Invitations for the Hong Kong International Races go out next week and the meeting has already suffered a loss with the injury to sprinter Chautauqua on Thursday, but before the names are named comes Saturday’s local dress rehearsal.
The big overseas names are missing from the Jockey Club Sprint, Mile and Cup at Sha Tin on Saturday but it is the day every season when local trainers and horses show the world just how strong the home team will be.
After Able Friend’s brilliant first-up win over 1,200m, he looks a formality in the Jockey Club Mile to become a long odds-on favourite for the Hong Kong Mile, even though he meets up and coming Packing Pins and Contentment. Apart from Able Friend, most interest will be in Designs On Rome, having his first run after fetlock surgery and taking a much lighter path to the Hong Kong Cup he won in 2014 – this day last year he was having his third race of the campaign.
In the Jockey Club Sprint, Gold-Fun – converted from a miler to a sprinter last season to avoid Able Friend – will dispute favouritism with Not Listenin’tome and 2014 winner and Hong Kong Sprint runner-up, Peniaphobia. The draws will probably decide favouritism in favour of Gold-Fun. And John Moore is expecting more from Not Listenin’tome from a better draw after he was wide when a beaten favourite behind Able Friend.
In the 2,000m Jockey Cup, Tony Cruz is also mindful of Able Friend’s presence in the miler category and takes Beauty Only to 2,000m to see if he might be a contender. Cruz has a strong hand with Group One winners Blazing Speed and Helene Super Star as well, while Military Attack is trying to show that age has not wearied him after a sound first-up third.
The final race is not a Group event but the way Lucky Bubbles won first-up and the big wraps from jockey Brett Prebble, it may not be long before that’s where he is racing.
By Nathan Mody
