Now officially the best miler in the world after the Longines World’s Best Racehorses announcement earlier in the week, Able Friend returns to action on Sunday in Hong Kong’s premier domestic mile race.
The Stewards’ Cup, lifted to international standing this year, always features the best available milers but that isn’t going to present much of a problem for Able Friend if he turns up in the same mood as international day.
Already boasting five wins and a second from six attempts at 1,600m, Able Friend will be long odds-on to make it another cakewalk and the most interest will be in whether his plans thereafter include Dubai or Sydney, as the next big mile at Sha Tin is in May.
Hong Kong’s short course sprinters are also on show, with Amber Sky looking to go back-to-back in the Centenary Sprint Cup down the straight 1,000m in preparation for another shot at the Al Quoz Sprint he won in Dubai last year. This Sunday, Joao Moreira will not be on board after trainer Ricky Yiu had been unsure whether Amber Sky would run in this race a few weeks ago and Moreira took another ride. Italian Umberto Rispoli takes the reins and will want to make the most of it as Moreira is likely to be back on the sprinter in Dubai.
Hong Kong Sprint runner-up Peniaphobia will have many supporters to win the race while the mystery runner is Eagle Regiment, a two-time winner of the Centenary Sprint who hasn’t raced since being well-beaten in it last year and suffering an injury soon after.
Some of the support events have more depth than quality but that isn’t true of an interesting Class Two to finish the day, where Universal Union should have favouritism but faces stiff opposition from some known and unknown four-year-olds all trying to force their way into the Hong Kong Derby.
By Nathan Mody
