3 minute read
Arthur Cooper, our man on the ground in Hong Kong, takes a look at the Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin…
Of the four Group One races to be conducted at Sha Tin on Sunday, the most open is the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m). A race that Hong Kong has dominated, tasting success in eight of the past ten contests with Japan scoring in the other two.
The race this year is more open with genuine contenders from five countries.
Heading up the home team is Voyage Bubble and Galaxy Patch. Both horses contested the G2 BOCHK Private Wealth JC Mile (1600m) three weeks ago respectively winning and finishing third. Two other Hong Kong horses with claims in the race are Beauty Eternal, winner of the G1 FWD Champions Mile in April and G1-placed Beauty Joy.
Following trackwork on Thursday, Pierre Ng, trainer of Galaxy Patch commented: "He galloped well this morning – the jockey (Vincent Ho) is happy, the horse is fit and well. This time I think we just have to ride him very quietly and go for a strong finish to try and catch them.
"It's how you preserve him towards the straight. Try to switch him off and he'll give you a very good (final) sectional.
"His last racing style didn't suit him – his last run. We've learnt from that, and I've told Vincent from now on we know what we have got to do in the future".
Japan will be represented by ante-post favourite Soul Rush, who arrives a last-start winner of the G1 Mile Championship (1600m) at Kyoto in mid-November. He has won seven of his sixteen-mile races.
Also from Japan, Jantar Mantar cannot be dismissed. This lightly raced three-year-old with just six starts remains undefeated over the distance including twice at G1 level.
Antino will be flying the flag for Australia. A G1-winner two starts ago at Caulfield over this trip, he followed that win with a narrow defeat at Flemington in the G1 Champions Mile.
Docklands is trained by Harry Eustace in the United Kingdom (UK) but owned by an Australian Syndicate. His past four races have been at G1 level, including an excellent second behind star European miler Charyn in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
Fellow UK-trained runner Ramadan, who is now under the care of James Ferguson, will have his first start for new connections following his sale in October. Previously trained in France by Christopher Head, Ramadan will remain in Hong Kong following Sunday's race. He brings strong enough form to be rated a contender having won the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein (1600m) at Longchamp on Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend in early October.
Representing France is the very good Lazzat. With just seven starts, this three-year-old won his first six, including the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest (1300m) at Deauville in August. His next race was in the valuable Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill five weeks ago where he had a hard run from a wide gate. Lazzat has yet to race further than 1500m but his breeding and style of sitting just off the pace would suggest the 1600m will suit.
Trainer Jerome Reynier was pleased with his barrier draw of seven: "It's good to be in the middle…Lazzat has got seven of 14 so it's what I wanted.