Form and trackwork reports for the big races

While RacingHK-style ratings and form are not available for the overseas contenders in the four International Group 1 races a comprehensive form analysis of all runners in those races is available via the drop-down“Premium” tab in the header bar above.

Trackwork reports for most horses, with comment from trainers and jockeys, is below.

Rocket Man, the Patrick Shaw-trained Singaporean sprint champion was the first of the international horses on the track on Wednesday morning as he put in a solid if unspectacular piece of work on the turf under his big-race jockey Barend Vorster. With Shaw in the stands Rocket Man worked over 800 metres, the last 400 metres in 23.1 seconds ahead of his CXHK Sprint engagement on Sunday.

Also out on the turf was the Irish CXHK Sprint candidate Sole Power, who had a gallop on the turf, without being asked to do anything too energetic, putting in a final 400 metres in 29.7 seconds.

UK trainer Charles Hills has yet to arrive in Hong Kong, but his pair of hopefuls Redwood (CXHK Vase) and Ransom Note (CXHK Cup) were out on the All Weather track watched by Hills’ travelling head lad Geoff Snook. Redwood looked very much on his toes as he threw in a couple of bucks as he arrived on the track before settling into his routine canter, but Snook was not concerned. “All is well with him. Yes he’s on his toes, but with him, that’s a good sign,” he explained.

Another UK trainer at Sha Tin for the first time on Wednesday was Newmarket-based James Fanshawe, who will be saddling his first runner in Hong Kong when Society Rock lines up in the CXHK Sprint on Sunday. 

He watched his charge put in a routine exercise on the All Weather track going a half mile in 57.2 seconds, and said afterwards, “He seems to be fine and all has gone well with him so far, we’ll wait and see how he draws tomorrow. He’ll probably have a bit of a breeze on the turf on Friday, nothing spectacular, he’s done all his work at home.”

John Moore, trainer, Xtension (Mile), Destined For Glory (Mile) and Able One (Mile):

 “Xtension has done everything right in all his lead up races, even from the wide gate the other day – he has had a perfect preparation. He has been at his peak for his last two races and I couldn’t get him any fitter. From a good gate, he will be one of the horses to beat.

 “Destined For Glory is the dark horse in the race. He has proved his ability to mix it at the very highest level and given the same sort of run as when he won the Group 2 (CX Jockey Club Mile) the other day, you would have to say he has an each-way chance. He has a tendency to sweat up, which is typical of Azamour’s, so we will have to see how he handles the day.

 “Able One put in a very good performance first up this season and then second up he had a bit of a lacklustre run in a funny run race. He can be forgiven that performance. Given that he’s allowed to dictate in front, he’s always a danger when getting away with cheap sectionals and then finishing strong to the line. He’s not yet showing his age – he has very few miles on the clock and is very well at the moment. He galloped Monday morning and his rider reported that he felt in fabulous shape”

 Ricky Yiu, trainer, Sacred Kingdom (Sprint):

“Sacred Kingdom is as good as I can get him. I’ve been really happy with these last two weeks of preparation and now it depends on how well he holds his condition. I’ve kept him fresh, he’s a good horse and we will find out on Sunday if he’s as good as he was. The race is like last year with similar competitors.

 Tony Cruz, trainer, California Memory (Cup), Pure Champion (Cup) and Beauty Flash (Mile):

 “It was very disappointing last time that California Memory never got a clear run at all in the international trial (The CX Jockey Club Cup). He came back with a few minor injuries too but they were nothing to worry about, just little bumps as he tried to come between horses, and they’ve all cleared up now. He’s a very easy horse to train and he’s done very well since that race. He should be right this time. He’ll be taken back as usual and we’ll just have to hope the gaps come for him.

 “Pure Champion ran second by a neck to Thumbs Up in that same race and he may have had an excuse too because Dougie (Whyte) thought he might have made his run a bit too early. I reckon he’ll be better off now ridden with a bit more patience. He’s had his problems which is why he’s taken a while to find his form in Hong Kong. First he had such bad quarter cracks on his hind feet we had to sedate him to get him shod. Then he had a constant mucous problem, but he’s over all that now and he’s a much improved horse this year.

 “Beauty Flash has had some little joint problems for the first time in his life which may be why he hasn’t quite hit form yet this season, but he wasn’t far behind the winner in his trial (the CX Jockey Club Mile) and on Sunday he should be spot on, like he was last year.”

John Bary, trainer, Jimmy Choux (Mile):

“He did it well this morning. We stepped him out from the 1400 (metres) and he was going a bit quicker than it probably looked. He’s a deceiving horse in that fashion, he will probably have another reasonable gallop on Friday but I’d say he’s pretty close to where we want him. His coat’s fantastic and surprisingly enough I think he may even be in better shape than he was for the Cox Plate.”

Japanese contenders Apapane (Mile), Pas de Trois(Sprint) and Curren Chan(Sprint) ran abreast from the 1000m pole on the All Weather track on Wednesday.

Trainer Sakae Kunieda, third leading trainer at the Miho Training Centre in eastern Japan, flew in yesterday and watched Apapane’s work at Sha Tin. Kunieda commented, “I heard that she gained weight, but I looked at her this morning and it does not need to worry us.  We will school her on turf on Friday.”

Assistant trainer Hideo Shiimoto added, “She seems to be fit.  She always adjusts to the new atmosphere very quickly, and has a great appetite. She also has a big heart.  She will stay at the stable area and will just have a light exercise tomorrow morning.”

Jockey Katsumi Ando, who was riding Pas de Trois in the fast gallop, commented, “Since he arrived in Hong Kong, everything has gone well. He is maintaining the same good form and today’s breezing with the other two horses, Curren Chan (Sprint) and Apapane (Mile), should improve her condition.”

Traveling head lad Miyoko Kaneko added, “Pas de Trois galloped very well today.  I think this was a good preparation for him mentally.”

 Shogo Yasuda, assistant trainer, Curren Chan (Sprint):

“She worked very well today, and it was an ideal breeze as I expected.  She is improving her form, so I did not worry about her condition before today’s work.  We were breezing with a G1-class filly, so it was a very good work. She showed her strength at the end of the gallop.”

 Trailblazer (Vase) cantered easily on the All Weather and will breeze tomorrow supervised by his trainer Yasutoshi Kunieda.

Rod Collet, trainer, Sahpresa (Mile):

“My mare is all right as I thought she’d be. I think she looks better and feels better than last year for her first visit to Hong Kong. I think her travel mate Sahmia has played a major role there. He’s a 6yo gelding that was also bred by the late Douglas McIntyre, Sahpresa’s former owner-breeder, who passed away last September. He’s also by Sahm, the mare’s sire. He’s a very good friend of Sahpresa and the Yoshidas leased him to travel with her. Last year, she was six weeks on her own in Japan and here. Having him around keeps her happy and that is how she is here.”

 Alain de Royer Dupre, trainer, Vadamar (Vase):

“I arrived this morning and I find my horse in very good shape. It is not his first trip as he’d been to Epsom for the Derby last June (finished 7th to fellow French horse Pour Moi). I knew he was a good traveller and in any case, he’s a good-minded horse. He will canter tomorrow on the turf and I hope he will do well on Sunday.”

 Mikel Delzangles, trainer, Dunaden (Vase):

“He seems to have taken yesterday’s fast work (on turf) very well and I am extremely happy with his preparation. The Vase looks very open since Snow Fairy went. The French brigade is good and it will be interesting to see what we can do here. Dunaden won on a quick surface over the distance at Geelong so he should be all right come Sunday.”

Jean-Jacques Poincelet, assistant trainer, Cirrus des Aigles (Cup):

“He cantered a bit slower than yesterday on the All Weather but over a longer distance with exercise rider Zoe Gargoulaud up. We should get him to work on the turf with Fred Spanu on Friday. He has been riding him regularly going into the big races and we want them to reunite over the All Weather tomorrow before they actually work together.

“That being said, Cirrus does not need much work here as he’s done what was required at home before flying over. It went easier than last year because we did not go to Japan this time. The Autumn in France was milder too (it was snowing over Paris early in December a year ago). Eventually, he was 7th beaten by less than 3 lengths with a 13th draw in the (2010 CXHK) Cup so there must be room for improvement here.”