Sha Tin Sunday

SET your alarm clock for 6am if you want to see the Irish interest in Sunday’s international races at Sha Tin.

That’s the off-time for the 12-furlong Vase, which features Irish Derby first and second, Latrobe and Rostropovich, plus Dermot Weld’s Group 2-winning filly Eziyra. There are five other European-trained horses in that race, including Andre Fabre’s Waldgeist, who is likely to start favourite.

David Elsworth’s Sir Dancealot is the sole Euro representative in the Sprint and is slated as a 25/1 chance.

Beat The Bank (Andrew Balding), Inns Of Court (Andre Fabre) and One Master (William Haggas) take on local hotpot Beauty Generation in the Mile, while Ed Walker’s Stormy Antarctic is an outsider in the 10-furlong Cup. You can watch it all on At The Races.

6.00 LONGINES HONG KONG VASE (GROUP 1) 1M 4F

Hong Kong has only won the Vase twice in 24 editions. However, rarely – if ever – has a local galloper appeared in this race as good as Pakistan Star. A dominant winner of two Group 1 races here earlier this year, Pakistan Star comes here off two poor efforts. But there were excuses for those efforts. Salouen is a rung below the best in Europe, although he did run Cracksman to a head in the Coronation Cup in June. He hasn’t won in quite some time, but he ran well for sixth behind Enable in the Arc last time out. Rostropovich is likely to go off at silly odds here and is worth an each-way bet.

Prediction: Pakistan Star, Salouen, Prince Of Arran, Rostropovich

6.40 LONGINES HONG KONG SPRINT (GROUP 1) 6F

Probably the most open of the four races this year. Mr Stunning is entitled to reverse form with Hot King Prawn based on their last two runs and should start favourite, but it might be worth sticking with Hot King Prawn at the bigger price. He will give a kick at the top of the straight, it’s just about whether he can hold them all off to hand trainer John Size a second straight Sprint. Outside the top two, it is a lottery.

Prediction: Hot King Prawn, Mr Stunning, Little Giant, Lim’s Cruiser

7.50 LONGINES HONG KONG MILE (GROUP 1) 1M

To stamp himself as a true great of the Hong Kong turf, Beauty Generation must complete his coronation with a second victory in this event. After his record-breaking romp in the Jockey Club Mile last time out, it’s hard to see anything beating him. Southern Legend was second that day. He looked to have plenty of improvement in him and the Kranji Mile winner can fill second again. Japan’s Persian Knight looks the best of the raiders. Next best are the mares One Master and Vivlos.

Prediction: Beauty Generation, Southern Legend, Persian Knight, One Master

8.30 LONGINES HONG KONG CUP (GROUP 1) 10F

Trainer Tony Cruz is oozing confidence about the chances of his free-wheeling charge Time Warp. Last time out, his brother Glorious Forever took him on up front in the Jockey Club Cup and they ran some of the wildest sectionals seen over the 10-furlong trip; what resulted was a track record time to Eagle Way. What looks crucial here is that Glorious Forever’s trainer Frankie Lor has said that his runnerl is likely to try and stalk the speed from gate one. If that’s the case, Time Warp should be able to control the tempo. It is not so much a soft lead that he needs, but instead an uncontested time out in front, just as he got when he won this race last year and when he broke the track record in the Hong Kong Gold Cup.

The only real danger, if all is equal, appears to be Sungrazer. The Japanese raider is coming off a second to Rey De Oro in the Tenno Sho Autumn last time out.

Prediction: Time Warp, Sungrazer, Glorious Forever, Staphanos