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Curlin and Duke top Hong Kong entries
Racing Post staff
BREEDERS' Cup Classic contenders Curlin and Duke Of Marmalade top a stellar list of names to feature in the initial entry for the four Hong Kong International Races on December 14.
As usual, the list of nominations for the four Group 1 events reads like an equine who's who, with 81 individual Group or Grade 1 winners among 300 nominations from 19 separate jurisdictions.
"The exceptional quality and diversity of this year's nominations for the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races supports our belief that the meeting has genuinely developed into the Turf World Championships," said Bill Nader the HKJC's executive director of racing.
"Its global appeal continues to grow and extends this time to horses from the Czech Republic and Hungary," he added.
"Across the Atlantic, we are hopeful of a strong representation from horses trained in United States given the six-week gap, the maximum possible, between the Breeders' Cup and the highlight of our season taking place, as always, on the second Sunday in December."
FEATURE ENTRIES
Hong Kong Sprint (6f - $1.6m)
Defending champion Sacred Kingdom will bid to keep the world's richest turf sprint in Hong Kong for the seventh successive year. Overdose from Hungary has pretensions to being the best sprinter in Europe after the Prix de l'Abbaye debacle, although that title will officially belong to Marchand D'Or this season. Apache Cat is the best sprinter in Australia and JJ The Jet Plane is rated as among the fastest horse to emerge from South Africa in decades. Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Midnight Lute and Japanese filly Sleepless Night also hold the entry.
Hong Kong Vase (1m4f - $1.8m)
An event that has been the sole preserve of European horses in recent times and the reigning titleholder Doctor Dino is searching for a repeat victory. Soldier Of Fortune could represent Ballydoyle, while Britain could be represented by St Leger winners Conduit and Sixties Icon. Irish Oaks winner Moonstone, is another possible. Early entries are augmented by the Japanese-trained winner of Melbourne Cup, Delta Blues, and the AJC Derby winner from New Zealand, Nom Du Jeu, runner-up in the Caulfield Cup at the weekend.
Hong Kong Mile (1m - $2.1m)
Good Ba Ba, horse of theyear in Hong Kong, is out to regain the crown he won so thrillingly in 2007 but the Breeders' Cup Mile champion Kip Deville, Europe's highest-rated miler, Raven's Pass and fellow British star Paco Boy will take plenty of beating should they line-up. Other names to note are the American Shadwell TurfMile winner Thorn Song, Canada's best miler and leading older horse Rahy's Attorney, 1,000 Guineas winner Natagora and Apollo Star, the best horse in training in Czech Republic.
Hong Kong Cup (1m2f - US$2.6m)
The world's top dirt performer Curlin, still the highest-rated horse in the world on any surface, deserves first mention here - but only just ahead of Duke Of Marmalade, five times a Group 1 winner this year alone. Topping the pair in terms ofGroup 1 wins is Weekend Hussler, successful seven times at the top level in Australia, while Vodka is famed for becoming the first filly to win the Japanese Derby in over 60 years. Other top class females to look out for are triple Group 1 winners Halfway To Heaven and Lush Lashes. Will it be third time lucky for Viva Pataca in this race? Or can Archipenko, successful in the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup at the course and distance earlierin the year, record another win for trainer Mike De Kock?
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