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A field of 10 will go to post for the HKG2 Sprint Cup (1200m) on the G1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup undercard at Sha Tin tomorrow (26 April).
Local Group 1 winners Gold-Fun and Peniaphobia and Hong Kong’s reigning Champion Sprinter Lucky Nine are all set to lock horns, as is Charles The Great who is looking to notch a first win since he won this contest 12 months ago.
Despite a run of five defeats this term, trainer John Moore is confident of a bold show from the six-year-old, who shouldered top-weight of 133lb to finish fifth behind Rad last start in the HKG3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (Handicap - 1000m).
“I’m very happy in particular with Charles The Great,” said Moore, who will also saddle Frederick Engels. “He had an entrapment (of the epiglottis) and needed minor surgery to release that, and he’s really thrived since then. His run in the 1000m the other week with Nash (Rawiller) was full of merit, so from the good gate (2), I see him as a real chance in the race.
“Tommy (Berry) won on him a while back and he’ll judge the pace after they jump and ride him accordingly. I’m sure he’ll be closing off strongly. We just have to be careful and make sure he doesn’t jump and burn himself off early; he’s a horse that you just want to get back. He travels well on the bit and you know that he’s going to kick.
“Frederick Engels hasn’t been the same horse this season, so his chance would be for a place.”
Also in the line-up are the talented speedsters Smart Volatility, Tour De Force, Teofilo Calva, Golden Harvest and Dundonnell.
The contest, race seven on the 10 race card, immediately precedes the day’s feature, the G1 APQEII Cup over 2000m, which will see world-class contenders vie for the HK$20 million purse. Past winners of the race, Designs On Rome and Military Attack, head the home team, while Japan’s Staphanos, Red Cadeaux from Britain, Smoking Sun from France and the strongly-fancied Australian raider Criterion are in the line-up.
Before the first race, which is due off at 1pm, there will be a retirement ceremony for Hong Kong Champion Ambitious Dragon.