Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Race day watch

[my miss storm cat]

Ortensia...

http://www.thoroughbrednews.com.au/s....aspx?id=50082

[my miss storm cat]

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Selected runners for the Hong Kong International Races 25 Nov 2010

Hong Kong Jockey Club

2010 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races
Selected Runners(as at 24/11/2010)


Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint (Group 1) – 1200m
HK$14 million (US$1.797 million)


Country /Region Int'l Rating Selected Horses Age Sex Wt. Trainer

HK 122 Sacred Kingdom (AUS) 7 g 126 Ricky Yiu
SAF 120 J J The Jet Plane (SAF) 6 g 126 Michael Houdalakis
SIN 119 Rocket Man (AUS) 5 g 126 Patrick Shaw
HK 118 Green Birdie (NZ) 7 g 126 Caspar Fownes
HK 118 Joy And Fun (NZ) 7 g 126 Derek Cruz
FR 115 Dalghar (FR) 4 c 126 Alain de Royer Dupre
GB 115 Kingsgate Native (IRE) 5 g 126 Sir Michael Stoute
HK 115 Ultra Fantasy (AUS) 8 g 126 Ricky Yiu
HK 114 One World (AUS) 6 h 126 John Moore
HK 112 Little Bridge (NZ) 4 g 126 Danny Shum
HK 112 Lucky Nine (IRE) 3 g 126 Caspar Fownes
HK 111 Dim Sum (GB) 6 g 126 John Moore
HK 106 Let Me Fight (IRE) 3 g 126 John Moore
AUS 111 Ortensia (AUS) 5 m 122 Tony Noonan
(14)


Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile (Group 1) – 1600m
HK$16 million (US$2.053 million)


Country /Region Int'l Rating Selected Horses Age Sex Wt. Trainer

GB 124 Paco Boy (IRE) 5 h 126 Richard Hannon
HK 120 Able One (NZ) 8 g 126 John Moore
HK 118 Fellowship (NZ) 8 g 126 Paul O’Sullivan
HK 116 Beauty Flash (NZ) 5 g 126 Tony Cruz
GB 116 Dream Eater (IRE) 5 h 126 Andrew Balding
JPN 115 A Shin Forward (USA) 5 h 126 Masato Nishizono
HK 115 Good Ba Ba (USA) 8 g 126 Michael Chang
HK 115 Sight Winner (NZ) 7 g 126 John Size
HK 115 Thumbs Up (NZ) 6 g 126 Caspar Fownes
HK 110 Chater Way (GB) 4 g 126 David Ferraris
IRE 117 Beethoven (IRE) 3 c 125 Aidan O’Brien
FR 115 Royal Bench (IRE) 3 c 125 Robert Collet
FR 113 Rajsaman (FR) 3 c 125 Freddie Head
FR 118 Sahpresa (USA) 5 m 122 Rodolphe Collet
(14)


Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup (Group 1) – 2000m
HK$20 million (US$2.567 million)


Country /Region Int'l Rating Selected Horses Age Sex Wt. Trainer

FR 123 Vision d’Etat (FR) 5 h 126 Eric Libaud
HK 120 Collection (IRE) 5 g 126 John Moore
FR 117 Cirrus des Aigles (FR) 4 g 126 Mrs C Barande Barbe
HK 117 Super Satin (NZ) 5 g 126 Caspar Fownes
GB 115 Glass Harmonium (IRE) 4 c 126 Sir Michael Stoute
HK 115 Irian (GER) 4 g 126 John Moore
GB 115 Sri Putra (GB) 4 c 126 Michael Jarvis
HK 113 Packing Winner (NZ) 8 g 126 Peter Ho
GB 113 Summit Surge (IRE) 6 g 126 Luca Cumani
HK 113 Super Pistachio (IRE) 4 g 126 Tony Cruz
FR 121 Planteur (IRE) 3 c 123 Elie Lellouche
FR 120 Stacelita (FR) 4 f 122 Jean-Claude Rouget
FR 113 Reggane (GB) 4 f 122 Alain de Royer Dupre
GB 119 Snow Fairy (IRE) 3 f 119 Edward Dunlop
(14)


Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase (Group 1) – 2400m
HK$14 million (US$1.797 million)


Country /Region Int'l Rating Selected Horses Age Sex Wt. Trainer

FR 121 Americain (USA) 5 h 126 Alain de Royer Dupre
HK 119 Viva Pataca (GB) 8 g 126 John Moore
JPN 118 Jaguar Mail (JPN) 6 h 126 Noriyuki Hori
ITY 118 Jakkalberry (IRE) 4 c 126 Endo Botti
UAE 117 Mastery (GB) 4 c 126 Saeed bin Suroor
USA 117 Winchester (USA) 5 h 126 Christophe Clement
GB 115 Indian Days (GB) 5 h 126 James Given
HK 115 Mr Medici (IRE) 5 h 126 Peter Ho
GB 115 Redwood (GB) 4 c 126 Barry Hills
HK 110 King Dancer (IRE) 4 c 126 Sean Woods
GB 116 Crystal Capella (GB) 5 m 122 Sir Michael Stoute
FR 114 Board Meeting (IRE) 4 f 122 Elie Lellouche
GER 120 Scalo (GB) 3 c 121 Andreas Wohler
IRE 115 Joshua Tree (IRE) 3 c 121 Aidan O'Brien
(14)

[CSC]

Good to see them give Paco Boy a chance to go out a winner, Hannon/Moore said he didn't handle the turns too well at CD, he ran really well all things considered, a long neck from being 2nd, Shatin's gradual turns should suit him very well.

[my miss storm cat]

Yeah it is nice and much as I love the old men of HK he certainly could win this (before he goes to NZ!).

Updates...

Snow Fairy and JJ arrived...

Olivier Peslier replaces Soumillon in the Jockey Championship because of that ridiculous suspension in Japan...

Brett (!!!!!) Prebble joins the lineup.

Pacific International Jockeys' Championship.

Jockey Representing country / region
Howard Cheng Hong Kong
Christophe Lemaire France
Julien Leparoux USA
Anton Marcus South Africa
Ryan Moore Great Britain
Joao Moreira Singapore
John Murtagh Ireland
Olivier Peslier France
Brett Prebble Hong Kong
Nash Rawiller Australia
Hiroyuki Uchida Japan
Douglas Whyte Hong Kong

[my miss storm cat]

Dalghar was withdrawn which means the first reserve Cerise Cherry draws in (!).

Also withdrawn...Summit Surge.

(Wasn't pleasing connections and so in the best interest of the horse is the reason given by the HKJC).

Vision d'Etat gets Dalghars spot on the flight (shut up, I love reading about the flights. Lucky Dream Eater, Paco Boy, Indian Days and Redwood get a stopover in Milan).

Only US-based horse...Winchester.

Arrived yesterday... Ortensia.

[my miss storm cat]

Scalo (G1 Preis von Europa winner) was withdrawn (he has a temperature)... Mighty High now in.

(Mighty High is the former de Royer-Dupre-trained Berouni).

[my miss storm cat]

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.