OH, Able Friend. Time and again Hong Kong’s finest ever horse wins Group 1 races in the most languid style conceivable. It really seems like he breaks more sweat going down to the start than in dispatching quality opposition such as in last Sunday’s Champions Mile.

It’s about time this huge talent was flaunted on foreign shores and finally it appears that day will arrive in the Queen Anne Stakes on June 16th down the straight mile at Royal Ascot.

Owner Cornel Li vetoed Able Friend’s participation in the US$6 million Dubai Turf in March so it’s already evident that money is not the prime motivator in the race planning. It is now more the case that the dark chesnut Australian-bred stunner - who will turn six on August 1st - can’t justifiably be kept at home to beat the same rivals he simply towers over, both in terms of physical stature and boundless ability.

HONG KONG’S HORSE

“This is not my horse. This is Hong Kong’s horse,” Li offered as a pleasing post-race soundbite that also implied that he is about to cede to public demands to see Able Friend travel to England.

Trainer John Moore has already sorted out the logistics of travel and where the horse will board (at the stable of Michael Bell, incidentally) and all that is needed now is the final say-so from the owner and that looks inevitable on this occasion.

Moore even has a travelling companion lined up for his stable star, another Australian import named Notlistenin’tome, who it is hoped will contest the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at the same meeting.

“Back at the start of the year it felt like if he were to travel it would be Dubai or Ascot - but not both. Mr Li was worried about the effect the travel to Dubai might have on the horse, especially with the Champions Mile coming just a month or so afterwards.” Moore said. “There is nothing left for him in Hong Kong now this season and I’d say Ascot is pretty likely. We’re just waiting for the final green light and seeing how he comes out of the race but he did it pretty easily again.”

The most striking thing about this latest victory was the juxtaposition of Able Friend’s cruise homeward in the straight, hard-held under Joao Moreira but in a staggeringly good time of 21.35 seconds for the final two furlongs. Admittedly, a very slow pace preceded this final split but quibbling with such obvious class seems petty.

The margin of victory of a length and quarter from stablemates Rewarding Hero and Dan Excel was almost an irrelevance but there was some disappointment the prospect of Able Friend being tested by Derby hero Luger did not eventuate. The latter was eased down to finish last of the six runners and later returned a second heart irregularity this season.

Looking ahead to Royal Ascot, Able Friend is generally a 2/1 joint favourite for the Queen Anne, the first race on the Tuesday, with Solow, the French horse who impressively won the Dubai Turf in March.

There had also been talk that Able Friend might also take in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood but Moore shot down that idea, saying it will be all or nothing at Ascot.