The World Descends on Hong Kong

A total of 25 overseas horses and 22 International Group 1 winners have been invited to compete in the Longines Hong Kong International Races to be held Sunday, Dec. 14 at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Names most recognizable to the racing public include Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top {Ire}), who will be making his fifth appearance at the International Races and comes off his best effort at the meeting having finished 1 1/2 lengths adrift of the victorious and now-retired Akeed Mofeed (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in last year’s G1 Hong Kong Cup. The 8-year-old has had another successful season in 2014, with a pair of Group 1 successes and a runner-up effort G1 Dubai Sheema Classic. He’ll face a stiff challenge in the 2000-meter affair, primarily from the locals, including Hong Kong Horses of the Year Designs on Rome (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Military Attack (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}), and Blazing Speed (GB) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}), who caused a mild upset in the G2 Jockey Club Cup this past weekend. 

Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}) is the marquee name for the G1 Hong Kong Vase and should be the race favorite on the heels of back-to-back runner-up efforts in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf. He will square off with the two most recent winners of the 2400-meter test–last year’s upsetter Dominant (Ire) (Cacique {Ire}) and the globetrotting fan favorite Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}). Just the Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) will stretch back out to the metric mile and a half off a victory in the GI E.P. Taylor S. and third-place finish in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly/Mare Turf, both at 10 furlongs. Dominant’s victory in last year’s Vase snapped an 11-race winning streak for the European raiders. 

Hong Kong horses have maintained a stranglehold on the G1 Hong Kong Mile, and the imposing Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal) will look to make it nine straight for the home team, which also includes the defending race champion Glorious Days (Aus) (Hussonet), top local miler Gold-Fun (Ire) (Le Vie dei Colori {GB}) and the evergreen Ambitious Dragon (NZ) (Pins {Aus}), the 2012 Mile hero. The foreign contingent is something less than incapable, and is led by Trade Storm (GB) (Trade Fair {GB}), the GI Woodbine Mile hero who was most recently third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile. Japan has a record 10 horses headed to the HKIR, including Fiero (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who came within a nose of winning last weekend’s G1 Mile Championship at Kyoto. 

With Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) off to stud, the G1 Hong Kong Sprint figures a more wide-open test. The European charge is led by 7-year-old Sole Power (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), runner-up in last year’s renewal and repeat winner of the G1 King’s Stand S. at Royal Ascot this past June. He was also victorious in the G1 Nunthorpe S. at York over the summer. Top Australian sprinter Buffering (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}) is set to make the trip up to Hong Kong, having won the G1 Moir S. at Moonee Valley in September. He was most recently a good fourth in the G1 Darley Classic up the Flemington straight Nov. 8. Little Gerda (Closing Argument), winner of the G2 Centaur S. Sept. 14, and G1 Sprinters’ S. winner Snow Dragon (Jpn) (Admire Cozzene {Jpn}) will try to take the Sprint back to Japan, while Spalato (NZ) (Elusive City) will fly the flag for Singapore. Peniaphobia (Ire), recent winner of the G2 Jockey Club Sprint,Lucky Nine (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the 2011 Hong Kong Sprint hero and Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) are among those that will do battle for the locals. 

“We have a slew of proven elite level horses coming to Sha Tin for world racing’s great end-of-year occasion, making up a total of 22 individual winners of 43 Group 1 races,” commented Bill Nader, executive director of racing for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “This is always a great showcase of international racing at the highest level with top horses such as Flintshire and Cirrus Des Aigles heading the overseas line-up against the best of Hong Kong.”

This year’s four races offer record total purse money of HK$82 million (US$10.6 million).