Friday 12 December 2014

Hong Kong International Meeting Sunday 14th December 2014

Hello & welcome along to my blog which I know has been missing for the last few weeks but prior family engagements including a Funeral near my favourite city Manchester so it would have been rude not to pop over to the delightful Christmas Markets which for me over the last few years has made Christmas a more enjoyable & wonderful experience.

The racing from the UK this weekend is on the whole distinctly lacklustre so my focus turns to Sha Tin racecourse in Hong Kong on Sunday morning for the international meeting which features 4 Group 1 races all on Attheraces.

First up is The Vase over 1m4f on firm Turf a race in which in recent seasons older global star stayers have come to the fore with wins for both Dunaden & Red Cadeaux.
Arc & Breeders Cup runner up Flintshire brings by far the best form into the race & on paper at least this is the easiest of his last 3 assignments. 
Flintshire has been called plenty of names in the last few months which for me is harsh as he ran a super race in the Arc & without Treve would have been a comfortable Arc winner. At Santa Anita he was beaten fair & square by a horse at the top of his game, you can hardly say that he is meeting horses of Treve & Main Seqeunce's quality here.


Dominant was a shock local winner last year & has been left out with the washing ever since, cannot be seriously considered here.
Curren Mirotic is a useful Japanese horse who ran the best race of his career when steadily chasing home the enigmatic Gold Ship in a Group 1 back in June. After watching several of his races he looks one paced & on what he has shown so far lacks the class especially in a true International Group 1.


   Empoli after several inauspicious runs finally managed to scrape a Group 1 albeit a poor one for the grade, his previous runs in International Group 1's were just average & he will need to raise his game.
The legend that is Red Cadeaux rocks up back in Hong Kong for his 4th straight run in this race finishing 3rd, 1st & 4th the last 3 years. He made history last time with yet another 2nd at Flemington in 'The Cup' but he was well & truly beaten that day by a well handicapped horse & overall it was a below par renewal of the great Australian handicap. He is entitled to respect as ever but truthfully it will be some effort of  he were to win this as an 8 year old.
Bubble Chic was beaten only 2 lengths in a local trial last time his first start back at an appropriate trip since May this year, a more than capable Group performer in his youth in France which included a Group race victory back in 2011 on his only UK start, distance is fine & of the locals I would prefer him to run above his odds but a place looks his best hope. 
Parish Hall has never truly progressed since his Dewhurst win at 2, he is a no more than useful Group 3 performer now but saying that this is not the deepest of Group 1's & he proved last time that 1m4f is well within his compass so he could easily get involved for his trainer & jockey who lost their Irish Derby winner in the Japan Cup a couple of weekends ago. 
Willie Cazals from what I have seen has been the talk of social media in the last few days as the best of the locals, he was 7th in the trial a place behind Bubble Chic & like that horse has been running short of his best in previous races. His biggest claim to fame is a defeat of Danedream when he finished 2nd in the Italian Derby as a 3 year old, since moving to the far east he has been placed in some decent races but is always beaten by a better horse on each occasion.
Rainbow Chic appears tripless & outclassed. 
Khaya has not been seen over this trip since May when not beaten far by Bubble Chic, he needs to improve massively here. 
The sole 3 year old in the race is the admirably consistent Snow Sky, only two 3 year old's have won in the race's 19 year history & both of those were French fillies. Snow Sky has proved he handles any ground throughout this season but this is a big ask on his first start against his elders on his first trip away from home but on form alone he easily brings the 2nd best form into this race.


Backed Flintshire (2/1 SkyBet) (WON) antepost & am more than happy to stick with him.





The Hong Kong Sprint is a race the locals have dominated over the years winning all bar 4 of the renewals including the last 2 which have gone to the dual winner from Japan Lord Kanaloa. 
Old timer Lucky Nine won this race back in 2011, he has been unplaced the last 2 years but did win at Kranji earlier in the year & ran a decent trial recently. Claims under the winning most jockey in the race Brett Prebble.
    Spalato had been on a winning run in Singapore but seemed to be found out by the step up in grade in the big trial for this race when he ran below par.       
         Superstar Sole Power returns to the far east after a tremendous European season but has run below par on his last 2 starts. He is by far the best 5f sprinter of the last few years & probably of the last 10 years but the fact remains he has never won at 6f which he faces once again here. 
Sterling City has been hugely disappointing since his great win on World Cup night earlier in the year, it would require a leap of faith to back him here but he has a good draw & could be the forgotten horse in the lineup. 


Australian raider Buffering is a top class sprinter in his homeland who has been in top form recently winning a Group 1 3 starts back at Moonee Valley before only being beaten a few short heads when 7th in another Group 1 at the same track in one of the best finishes I have ever seen, on his last Australian start he finished a excellent 4th in a truly top class sprint, huge player if he can adopt his usual tactics. 


Another top class Irish sprinter is in the line up & in Gordon Lord Byron the emerald isle has their best chance of securing victory, he has been all over the world, acts on any ground & is effective between 6f - 1m, draw has been kind & he comes into this off the back of a victory in The Champions Sprint at Ascot. 
Snow Dragon is a effective Japanese sprinter who had been a dirt specialist in his homeland before coming back to Turf on his last few starts & gained a deserved win in a Group 1 last time. A player although the draw makes it tougher.



Peniaphobia has hit form on his last 2 starts with with good wins at Happy Valley & in the Jockey Club Sprint here last time, in a previous life in England he won the Super Sprint.


Aerovelocity had been in very good form locally until a last place finish behind Peniaphobia last time but that does not tell the whole story as he was badly blocked in by Amber Sky not once but twice in the straight before the jockey accepted the situation & coasted home, he has a much less contentious draw this time & appeared to have plenty of running left in him so must be considered. 
Smart Volatility has been just in behind several of his fellow locals on his last few runs, he ran on behind Peniaphobia last time but was always held. 
Flagship Shine was also in the Jockey Club last time, he held every chance & just held 3rd in the end. Golden Harvest didn't get the best of runs as he switched from the inside to the outside on the turn & was closing all the way to the line as he finished 4th, a place contender here. 
Straight Girl is an extremely consistent Japanese mare who has progressed into a pattern performer, she didn't get the cleanest of runs through the race in the Sprinter Stakes at Nigato when just behind Snow Dragon last time but after watching the video several times she did take an age to get going before finally flashing home late on. 


Little Gerda has won her last 2 starts back in Japan including a hard fought victory in Grade 2 at Hanshin racecourse where she showed good early speed from her low draw to settle just in behind the front runners, she made an eyectahing move mid race to shoot from the rails to the outside & battled hard all the way down the straight before pulling away at the finish, has the lowest draw here but can use that to her advantage by settling just behind the pace setters, player in her current form.    


Tough race, can give Aerovelocity (WON) a good chance after a horror show last time but the price is shorter than expected. Sterling City if he's back is a big price as is Gordon Lord Byron but I may well chance Little Gerda (UNPLACED) 16/1 E/W BetVictor / Paddy Power for Japan at bigger odds.       





The Mile appears to be all about the local superstar Able Friend who is near unbeatable at a mile in Hong Kong, he won the big trial for this is grand style on his last start, the only time he has met international raiders was in the Champions Mile back in May when readily outpointed by the tremendous South African superstar Variety Club. He does not face anything of that quality here & must hold outstanding claims here.


 Gold-Fun chased home Able Friend last time & was only just beaten in this race last year, a visor on first time may help him concentrate so he has chances of placing again.
Glorious Days is a very decent local horse who won this race last year, he has only run a handful of times since beaten on each occasion including in Japan last time back in June behind Just A Way, needs to improve but has to be respected as last year's winner. 
Grand Prix Boss was last in this race back in 2012, he is a useful performer who struggles to win back in Japan but does have a cracking piece of form to his name earlier in the year when only just being nosed out of it by Just A Way. He also as a young horse made the trip over to the UK to be smashed up by Frankel at Royal Ascot. 
Ambitious Dragon won this race in 2012 & overall has been a good level performer in the far east, he has the services of Ryan Moore but was subject to a scare earlier in the week.
Fiero is a lightly raced Japanese 5 year old who ran the best race of his career in The Mile Championship last time out when only just getting collared by Danon Shark. Fiero travelled well through the race last time before slicing through rivals & fighting all the way to the line, he showed a good turn of foot & is a danger to hot favourite.





Captain Cat embarks on his worldwide travels after a excellent season in the UK with wins at Lingfield, Salisbury & Haydock plus a 4th in the QEII. He was beaten in his prep for this in a classy AW race last time out, we all know he holds his head high but he has a high cruising speed & this race promises to suit so he could easily get involved.


 Fellow UK raider Trade Storm travels over from a stint in North America which resulted in his first Grade 1 win (albeit in what was basically a Listed race by UK standards at Woodbine) & an excellent 3rd in a hot renewal of the Breeders Cup Mile, that form alone does not leave him with much to find with the best of these & in some ways could be interpreted as the best form on offer, holds a cracking E/W chance of gaining another Group 1 here. 


World Ace is extremely lightly raced since his 3 year old days back in 2012 which i assume is due to injury, he was 2nd to Gold Ship in the Japanese 2000 Guineas as a younger horse & 4th in the Derby to Deep Brillante but was not seen again until Feb this year in Listed event at Tokyo where he finished 5th, he returned 2 months later to win a Group 2 at Kyoto beating Fiero (got first run) but since that he has gone backwards & was well behind Fiero last time looking extremely one paced.    


Secret Sham has plenty to find in this exalted grade. 
Hana's Goal has been all over the globe this season & gained her Group 1 victory on soft ground at Randwick back in April, that was a poor race for the grade & she has been well beaten since back in Japan & in the local trial for this last time.

Excellent race in which I am keen on the chances of Fiero 8/1 (UNPLACED) generally available.





The final race of the 4 Group 1's is the oldest The Hong Kong Vase first run in 1988; it has been won by some top class over the years, the winners have been shared around 10 different countries with the UK providing 5 winners. The home team has won the race 8 times with Japan & New Zealand following on 3 winners each.
The grand old Cirrus Des Aigles attempts to win his first race in Hong Kong, he has been 3rd 5th & 7th in this race over the last 4 years plus he was 5th in the Hong Kong Vase back in 2009. He ran deplorably in the Champion Stakes last time & that coupled with his record here makes him worth taking on. Designs On Rome was declared as the new superstar of Hong Kong Racing earlier in the year after 3 straight wins which culminated in a win in the QE11 Cup, that form had been looking fairly average until Epiphanea bolted up in the Japan Cup the other day. 
Designs On Rome has been beaten on each of his last 4 starts at various distances all in tight finishes where he has promised more to come next time, this will have always been the aim & it will be nos surprise if he can get his head back in front under the magic man here. 
I remember the day Military Attack won a handicap on King George day at Ascot in another life when trained by the late John Hills, he has taken a new life since he moved to the Far East winning several top races & even managed to start favourite for a Dubai World Cup earlier in the year...how i don't know. He has been working his way back to his best on his last few starts & ran a cracking trial for this last time so is respected as he tries to go 3 places better than last year.
Blazing Speed won the trial last time, he tanked into the race & took an age to get to Military Attack. He also has a local Group 1 win when 25/1 to his name earlier in the year, respected on that run but you would expect others to improve past him.


California Memory won back to back renewals of this race in 2011 & 2012 but didn't make the race last year, he has been out of form for most of this year but ran his best race in a long time with a good 4th behind Blazing Speed last time, respected again but plenty on as an 8 year old. 
Criterion travels over from Australia, he has had a busy 2014 winning a Rosehill Guineas & BMW Australian Derby at Randwick in the early part of the year. Honestly on his last 2 Australian starts he has looked in need of a rest but he has had a significant break since that last run in the Mackinnon & has chances.


Endowing ran in the local trial (a race he won last year) last time finishing just in behind Blazing Speed, he held every chance in the run but seemed to be always slightly just lacking the pace of the horses that finished in front of him. 
Farraaj is a enigma, very talented & has enjoyed a fine 2014 winning two top class handicaps at Epsom & York. He went back into Group company after & once again came up short but considering on paper it looked a poor 5 runner Group race at York the Strensall could not have worked out better; Custom Cut in the middle of a winning streak & went on to easily win the Joel / Trade Storm - went on to win a Grade 1 in Canada & finish 3rd in a Breeders Cup Mile & Lady Lara - bolted up in a Listed event at Newbury & won on US debut in Listed company. 


Faraaj then went to Australia for what had been hoped an attempt on the Cox Plate but he didn't make that race instead he ran in a stacked edition of The Mackinnon (Moriarty has since won a Group 1) but still ran with great credit in 3rd. In the front 3 for most of the race he appeared to be still travelling when he kicked in the straight but failed to get away from his field as fitness told. I can fully understand why he is short in the betting for this assignment on the back of that run & he must go well. 



Archimedes is a very lightly Japanese 5 year old in Darley Japan's ownership, this has reportedly been his aim since his last start back in March when he was a staying on 2nd albeit well beaten by Just A Way in a Grade 1 at Nakayama. 


Having seen the video on youtube he looks a nice type of horse who travels ok in his races who lacks a change of pace to up there with the best in his homeland. He was caught badly on heels at Nakayama before finally changing his legs a couple of times & slowly staying on to grab a bunched 2nd. 


There is no doubt that last run was the best of his career but on his last win in Grade 3 at Hanshin in December last year he looked a very hard ride to get into gear before finally winning by just over a length from the fast finishing Hana's Goal, needs to get going quicker for me if he is to get involved.


          Pleasure Gains has no chance on his local form in this, similar comments apply to Same World & Helene Super Star (formerly Lines Of Battle) who has looked ordinary ever since his UAE Derby win 2 years ago.   


Perhaps the toughest race of the meeting, Designs On Rome (WON) is clearly peaking for this but is short enough. Military Attack (2ND) is of a similar mould while Faraaj looks to hold excellent claims he is also extremely short as he seeks a Group 1 success. 
At bigger odds its worth chancing that the slight break has done Criterion (3RD) 18/1 E/W Racebets good.

@fttfracing

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