A quartet of horses from Japan and two from Europe have the courage to take on five locally based horses in today's G1 Hong Kong Mile. But they enter the fray knowing that it is just this side of impossible to walk away with the crown.
The horse they all have to beat this year is Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal), who will start the shortest-priced favorite on the program and with good reason. The strapping chestnut, who was declared weighing in at 1297 pounds, won the first leg of the 4-year-old series, the Classic Mile last January, but dropped the next two at the hooves of Designs on Rome. Though he failed to come through when an odds-on runner-up to Variety Club (SAf) (Var) in the G1 Champions Mile in May, that seems less likely here given the condescending nature of his slashing win from Gold-Fun (Ire) (Le Vie dei Colori {GB}) and 2012 Mile winner Ambitious Dragon (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) in the G2 Jockey Club Mile Nov. 23–despite being 'underdone,' in the words of trainer John Moore. Leading rider Joao Moreira is excited about the opportunity that lies a little more than 90 seconds ahead of him today.
“He felt good–he just galloped on the back straight and he worked very well,” the Brazilian rider said Thursday. “I'm really happy with him. I really wish the race was today or tomorrow. I just want to get on him and race.”
Of the Japanese contingent, Fiero (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) could be the pick of the four. He exits the
G1 Mile Championship S. at Kyoto Nov. 23, a test that produced the last foreign-based winner of the Mile–Hat Trick (Jpn) (Sunday Silence)–in 2005. After finding room in upper stretch, he led right down to the wire, only to be nosed out by Danon Shark (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Also emerging from the Kyoto race are the sixth-placed Grand Prix Boss (Jpn) (Sakura Bakushin O {Jpn}) and World Ace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a slow-starting eighth.
GI Woodbine Mile hero and GI Breeders' Cup third Trade Storm (GB) (Trade Fair {GB}) is easily the more accomplished of the two Euro raiders, but Captain Cat (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) has some strong races on paper and could run into the placings if everything fell just right.
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