to need to step up once again if he is to run his rivals into the ground and recapture his Vase crown.

Mogul looked tidy when winning the Grand Prix de Paris over this distance two starts ago, beating subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe second In Swoop. If he can put his best foot forward then he is a leading player. Ho Ho Khan is next best as a course and distance winner.

SELECTIONS: Columbus County, Exultant, Mogul, Ho Ho Khan

6.40 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (Group 1) 6F

Rattan has become a notoriously slow starter but, if he does get a fast pace in this, he could be the one to finish the strongest. He’s clocked some slick final two-furlong times his last two runs and, with a clean run, he might be worth taking a chance on to spoil the party.

Hot King Prawn rarely runs a bad race and comes off a tidy last-start victory in the Group 2 Jockey Club Sprint. He’s drawn to get the run of the race and admittedly, he probably is the one to beat.

Classique Legend steps out for his first Hong Kong start following a classy win in the A$15 million The Everest at Randwick Racecourse, where he defeated seven individual Group 1 winners. Still, he has to acclimatise to a tough, new environment, which does make his task a difficult one, and his sole trial on the turf wasn’t the most impressive of performances.

Voyage Warrior is building into this contest nicely and did run a luckless fourth at his most recent outing. He’s worth including.

SELECTIONS: Rattan, Hot King Prawn, Classique Legend, Voyage Warrior

7.50 Longines Hong Kong Mile (Group 1) 1M

Golden Sixty is rightly Hong Kong’s rising superstar and he can stamp his claims as the jurisdiction’s top-class athlete with a win in the HK$25 million mile contest. He’s classy, brilliant and is capable of landing his 11th consecutive win this Sunday, though it will be his toughest test to date.

Waikuku returns first-up which is always a concern following a lengthy layoff although, in his favour is that he does prefer to run fresh and his handler John Size did win this race first-up in 2013 with Glorious Days.

Admire Mars won this race last year and brings high-class Japanese form with him. The old champ Beauty Generation has had a freshen-up and is capable of boxing on. Reports are that his trackwork has been strong.

SELECTIONS: Golden Sixty, Waikuku, Admire Mars, Beauty Generation

8.30 Longines Hong Kong Cup (Group 1) 1M 2F

Furore has been dominant on his last two runs at Group 2 level and, with home ground advantage, he is more than capable of scoring at Group 1 level in Hong Kong. He’s peaking at the right time for the right trainer, who knows how to win this race.

Win Bright is two-out-of-two over 10 furlongs at Sha Tin at Group 1 level. The horse just seems to love the track and he can’t be underestimated once again. He’ll be a price and is worth supporting on an each-way basis.

Magical is Aidan O’Brien’s superb mare. Assuming she’s travelled over to Hong Kong well then she is more than likely going to run a blinder. Ryan Moore takes the reins and she’s right in this. Danon Premium is as solid as they come and is going to be in the finish.

SELECTIONS: Furore, Win Bright, Magical, Danon Premium