Trackwork notes
Monday 6 December 2010
Contenders from Europe and Singapore
– Alastair Donald and James Stafford
Singapore’s ace sprinter Rocket Man caught the eye as he went for a spin on the all weather track watched by his trainer Patrick Shaw. “He’s very well, and I hope he stays that way until Sunday, He said. “He’s getting used to the idea of going right handed now that he’s been here a while.”
The Aidan O’Brien-trained CXHK Vase contender Joshua Tree was also out on the all weather track for a routine canter. O’Brien’s representative T J Comerford said at trackside, “ He’s taken the race in Japan well (Japan Cup), and although he only finished in mid-division, I thought he ran well, as there was no pace in the race, and it wasn’t run to suit him. He only lost a couple of kilos in the race, and I hope he’ll go well here.” O’Brien’s CXHK Mile hope Beethoven was also seen out on the all weather track for a steady canter.
Britain’s CXHK Cup hopes Glass Harmonium (Sir Michael Stoute), Sri Putra (Michael Jarvis) and Snow Fairy (Ed Dunlop) were all out on the all weather track for a canter. Jo Banks, in charge of Sri Putra, in Michael Jarvis’ absence, said: “Sri Putra is very well, and his jockey Philip Robinson comes out mid-week and will work him on the grass on Thursday. Philip knows Sha Tin so well and is convinced the horse will love the track. It’s been his goal for a while – he didn’t stay the mile and a half in Turkey, but this is his trip.”
Snow Fairy continues to please Ed Dunlop’s travelling head lad Robin Trevor-Jones, who has been with the filly throughout her Far East campaign. “Everything’s good,” he said, as he walked the filly back to the stable area.
Despite looking a bit hot on a very warm morning at Sha Tin, Paco Boy, a warm favourite for the Mile, travelled well in his slower paces around the all weather circuit.
Travelled head lad, Tony Gorman, is delighted with the way five-year-old travelled out. “He’s entitled to be a bit warm on a morning like this. A far cry from he was experiencing at home but he is moving nicely. He has been really well since he returned from America (Breeders’ Cup Mile).”
The Andrew Balding-trained Mile hope Dream Eater was confined to the trotting ring but was reported to be looking very well in himself as was the Barry Hills-trained Redwood, who lines up for the Vase on Sunday.
Britain’s sole representative for the Sprint, Kingsgate Native was out on the all-weather circuit and looked none the worse for him long trip with a gentle canter under his work rider Tony Procter.
Godolphin’s Mastery looked in fine fettle and his travelling head lad Tommy Burns said; “He has come out fine.”
Contenders from Japan and Hong Kong
– Mariko Seki and Paul Haigh
Few trainers will be looking forward to Sunday’s Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races with as much enthusiasm as John Moore who, on a perfect Monday morning with a hot sun shining brightly, was full of optimism about his team which has strength in depth in every one of the four G1s.
His pair for the G1 CXHK Cup, Irian and Collection, are both pleasing Hong Kong’s all time leading trainer, with Irian in particular raising hopes that he may be capable of even better form than he showed when winning the G2 Cathay Pacific Jockey Club Cup on 14 November. “He’s just beginning to fulfil his potential as a racehorse after his gelding operation,” said Moore. “He’s becoming a more relaxed racehorse. Brett (Prebble) rode him this morning and said ‘You couldn’t get him any fitter’. The horse does have a tendency to get excited before his races and sometimes he’ll leave the race behind before the start. He’s a quirky horse, but if he’s not getting too agitated beforehand I’d have high hopes for him on Sunday.”
Irian ran 1200m on the all weather in 1 minute 17.5 seconds this morning closing with a 22.9 seconds final 400m.
Collection, too, has been impressing his trainer in his work, and last year’s CXHK Cup runner-up is primed for another crack at Vision D’Etat who got the better of him last year in Hong Kong’s main event. “Vision D’Etat made Collection look pretty ordinary last year, but the way Collection has been going he’s going to have to be at his best to do that again. In fact he’s going to have to be at his best to beat either of mine. Both are peaking right now”
Moore is at least as confident of Hong Kong’s reigning champion miler in the CXHK Mile. “I’ve seen Paco Boy many times in Europe and there’s no doubt that he is an outstanding individual,” he said. “But we have home advantage, and with no obvious front runner in the race we also have the advantage that our horse can sit or take up the running. As long as we get a good gate I do think Able One will be the one to beat.”
And the upbeat reports continued with One World, Dim Sum and Let Me Fight in the Sprint. Of the three, Let Me Fight drew what may have been the most significant endorsement. “He’s got so much improvement in him,” said the trainer. “He’s going to be one of my top sprinters in the future. He just got half checked as he came out last time (in the G2 CX Jockey Club Sprint) but then he closed off very well and in my view, with a clear run he would have finished very close to Little Bridge (third behind dead heaters Rocket Man and One World). If people are looking for a roughie in the Sprint he could be the one, because there’s such an upside to this horse. ”
“Of course Darren (Beadman) rides One World though and he’d have to be my main chance. If he draws a reasonable gate this time, he’s going to be very hard to beat.”
Paul O’Sullivan, too, was hopeful of his HKG1 Stewards’ Cup winner Fellowship who worked a leisurely 800m in 52.4 seconds. “He worked nicely this morning,” said the trainer, “But we didn’t have to ask him to do too much. We just wanted to get him off the bridle at the end of a half mile. Zac (Purton) said his defeat last time (in the G2 CX Jockey Club Mile) was pace related. They just didn’t go fast enough for him.”
But the New Zealander was worried about where the pace might be coming from in the G1 CXHK Mile itself, and asked whether there might be a European to keep Able One from getting the sort of easy lead he enjoyed in the G2 CX Jockey Club Mile. The absence of an obvious alternative front runner did not increase his optimism.
Japanese CXHKIR contenders A Shin Forward (Mile) and Jaguar Mail (Vase) also worked on the all weather today. A Shin Forward warmed up at the trotting ring then cantered easily for two laps. Work rider Koji Yamamoto said of the G1 Japanese Mile Championship winner: “He’s very relaxed and in good condition. We do not plan to give him a fast workout this week. I hope his weight will be the same as for the Mile Championship when he was 488 kilos.”
Masanori Watanabe, work rider for G1 Japan Cup fourth Jaguar Mail who also did easy work, remarked “He’s not likely to be tired after the trip. It’s only been two weeks since the Japan Cup and we just need to keep him in the same good condition until Sunday.”
Contenders from France
– Emmanuel Roussel
Jean-Jacques Poincelet, assistant to Cirrus des Aigles (Cup) trainer Corine Barande-Barbe:
“Last year, we flew from France and the long trip had taken its toll on Cirrus. This time we flew from Japan, which is much easier as the horse has had time to get acclimatised. He was very unlucky in the Japan Cup on 28 November. We were drawn wide (18 on 18) and the horse had to settle in last position. The pace was not strong enough and when he finally got going, the race was over. Yet he finished ninth, only beaten a couple of lengths for the places. He came out of the race very well and it made sense to come back here. Last year in the Vase, we were drawn 10 of 13. That wasn’t easy either and the horse ran very well to finish fifth despite an outside trip. This time, we picked the Cup. The shorter trip should not bother him. He can do well over all distances from 1,600 to 2,400m. He’s also matured again since last winter. He put on about 20 lbs and travels very well now. His morning rider Zoë Gargoulaud took him out on the all weather for a mile canter and Cirrus has pleased us. Franck Blondel will ride again on Sunday and he should give him a canter over the turf on Friday. The horse was full of life this morning and maybe he will gallop a bit longer tomorrow (Tuesday).”
Joel Segouin, groom of Sahpresa (Mile):
“Look at her: she bounces over the all weather like a ping pong ball today. We’ve come straight from Kyoto and the mare is fine. She adapted well in Japan although the weather was much cooler there – It was a bit like at Cagnes-sur-mer on the French Riviera in winter. We had to cover the horses with a blanket on the morning gallops. It is very hot here now but I hear that it is going to be cooler in the next few days which is good.’
About Vision d’Etat (Cup)
Almost scratched through lameness last year on the eve of his Cup victory, Vision d’Etat (Cup) finally survived a Vet’s inspection and went ahead as fine as can be. After a Friday gallop at Chantilly, just like last year, the Eric Libaud-trained sire-to-be flew from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Hong Kong along with 6 other French contenders. After a 25 hour-trip, he scratched his near stifle getting off the airplane on Saturday. It did not seem to bother him though as he smoothly cantered on the all-weather. The 2009 CXHK Cup winner looks great and, fingers crossed, he should once again shine on the Sha Tin turf on Sunday.
Serge Renee, in charge of the Alain de Royer Dupre-trained Americain (Vase) and Reggane (Cup):
“Americain is here for a long time and he’s done very well. He has succeeded over longer distances than the Vase’s 2400m but I would not worry too much about it. I would be more concerned about the firm ground. It was very soft in Australia. Reggane also prefers softer courses. But we knew that coming here and the Sha Tin turf is great anyway. Reggane is only 4 and she is traveling much better now that she’s been to Canada (she won the G1 E P Taylor at Woodbine on 16 October). Arriving over there she would not have eaten up all her breakfast. But here! You don’t want to bring her meal too late. Americain and her get along well on that front: both scream if they don’t see their food coming on time and five minutes after, they are licking their plate empty …”
About Stacelita (Cup)
Stacelita had the longest trip of all the French runners as she had to leave from Jean-Claude Rouget’s yard in Pau, about 700 kms Southwest of Chantilly, on Thursday to join the French team on its way to the Amsterdam-Hong Kong Cathay Pacific cargo flight. Bertrand Lacroix is in charge of the 4-year-old filly and is happy enough with the 2009 French Triple Tiara (St.Alary-Diane-Vermeille) winner, who has never travelled outside Europe before. Her 2009 French champion trainer is visiting Hong Kong for the first time this year.
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