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This morning was a busy one for the locals ahead of Sunday’s Group 1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m).
Six of the expected eight Hong Kong-based contenders had their final pipe-openers, with the HK$20 million contest only three days away.
It was an important work morning for the John Moore-trained duo of Designs On Rome and Same World. The pair went 1200m together, with Joao Moreira aboard last year’s winner Designs On Rome, and clocked 1m 23.9s (30.2s, 29.2s, 24.5s).
“Designs On Rome worked this morning and the jockey’s really happy with his progress since coming back from that run in the Dubai Sheema Classic,” said Moore. “He worked on the course proper with Same World and he just went through the last 400m in about 24 seconds without overdoing it. Joao said he’ll be right there again on Sunday.”
Designs On Rome will attempt to become the first Hong Kong horse to win the G1 APQEII Cup off the back of an unsuccessful trip to Dubai. To date, only the overseas raiders Silvano (2001), Archipenko (2008) and Presvis (2009) have won the Sha Tin feature after contesting the Dubai World Cup card at the end of March.
“He’s a little bit off in the coat but I’m sure the extra couple of days will put that sheen back. Every day he has improved since coming back,” added Moore.
Moore also had word on the third of his contenders, Helene Happy Star. The gelding, two lengths fourth to Luger in last month’s HKG1 BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m), is the only Hong Kong-based four-year-old in this year’s APQEII Cup. Moore is confident that the British import will fly the flag for the younger brigade.
“He worked yesterday (Wednesday) and that was all he needed, just a pipe-opener,” said the trainer. “His trial last week was very good. He sat last, with Military Attack close up to the pace, and closed on Military Attack really nicely, so that points to a new boy on the block ready to make his mark. There is still a lot more improvement in him, taking into account acclimatisation, and everything he has done so far has pointed to a good upward progression.”
Tony Cruz sent his APQEII Cup trio for a spin on the all-weather this morning. Blazing Speed was clocked at 55.1s (29.1s, 26.0s) for 800m under Alvin Ng, while the veteran California Memory was timed at 55.8s (29.6s, 26.2s) and Helene Super Star ran the same distance in 57.1s (30.5s, 26.6s).
The Andreas Schutz-trained Packing Llaregyb worked 800m on the all-weather in 53.5s (28.4s, 25.1s).
Meanwhile, the internationals were confined to steady exercise on the all-weather track with Criterion and Red Cadeaux trotting off the track together like “a couple of old buddies” as Criterion’s trainer David Hayes observed. “They’re both pretty relaxed aren’t they?” Hayes said.
The kinship is, however, in fact closer between Red Cadeaux and local hope Military Attack as bloodstock agent Charlie Gordon-Watson – who bought the horse as a yearling for owner Ronald Arculli – noted after looking over the now nine-year-old this morning.
“The old boy looks great,” said Gordon-Watson, “and it’s amazing that here he is in Hong Kong taking on Military Attack who, in human terms, is his first cousin.”
Military Attack’s mother is the Dancing Brave mare Almaaseh who is also the mother of Red Cadeaux’s dam Artisia.
In contrast to the languid manner of Red Cadeaux and Criterion, the Pascal Bary-trained French contender Smoking Sun was in anything but a cooperative frame of mind and baulked on several occasions before and after his very limited workout. The six-year-old entire has been uptight all week, proving a handful for his rider, but this behaviour is not “out of the norm” according to Bary’s staff here in Hong Kong.
Japan’s raider, Staphanos, took things easy on the all-weather with a very sedate canter.
Assistant trainer Kazuo Fujiwara rides the horse each day. He is pleased with the horse and said, “He is fine and felt very fluid and loose today after yesterday’s gallop.”
The colt’s groom, Yohei Fujino, said: “I watch him every day and I am really happy with the way he is progressing a lot each day. He feels great. He has travelled here by himself so he is here on his own and the new experience has improved him a lot, mentally.”