21/11/2018

AIDAN and Joseph O’Brien’s Capri and Latrobe are among the four Irish-trained horses entered for the HK$93 million Longines Hong Kong International Races in two weeks’ time.

The European challenge also features French Group 1 winner Waldgeist and Group 1 heroine One Master with Britain having eight challengers, and France two.

The HK$93 million Longines Hong Kong International Races will bring together international stars for four exciting and elite Group 1 contests at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday, December 9th.

Among the 50 selections - featuring 23 Group 1 winners - is a 25-strong contingent of world class overseas raiders including Japan’s champion sprinter Fine Needle, plus the hugely-talented Sungrazer and five other Group 1-winners.

The Longines meeting features the HK$28 million Hong Kong Cup (10 furlongs), the HK$25 million Hong Kong Mile, the HK$20 million Hong Kong Sprint (six furlongs) and the HK$20 million Hong Kong Vase (12 furlongs).

Hong Kong won three of the four features last year and Beauty Generation (Mile), Time Warp (Cup) and Mr Stunning (Sprint) are selected to defend their crowns.

LONGINES Hong Kong Cup

Only California Memory (2011 and 2012) has won the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup back-to-back and Time Warp faces a difficult task with strong opposition entered from home and abroad.

Japan has won the race five times and that nation’s army of racing fans will be cheering on Sungrazer, Deirdre and Staphanos this time. Sungrazer heads in off a very good second in the Group 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn), while Group 1 heroine Deirdre warmed up with a Group 2 win over Vase contender Lys Gracieux.

Ireland’s one victory in the Cup came in 2004 with Alexander Goldrun and this time the Aga Khan’s Eziyra will fly the Irish tricolour. The four-year-old Group 2 winner has been placed behind the best fillies in Europe - Enable in last year’s Group 1 Irish Oaks and Sea Of Class in this year’s Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks.

Eziyra

The Hong Kong defence will include former Horse of the Year Werther.

LONGINES Hong Kong Mile

The incredible Beauty Generation has blown away all-comers at Sha Tin so far this season and took the great Good Ba Ba’s track record when successful in the G2 Jockey Club Mile last start. He is entered for a bid to become the first follow-up winner of the race since Good Ba Ba pulled off three in a row (2007-2009).

Britain’s One Master proved herself a top-class filly winning the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp in October, with the Andre Fabre-trained galloper Inns Of Court a short-head second.

LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint

Japan has only two Group 1 sprints on its calendar and Fine Needle completed the 1200m double in September, adding the Sprinters Stakes to his March victory in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen. July Cup fourth Sir Dancealot brings top European form to the race.

Mr Stunning took the prize last year and the consistent galloper was a half-length second to Hot Kong Prawn, under a 5lb penalty, in the Group 2 Jockey Club Sprint last Sunday.

Ivictory won the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize last term and is also among the selected runners, as is last season’s Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup winner D B Pin.

LONGINES Hong Kong Vase

Waldgeist earned his stripes as one of the world’s top middle-distance gallopers with four wins this year including the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and will attempt to give trainer Fabre a third Vase win. The four-year-old was a running-on fourth to Enable in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Latrobe

European-trained runners have won 20 of the 24 editions of the Hong Kong Vase. Aidan O’Brien has last year’s Irish Derby and St Leger hero Capri in the field, while his son, Joseph O’Brien, is set to run Latrobe, this year’s Irish Derby victor and a close second in the Group 1 MacKinnon Stakes at Flemington earlier this month. Aidan also has Melbourne Cup fifth Rostropovich in the field.

Sir Michael Stoute took the Vase in 2000 with Daliapour and has engaged the progressive four-year-old Mirage Dancer. Prince Of Arran was third in the Melbourne Cup, while Salouen almost caused a shock when a head second to Cracksman in the G1 Coronation Cup in June and was an eye-catching sixth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

LONGINES Hong Kong Cup

STORMY ANTARCTIC - GB

G1-placed four times and scored G2 win at Baden-Baden this spring; smart fourth to Roaring Lion in G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot latest.

EZIYRA – IRE

Third to star fillies Enable and Sea Of Class in the 2017 G1 Irish Oaks (2400m) and 2018 G1 Yorkshire Oaks (2400m) respectively; G2 winner this autumn.

LONGINES Hong Kong Mile

BEAT THE BANK - GB

High-class British miler and notched a brace of G2 wins this summer at Ascot and Goodwood.

INNS OF COURT - FR

Has twice got to within a short-head of a G1 score; in the 2017 Prix Jacques le Marois and most recently behind One Master in the G1 Prix de la Foret.

ONE MASTER – GB

Delivered a determined deep run to nick the G1 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp in October; close fifth in G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile latest.

LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint

SIR DANCEALOT – GB

Tough and classy with four wins from 11 starts at 1200m and 1400m this term, including a pair of G2 contests; fine 4th in G1 July Cup.

LONGINES Hong Kong Vase

WALDGEIST – FR

Top-class middle-distance runner; won G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and G2 Prix Foy before running-on fourth in Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

CAPRI - IRE

Won the G1 Irish Derby and G1 St Leger in 2017; G3 win on return in April then off track until the autumn; solid fifth in G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

SALOUEN - GB

Tried to make all and almost caused a shock when a head second to Cracksman in G1 Coronation Cup in June; eye-catching sixth in Prix de l’Arc de Triopmhe latest.

MIRAGE DANCER – GB

Late-maturing galloper with a G1 pedigree; G2-placed and commanding winner of G3 Glorious Stakes at Goodwood in August.

RED VERDON - GB

G1-placed galloper; no match for Crystal Ocean when sound second in G2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and 11th in G1 Caulfield Cup latest.

PRINCE OF ARRAN - GB

Admirable globetrotter who followed a G3 win at Flemington in early November with a fine third in the G1 Melbourne Cup just three days later.

LATROBE - IRE

One of Europe’s leading three-year-old colts; won the G1 Irish Derby and was narrowly beaten into second in the G1 Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington.

ROSTROPOVICH – IRE

Runner-up to Latrobe in the G1 Irish Derby and ran a fine race to finish fifth in the G1 Melbourne Cup last time.

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