NOTE: Santa Ana Lane, Eminent and Enzo’s Lad worked at 3.30 am (before the local horses and other international horses) under quarantine protocols set for horses arriving from Australia.

FWD QEII Cup

DARK DREAM – HK
Worked on the all-weather track and clocked 57.6s (30.0, 27.6) through 800m under his exercise rider.

DEIRDRE – JPN
Stayed in Quarantine Stables as scheduled.

DINOZZO – HK
Worked on the all-weather track and clocked 57.3s (31.4, 25.9) through 800m.

EMINENT – GB
Worked 1200m on the turf in 1m 15.6s (27, 25.6, 23).
Trainer Sir Mark Todd: “He’s an amazing horse, he’s still a stallion, he just copes with everything and he enjoys the company, he travelled with Enzo’s Lad and they’ve sort of mated up. He’s a very independent horse, he’s been drinking well, eating well, he appears bright. He’s a lovely moving horse, he has a great temperament, he’s very forward going and that’s the way he likes to race too.”

EXULTANT – HK
Worked 800m on the all-weather track in 58.2s (31.4, 26.8)
Trainer Tony Cruz said: “Exultant pulled up very well from his previous run. It’s been a bit of a long lay-off so next year we’ll probably look at going elsewhere before this race, probably to Dubai, because two months is too long between races. But I reckon, with the barrier trials he’s had and looking at his condition, he should be there on Sunday.”

TIME WARP – HK
Trainer Tony Cruz said: “I’m happy with him and a wide draw isn’t a problem, he’ll go to the lead.”

LYS GRACIEUX – JPN
Stayed in Quarantine Stables as scheduled.
Trainer Yoshito Yahagi said: “I’m looking forward to Sunday; 2400m is too long for her, so 2000m is much better. She will run here better the second time, so I have confidence.”

WAIKUKU – HK
Worked on the all-weather track and clocked 57.5s (33.3, 24.2) through 800m..
Trainer John Size said: “He runs better when there’s a bit of speed on or a genuine pace. He’s not up to the international Group 1 runners but someone’s got to get the rest of the prize money so I hope we can get a share of that.”

WIN BRIGHT – JPN
Stayed in Quarantine Stables as scheduled.

FWD Champions Mile

BEAUTY GENERATION – HK
Galloped on the turf track with a partner horse clocking 54.0s (30.1, 23.9)
Trainer John Moore said: “He had a good blow. He enjoyed the work but he needed that little bit of a blow-out because he’s a brute of thing – that was work that was needed. He was relaxed when he came back, so that was good too. Romain said everything was fine.”

CONTE – HK
Worked on the all-weather track with Waikuku
Trainer John Size said: “He’s got to be a chance of getting some prize money and if we get some of it we’ll be happy. There doesn’t seem to be too much speed there so he’s got to get over and get closer to the inside. I think he probably needed the run a little bit rather than was flat because he had a fairly long break between races, he had a bit of an ease up. In the last three weeks he’s worked harder and he looks better for this race than the last one.”

SIMPLY BRILLIANT – HK
Worked on the all-weather track and clocked 59.3s (32.0, 27.3) through 800m.

CHAIRMAN’S SPRINT PRIZE

BEAT THE CLOCK – HK
Trainer John Size said: “He’s been in good shape, he’s worked strongly. It’s sort of coming towards the end of our big races in Hong Kong but he’s still training very well. I’m happy with him. He hasn’t taken any harm from his racing throughout the season but he only started racing in November, so I think he’s fine. He puts down a good run every day, he does his best. Every time he runs he runs well which is quite unusual actually.”

ENZO’S LAD – NZ
The Michael Pitman-trained New Zealand visitor galloped 800m on the turf in 51.8s (29.1, 22.7).
“I couldn’t be happier, he’s a dude, he’s pretty laidback for a sprinter, he doesn’t get worked up, he’s push-button and he doesn’t need anyone going around to the barriers with him. I couldn’t be happier.”

NAC VENUS – JPN
Stayed in Quarantine Stables as scheduled.

SANTA ANA LANE – AUS
Cantered on the all-weather track. 
Trainer’s representative Sam Freedman said: “He’s travelled over here really well, he arrived on Tuesday morning and he seems to have taken it all in his stride, he didn’t lose too much weight on the flight. He’s travelled a lot, he’s been to four different states in Australia and he’s won a Group 1 in most of them, so he’s a well-travelled horse and it certainly helps when you’re looking to bring a horse overseas that you know he can handle the plane trip.”

VIDDORA – AUS
Cantered on the all-weather track under big-race jockey Joe Bowditch.
“I’m a lot happier than what I was yesterday. She hurt her leg – she was either kicked or got cast, so we’ve been working overtime on her to try and get her through it. We’re a bit restricted with what we can and can’t do, so yesterday we were probably licking our wounds thinking we’re weren’t too confident of getting there.
We’re not miracle makers but we’re a lot happier in the position we’re in this morning, it’s been a massive turnaround overnight. We’re doing everything we can to try and reduce swelling, but Joe Bowditch (Jockey) said she feels exactly how she always feels. So he’s happy and I’m more comfortable today to say that she’s making progress in the right direction, which is what matters. She’ll go on the grass tomorrow; it’ll just be striding work.”