Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Race Day Watch

[my miss storm cat]

Super Pistachio and King Dancer scratched from CXHKIR

06/12/2011

Super Pistachio and King Dancer will miss their intended engagements at the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Super Pistachio, runner-up in the 2010 HKG1 Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby, is out of the G1 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase. Tony Cruz’s charge has a blood abnormality and is running a temperature.

The Sean Woods-trained King Dancer has been scratched from the G1 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup after suffering an injury to his left fore tendon.

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CXHKIR 2011 trackwork notes, 6 December 2011 – Contenders from Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand

06/12/2011

Hong Kong trainer Caspar Fownes is eagerly looking forward to Sunday’s International feature races in anticipation of his five runners improving his CXHKIR record of one winner - the 2006 Mile with The Duke - and four placegetters. Here’s his rundown on his horses.

Caspar Fownes, trainer, Fair Trade (Mile):
“His last run in the lead-up was really nice and he’s very fit. Probably the best we’ve had him. He just needs to draw a gate to tuck in behind and see daylight late. For raw ability, he’s so talented but he’s been a bit of a nightmare for us. Made me go grey, I can tell you that. He’s been close to retirement twice. He’s had issues with a tendon sheath but I’m happy with that at the moment. If he wins, trust me, I’ll lose it.”

Fownes on Thumbs Up (Vase):
“Thumbs Up has come back really well in this preparation. I’m happy to stretch him out to the 2400 (metres) in the Vase. Perhaps it’s a shame he hasn’t had one more race leading into it but there are limited options and, to be honest, he’s probably best when on the fresh side. He can run some really good sectionals. He doesn’t have to settle a mile back so I’d be hoping he draws well and can box seat. If we’d gone to the Cup we’d have to take on a couple of the very best locals, so I decided we might be better off taking on the Europeans even if this is usually their race.”

Fownes on Super Satin (Vase)
“His last two runs have been very good. He carried 133 (pounds) two starts back and was close up and then he ran very well in the Jockey Club Cup after finding some trouble. He lost all form for a while but he’s had a problem with his rear hind stifle. You’ve got to have him balanced and comfortable and Ollie (Olivier Doleuze) knows how to ride him. I’m happy with him at the moment and I really think he’ll stay.”

Fownes on Lucky Nine and Green Birdie (Sprint)
“I was very happy with the way Lucky Nine trialled last Friday. I thought he ran very well last year given he drew 12 of 14. Just need him to draw a gate this time around. He can go further, of course, but at the moment I’m happy to concentrate on sprinting with him. He was a bit flat when he came back from Japan and his coat wasn’t quite right but he’s just starting to really come into himself in the last week or so. He’s good. As to Green Birdie, well he hasn’t been quite right either after returning from Japan. We’ve experienced that before and they can come good. You know on the best of his form that he’s good enough but I admit that’s often been away from home rather than here. He’ll gallop tomorrow morning (Wednesday) and we’ll have a better idea after that.”

John Moore, trainer, Admiration (Sprint), Irian (Cup) and Jacobee (Cup)
“Admiration is the new sprinting star in the stable and he still has a little way to go to reach his full potential. We will apply blinkers and we feel he will be able to hold his position and be able to sustain what Darren (Beadman) describes as more of a sustained burst over the last 400m.

“Jacobee is one of the most genuine horses racing in Hong Kong with only that one black mark against his name last time out. But given a quieter ride, he will be one of the dark horses in the Cup, should things not go to plan for the hotpots.

“Irian is coming into Sunday off a perfect preparation. He was slightly under done last time and bottomed out about 50m out the other day. He is now at his peak and I expect him to be right there in the finish. He has his work cut out but he comes into forma at this time of year and I think the field’s not quite as strong as last year and he has home town advantage.”

Sue Hall, assistant trainer, Jimmy Choux (Mile)
“He’s in isolation here which is not ideal. You’d rather he had some company but he’s starting to pick up after the travel and seems bright enough. His appetite has improved in the past few days and he’s put some weight back on.”

Patrick Shaw, trainer, Rocket Man (Sprint)
Singapore’s champion sprinter and world’s second-top rated sprinter Rocket Man led the International horses onto the track on Tuesday morning. With Barend Vorster on board Rocket Man put in a steady canter on the All Weather track under a tight hold, and looked keen to do more. His trainer Patrick Shaw was again watching from the stand: “He’d have done more if we’d let him, but he’ll do a piece of work on the grass tomorrow over about 800 metres,” Shaw volunteered.

Naoki Baba, stable lad, Trailblazer (Vase)
Hong Kong Vase contender Trailblazer, who finished fourth to Buena Vista in the Japan Cup in November, showed up on the All Weather track for the first time since he flew in from Japan two days ago. The strapper Naoki Baba from Daisen Hills, the owner Koji Maeda’s private training centre, was watching as Trailblazer cantered easily on the surface and commented, “We did not have any problem in the journey to Hong Kong. He eats up very well and is settled well at the stable. Everything up to now has gone smoothly.”

Miyoko Kaneko, stable lad, Pas de Trois (Sprint); and Ryuji Iwamoto, Travelling Head Lad, Curren Chan (Sprint)
The two Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint runners from Japan, Pas de Trois and Curren Chan, cantered on the All Weather track. The Strapper of Pas de Trois, Miyoko Kaneko commented, “The journey was terrible. It took too long until the departure. I heard that it was the worst travelling situation of any of the Japanese horses. It took about the same time as travelling to Dubai. He usually eats up very well at home, but in Hong Kong he does not have a good appetite in the mornings. In the evening, he eats up everything. He is getting used to the new stable here and has been relaxed in his barn.”

Ryuji Iwamoto, the traveling head lad for Curren Chan said, “Her condition is improving since she flew in.”

Hideo Shiimoto, Assistant Trainer, Apapane (Mile)
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile runner Apapane worked easily on the All Weather track. The assistant trainer Hideo Shiimoto commented, “Apapane is a filly who gets the feel of the new surroundings easily. There is no hitch about her condition up to now. We’ve scheduled to gallop her tomorrow. We will settle her behind Pas de Trois and Curren Chan, and drive her strongly in the last furlongs. We will decide the remaining training schedule depending on how she pulls up from the workout tomorrow.”

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CXHKIR 2011 trackwork notes, 6 December 2011 – Contenders from France

Dunaden, the 2011 Melbourne Cup winner was fresh enough entering the Sha Tin All Weather track before his 7-furlong work out on the turf course with Craig Williams back up, closing the exercise with a two-furlong dash in 22.5 seconds. Coming back from this pleasant gallop, the Australian jockey was all smiles and he took the opportunity to practice his newly acquired French: “I will just use one word: Superbe!”

Aymeric Candas, Travelling Lad, Dunaden (Vase)
“He did what we were expecting from him and he enjoyed the lovely Sha Tin. From now on, he should not do too much and will stay over the All Weather track. We are all set.”

Jean-Jacques Poincelet, Assistant trainer, Cirrus des Aigles (Cup)
“He was a bit fresh so I asked his rider Zoe Gargoulaud to let him go a bit in the straight. He enjoyed that.”

Cirrus des Aigles covered the last two furlongs of his fast canter in 25.5 seconds.

Regis Barbedette, Travelling Head Lad, Rajsaman (Mile) and Silver Pond (Vase)
“They both cantered well but Silver Pond was rather impressive this morning. He moved very swiftly on the All Weather and it was a pleasing sight.”

Joel Segouin, Travelling Head Lad, Sahpresa (Mile)
“She worked over something like 5 furlongs on the All Weather and did really well (she covered the last two furlongs in 22.6 sec). She’s in good form and hopefully will be at her best on Sunday. I was riding her companion and I was very pleased to see her bouncing on the track.”

Maxime Guyon, Jockey, Byword (Cup)
“He is not the kind of horse to impress on the gallops but I am pleased with how he felt this morning. He’s a very relaxed horse and he should improve each day. He has settled in well and he has a big chance on Sunday. The ground here is perfect for him.”