Aidan O’Brien has entered Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Benvenuto Cellini, as well as Minnie Hauk, Lambourn and Diamond Necklace for both the Longines Hong Kong Cup and Longines Hong Kong Vase at Hong Kong’s International Races at Sha Tin on December 13th.

The trainer equalled his Group/Grade 1 winners in a year record at the Breeders’ Cup last week with 28 winners.

French Group 1 winner Queenstown is entered also entered in the Hong Kong Vase and O’Brien’s entries also include Puerto Rico and True Love in the Longines Hong Kong Mile.

The Ballydoyle trainer was victorious in the Longines Hong Kong Vase with Highland Reel (2015 and 2017) and Mogul (2020).

Joseph O’Brien, who trained Galen to finish fourth in the 2025 Longines Hong Kong Cup, is slated to return to Sha Tin with the chestnut gelding, along with Bright Light, Goodie Two Shoes, James J Braddock, Omni Man, Sons And Lovers and Trustyourinstinct.

Among the other internationals, Almaqam and Giavellotto are among a high-class UK entry.

There are a total of 31 individual horses from the UK and Ireland, including 14 individual Group 1 winners, entered across the four Group 1 International Races.

Ka Ying Rising, Voyage Bubble, Masquerade Ball, Giavellotto, Almaqam, Land Legend, Sir Delius, Kingswood, Puro Magic, Star Anise, Docklands, Erdenali and Embroidery are among the headline entries, which feature Group 1 winners from Royal Ascot, the Breeders’ Cup and other feature meetings.

Group 1 winner Almaqam, winner of the 2026 Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and second to Item in the 2026 G1 International Stakes at York, has become one of the world’s top middle-distance horses. Ed Walker’s star is expected to contest the Hong Kong Cup.

Giavellotto won the 2024 Longines Hong Kong Vase before finishing second to Sosie last year. Marco Botti has the well-travelled galloper mapped for a Sha Tin return this December after scoring at Group 2 level at Royal Ascot in June.

Godolphin

Charlie Appleby and Godolphin have Military Order entered in the Hong Kong Cup. He will next race in the Group 1 Bahrain International Trophy on November 13th, along with fellow entrants Glacius and Wimbledon Hawkeye.

Roger Varian’s Enfjaar – third in the Caulfield Cup – is a Hong Kong Vase possible after finishing 15th in the Melbourne Cup.

Andrew Balding’s Group 1 winner Never So Brave features in the Hong Kong Mile along with Royal Ascot Group 1 winner Docklands, who is also entered for the Hong Kong Cup.

George Boughey has entered Survie for both the Hong Kong Cup and Hong Kong Vase, while Tuco Salamanca is the sole entry from the UK in the Hong Kong Sprint.

This year’s UK and Irish entry are set to take on a strong cohort of local horses, including the best horse in the world Ka Ying Rising, as well as high-class campaigners from Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the USA and the UAE.

Rated 135 at the top of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, dual Hong Kong Horse of the Year (2024/25 and 2025/26) Ka Ying Rising will aim to become the first three-time winner of the Longines Hong Kong Sprint following victories in 2024 and 2025.

Six-time Group 1 winner Voyage Bubble – one of three Triple Crown winners in Hong Kong racing history – is a possible for the Longines Hong Kong Cup after winning the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile twice (2024 and 2025).

Francis-Henri Graffard has a Hong Kong Mile entry for three-year-old Erdenali, the winner of four races from five appearances, including the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. The Aga Khan Studs-owned galloper next runs in the Group 1 Mile Championship at Kyoto on November 22nd.

Mr Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “We are incredibly pleased with the support from our international friends with outstanding entries for the 2026 Longines Hong Kong International Races. Hong Kong will once again meet world-class opposition on an exciting afternoon of action on Sunday, 13 December at Sha Tin.