After beating up on the best local milers since November, Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal) faces a fresh challenge–on paper, at a minimum–in the form of Hong Kong Derby hero Luger (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}) in Sunday's G1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin.
Able Friend, runner-up in the 2014 Derby, has since cut back in distance to become the world's joint-highest rated horse. The strapping chestnut, a doppelganger for Dortmund in terms of his physical stature, ran away from the competition in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile in December and was equally condescending in adding the G1 Stewards' Cup the following month. Closest on that occasion was Beauty Flame (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and it was that rival who again filled the runner-up spot behind Able Friend in the G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup over 1400 meters Mar. 15 and again when in receipt of five pounds from the champ in the Chairman's Trophy back at Sunday's distance. Able Friend was slightly disappointing when second to South Africa's Variety Club (SAf) (Var) in this event last year, but connections are expecting no such result this time around while prepping for the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot.
“We can't be happier–he's going into the race absolutely primed for the occasion,” trainer John Moore commented. “Joao's smile [Thursday] morning is never-ending–it stretches from here to Beijing and back. We're going in to the race with high hopes of him repeating what he's already done in the past.”
Luger has won seven of his 10 career appearances and overcame a brutal trip before coming away to a 3/4-length victory in the Derby Mar. 15. He defeated Class 2 rivals at this trip two starts back and took a pass on the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in favor of engaging Able Friend here.
Victorious in the 2013 Champions Mile and third in defense of that title 12 months ago, Dan Excel (Ire) (Shamardal) proceeded to add the G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup two weeks later and is set to top off his preparations for that race Sunday. He exits a decent fourth behind Able Friend in the Chairman's Trophy and has definite place claims here while still an unlikely winner.
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