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Mark Zahra returns to Hong Kong on Sunday (8 December) for his third riding foray in the city but unlike the first time he appeared at Sha Tin as a 21-year-old, his rides have been vastly upgraded.
The now 42-year-old has rides in three of the four Group 1s at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), headed by champion Australian stayer Without A Fight who he rode to a rare G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and G1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) double in 2023.
While he will ride Without A Fight for Australian trainers Sam and Anthony Freedman, he also has Recommendation for fellow Aussie trainer Ciaron Maher in the HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m).
British trainer Harry Eustace has also booked Zahra to ride Docklands in the HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m).
Zahra rode a handful of winners in his first two Hong Kong stints which began with a one-month contract in 2004 to cover a shortage of jockeys and he then returned in 2012 for another short-term deal.
This time around, the two-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey will make a flying visit on the morning of Sunday's meeting and admits he usually takes holidays at this time of the year but is excited with the prospect of riding his first international Group 1 winner.
He is realistic about the chances of the two travelling Australian horses.
On the comeback trail after a tendon injury last December scuttled his plans of a Cup defence, Zahra rode Without A Fight in his first-up run when he finished third, beaten 4.75 lengths, in the G1 VRC Champions Stakes (1600m) on 9 November.
He rates Without A Fight the best stayer he has ridden and believes he is back to his best. He used his astute judgement to forgo the return Cup ride on Maher and David Eustace's 2022 Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip to stay on Without A Fight after the gelding won the Caulfield Cup.
"He is probably one of my favourite horses of my career running there and he is bouncing back from injury and I am really looking forward to it," Zahra said.
"I couldn't have been happier with his last run and for a horse that has had a year off from a Melbourne Cup win I thought it was a good race.
"I know the winner (Via Sistina) won well but it was still a very good race and for him to finish off like he did to run third, you'd think there would be a heap of improvement from that. I was very happy."
Zahra said it was expected that Without A Fight would tire in the closing stages after having a year off and racing first-up in a high pressure 2000m weight-for-age Group 1 against the better horses in Australia.
"He was pretty entitled to do that but even when he tired late, he still wasn't going to give up third as he is a very competitive horse," he said.
"It's good that he has had a break and it's probably a month between runs so it gives him a chance to get over it and get a little bit fitter."
Zahra said Without A Fight had to be ridden quietly in his races to produce a race-winning turn of foot.
With all the rave reviews about the David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising in the Hong Kong Sprint, Zahra said he would be having his first ride on Recommendation who is yet to win at Group 1 level but won three successive Group 3 sprints this campaign.
He finished a close third at his last start in the Listed Century Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on 7 November.
Zahra said that Ka Ying Rising looks like a horse out of the box.
"We need to improve and our go I think would be a soft draw and if he runs as good as he can, he might be able to fill a place," he said.
Docklands campaigned in Melbourne during the spring where he was unplaced in the G1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) and the G1 VRC Champions Mile (1600m).
With the addition of blinkers, Zahra said Docklands might improve and find his best from at his favorite distance of 1600m and be a chance.
Zahra will arrive in Hong Kong on Sunday after returning to his home town of Perth on Saturday (7 December) for one ride, Democracy Manifest in the G1 Northerly Stakes (1800m).
