A one-time top-class runner in Italy, Willie Cazals (Ire) (Aussie Rules) is primed for a career-best effort in today's G1 Hong Kong Vase.
A 12-furlong specialist in a jurisdiction where such races are not frequently offered, Willie Cazals was beaten by the slimmest of margins by subsequent Vase winner Dominant (Ire) (Cacique {Ire}) in the Queen Mother Memorial H. last May and rallied late to be runner-up to California Memory in the Champions and Chater Cup in 2013 in his two previous tries at the trip.
Promising as he was then, he seems even better this season, even if his race record doesn't prove it. A longshot third in a Class 2 at Happy Valley Oct. 19, the gray gelding was a fast-finishing second in the Sa Sa Ladies' Purse H. at Sha Tin Nov. 9 and finished his final quarter-mile in :21.89 in finishing seventh in the Jockey Club Cup last time. He gets another 400 meters to deal with and is spot on for this return to international competition.
“He's come back very good this season and I think a mile and a half will be perfect for him,” said trainer Tony Cruz of the half-brother to Group 1-placed sprinter/miler Joanna (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}). “He has a good draw, he's got a good jockey–Dougie Whyte's on him–and we expect good results.”
Simply put and with the evidence on hand, Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}) should dominate here and become the 13th European-based runner to win the Vase in the last 14 years. Four times second from five starts in 2014, the Juddmonte runner has finished behind Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top {Ire}), Ruler of the World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}, Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) in the Arc and Main Sequence (Aldebaran) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. There's nothing in this field close to any of those in terms of talent, yet it's understandable that some would try to take him on here in the markets.
Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) makes his fourth trip to Hong Kong and won this race in 2012. He enters this event off a third runner-up effort in the G1 Melbourne Cup Nov. 4, but trainer Ed Dunlop says that if his warrior is feeling it, he's not showing it.
“Red Cadeaux has now travelled some 250,000 kilometers and raced 77 miles and still he keeps going,” Dunlop marveled. “That's a credit to people like Robin [Trevor-Jones] and Steve [Nicholson].”
Empoli (Ger) (Halling) is getting some buzz, though he'll be facing decidedly tougher than he did when he overcame some late trouble to annex the G1 Preis von Europa Sept. 28.
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