By Alan Carasso
A total of 32 overseas raiders will take on a 23-strong home defence in the HK$84.5-million (US$10.8 million) Longines Hong Kong International Races to be staged at Sha Tin Racecourse, Sunday, Dec. 12. The foreign contingent contains winners of races at prestigious meetings like Dubai World Cup night, Royal Ascot and the Breeders' Cup and in racing jurisdictions from Canada to South Africa. And record-setting trainer Aidan O'Brien is coming loaded for bear, with a half-dozen horses selected.
Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who gave O'Brien his first win in Hong Kong when taking out the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) in 2015. He is one of a half-dozen runners from the stable is scheduled to ship in for the HKIR and, in what will be a first, is set to be joined by his year-younger full-brother Idaho (Ire), who takes in this weekend's G1 Japan Cup in Tokyo. Highland Reel was a gallant second in defence of his Vase title last December, while Idaho annexed the G2 Hardwicke S. at the Royal meeting this past June. O'Brien will also saddle a pair of War Front sophomores in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile–GI Breeders' Cup Mile runner-up Lancaster Bomber and the tough filly Roly Poly, while Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the intriguing War Decree (War Front) are set to fly the Ballydoyle flag in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m).
At HK$25-million, the Cup is the day's richest event and ranks as the world's most valuable turf race over the distance. Already regarded as the best of the locals at the trip, Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) will be tough to beat, but he will have to once again deal with Neorealism (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}), one of eight horses that will ship in from Japan, and who beat Werther into third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup over track and trip this past April. Staphanos (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) looks to improve on his third placing last year, while Blond Me (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}) looks to join the likes of Snow Fairy (Ire), Pride (Fr) and Alexander Goldrun (Ire) in defeating the boys in the Cup.
Like it's 2000m counterpart, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile is the world's most valuable race at the trip and has been won in 10 of the last 12 years by Hong Kong-based runners. Hat Trick (Jpn) (2005) and Maurice (2015) are the only interlopers during that period. Satono Aladdin (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), winner of this year's G1 Yasuda Kinen, will try to give his country and sire another winner, but standing in his way are last year's 1-2 finishers Beauty Only (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Helene Paragon (Fr) (Polan {Fr}), the aforementioned O'Brien trainees and Lightning Spear (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), second to Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) in the G1 Lockinge S. in May.
Europeans have never really made an impact in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), but G1 Diamond Jubilee S. hero The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) and G1 Al Quoz S. upsetter The Right Man (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) can challenge the likes of Mr Stunning (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) and last year's beaten favourite Lucky Bubbles (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}). Japan is represented by 2015 G1 Oka Sho victrix Let's Go Donki (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), while GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic) is the lone American representative.
The HK$18-million Vase looms an intriguing matchup between the last two winners of the Breeders' Cup Turf, as Godolphin's Talismanic (Medaglia d'Oro), successful at Del Mar earlier this month, faces a rematch with Highland Reel. The Willie Mullins-trained Max Dynamite (Fr) (Great Journey {Jpn}, third) and Tiberian (Fr) (Tiberius Caesar {Fr}, seventh) represent the form of the G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup, a race used by Dunaden (Fr) (Nicobar {GB}) en route to a Vase tally in 2011. Fully 14 years have passed since a 3-year-old has been successful in the Vase, but G1 Kikuka Sho hero Kiseki (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) appears to have the class to snap that streak this year. Smart Call (SAf) (Ideal World) beat the boys in the G1 J&B Met in 2016 and tries 12 furlongs over ground she will find to her liking.
“The Hong Kong International Races is world horseracing's year-end showcase and we are delighted that this year's selected runners for the four Group 1 races are up to the high standard of excellence we have come to expect,” said Anthony Kelly, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Executive Director, Racing Business and Operations. “It is great to see such strong contenders from Europe, Asia and North America heading to Hong Kong.”
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