Fields Set for Hong Kong International Races

Three of last year's winners are back for another try in the Dec. 13 Longines International Races at Hong Kong's Sha Tin course, an event enlivened this year by two American runners including TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) winner Mongolian Saturday.



The fields include top-level winners from around the world in the final major international meeting of the year over the Sha Tin turf.



Flintshire, last year's winner, tops the list of 13 in for the Longines Hong Kong Vase (HK-I) at 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles). Runner-up to Main Sequence in the 2014 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park, Flintshire won the Sword Dancer (gr. IT) at Saratoga Race Course this summer, then was second behind Golden Horn in this year's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I). Juddmonte Farms' 5-year-old son of Dansili bypassed both the Breeders' Cup and the Japan Cup (Jpn-I) in preference for Hong Kong.



Vincent Cheminaud, who rode Flintshire in the Sword Dancer, will be aboard Sunday, starting from gate eight, considered a lucky number by many Chinese.



The competition includes 9-year-old Cirrus des Aigles, who is making his sixth start in the Hong Kong International races, still looking for his first victory. The Even Top gelding, a close fourth going 2,000 meters in last year's Longines Hong Kong Cup (HK-I), is given the extra ground this year because, "Things don't go so quickly for him now," said trainer Corine Barande-Barbe. Cirrus Des Aigles had a light workout on the turf course Thursday. "There were a lot of press around and he noticed them noticing him," Barande-Barbe said.



England's hope in the Vase is Cannock Chase, a 4-year-old, American-bred colt by Lemon Drop Kid   who won the Pattison Canadian International (Can-IT) at Woodbine in his last start, his first win at the top level for trainer Sir Michael Stoute.



Irish-based Highland Reel reeled in the Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) at Arlington International Racecourse this summer and most recently was an impressive third in the Cox Plate (Aus-I).



Dominant scored a rare Vase win for the locals two years ago and ran fourth in last year's edition but has not been impressive in three earlier runs this season.



The purse for the Vase is HK$16.5 million, or about US$2.1 million.



The Longines Hong Kong Sprint (HK-I) usually is one of the toughest races on the card and the American runners will find this year's edition no exception. Mongolian Saturday comes to the race off his victory in the Breeders' Cup and Green Mask exits a third-place finish in the same race.



Mongolian Saturday's Mongolian ownership team and trainer added a colorful note to the Breeders' Cup festivities and have not gone unnoticed in Hong Kong. Trainer Ganbat Enebish said Mongolian Saturday, a 5-year-old gelding by Any Given Saturday, appears to be doing well in Hong Kong. "We are happy," he said. "One thousand meters is his best distance but we will do our best" in the 1,200-meter (six-furlong) Sprint. Asked if Mongolian Saturday will go to the lead, he said, "Maybe. Probably."



His rider, Florent Geroux, said that will depend on the flow of the race.

"He has tactical speed but he can be held up handy," Geroux said after drawing post four. "If a few of them send off, there is nothing wrong with a close, covered up trip for us."



Green Mask, a 4-year-old Mizzen Mast   gelding, sustained a bruised foot in a workout six days before the race but trainer Wesley Ward has pronounced him ready to race.

"He trains with glue-on shoes," Ward said during the barrier draw in the Sha Tin parade ring. "We took the shoe off and he was sore. We've soaked it and he's fine."

Green Mask returned to the turf course Thursday morning after a two-day absence.



Hong Kong and Japan hold strong hands in the Sprint. Gold-Fun, who was second to Able Friend in last year's Longines Hong Kong Mile (HK-I), took the local prep for this race and is thriving at the shorter distance. Peniaphobia, second in that prep race, also is in this field. Lucky Nine won this race in 2011 and is a two-time winner of the KrisFlyer International Sprint (Sing-I) at Kranji.



The Japanese team is headed by Straight Girl, a 6-year-old mare who won the Sprinters Stakes (Jpn-I) at Nakayama in her last start. Also here are Sakura Gospel and Mikki Isle, who finished second and fourth in the Sprinters Stakes.



Multiple group I winner Sole Power represents Ireland in the Sprint, with trainer Ed Lynam hoping the 8-year-old gelding can extend himself past his preferred 1,000 meters in his fourth start in the race. His previous peak was a second-place showing in the 2013 edition.

"He still likes to mix it up," Lynam said, noting this will be Sole Power's 27th start at the group I level.



The Sprint, worth HK$18.5 million or about US$2.4 million, starts midway down the backstretch of the Sha Tin turf course and quickly hits the turn, forcing quick decisions on positioning.



The Longines Hong Kong Mile (HK-I) features defending champion and overwhelming local favorite Able Friend. The 6-year-old enjoyed a six-race winning streak last season, much of it at the top level, but flopped in the Queen Anne Stakes (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot, trailing home sixth. He suffered a shocking defeat in his prep race for the Mile, finishing third. Trainer John Moore said that result can be discounted even though the two horses who beat Able Friend in that prep race, Beauty Flame and Contentment, will line up against him again.

"He's there now. He's cherry ripe," Moore said of his star after an easy workout Thursday morning.



He'll need to be all of that, given the level of competition in the Mile.



Mondialiste captured the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (gr. IT) before finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT). Japan sends the 1-2 finishers from the Mile Championship (Jpn-I) at Kyoto—Maurice and Fiero. Both are in top form. Esoterique won group I events in France and England before finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Mile.



The HK$23 million (US$3 million) Mile starts with a long run down the backstretch before the single turn.



The day is capped by the Longines Hong Kong Cup (HK-1) at 2,000 meters (1 1/4 miles) around two right-handed turns. Last year's winner and former Hong Kong Horse of the Year, Designs On Rome, is back for another try in a race won by local horses four straight years. Another former Horse of the Year, Military Attack, is back for another assault on this fixture, boasting a win in the local prep. Also representing Hong Kong are proven commodities Blazing Speed and Dan Excel.



Criterion carries Australia's hopes in this after victory in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes (Aus-I), a second in the William Hill Cox Plate (Aus-I) and third in the Emirates Melbourne Cup (Aus-I). Gailo Chop won the Mackinnon Stakes (Aus-I) at Flemington in his last start. Ireland's Free Eagle won the Prince of Wales's Stakes (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot and most recently was sixth in the Arc. Another strong Japanese contingent starts with Staphanos, runner-up in the Tenno Sho Autumn (Jpn-I) at Tokyo in his last outing. Staphanos, however, will be handicapped by the 11 draw in a race where the inside often is the best tactical starting point. Japan's A Shin Hikari drew post 12 and likely will be sent to the lead.



Military Attack and Blazing Speed drew gates one and, respectively, for the Cup and Designs On Rome was assigned stall six.