LONGINES Hong Kong Cup

Calif – FR

After breezing on the turf on Wednesday, Carlos and Yann Lerner’s representative was given an easy time around the sand ring of the Quarantine Stables. 

The Foxes – GB

Switched to the turf after cantering on dirt for the last couple of days. Galloped out strongly through the final stages of the exercise, with work rider Maddy O’Meara asking for only a little effort, clocking 1.22.2 (28.6s, 28.6s and 25.0s) over 1200m. 

Trainer’s wife Anna Lisa Balding: “He’s done exactly what we wanted him to do. He just had a nice blow on the grass. Maddy O’Meara, his work rider, seems very happy with him. He only ran a few weeks ago so he’s fit and it’s just good for him to have a look around. He paddock-schooled yesterday, he’ll just have a little canter around tomorrow. He won’t be on the turf again. He’s quite a straightforward horse to travel. He’s in good form.”

LONGINES Hong Kong Mile

Docklands – GB

Completed barrier training with Ramadan on the turf along the back straight, completed a strong piece of work in blinkers, clocking 47.5s (24.7s and 22.8s) over 800m. 

Trainer Harry Eustace: “I saw him this morning after arriving. All the reports have been very good and he’s been a very straightforward horse to deal with all the way through his career. The team has done a great job with him.”

Lazzat – FR

Of the French quartet, Lazzat has been on the most regimented programme this week, having done his final turf work on Saturday. 

Once again former French ace Franck Blondel cantered the three-year-old solo around the all weather. 

Blondel has been Lazzat’s constant companion for more than six weeks on the trip from Marseille down to Sydney and then back up to Sha Tin.

Blondel said: “He has kept going forward since he arrived here from Australia and his work has been perfect, so I think he’ll be at 100 per cent for the race on Sunday. 

“He had a hard race in the Golden Eagle, doing a lot of his own running and towing the others along, but 10 days afterwards he was fully recovered and he is coming into Sunday primed to run a big race. He’s up against different opposition and a better class of horse than in the Golden Eagle but he showed that day he is a high-quality horse. 

“He wasn’t beaten because of the distance [1500m] in Australia and I don’t expect it to be an issue going up to 1600 metres here. On quite deep sand, he has eaten up the trip for breakfast in the mornings.”

LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint

Lugal – JPN

Worked on turf, clocking 1.23.3 (33.2s, 27.6s and 22.5s) over 1200m.

Trainer Haruki Sugiyama said, “He is relaxed here so I told jockey to ask him a bit stronger towards the end of the stretch. We usually gallop him on the uphill track at home, but here, he has done on the flat course at the overseas racecourse so it’s hard to compare with how well he has run. After Takamatsunomiya Kinen, he broke his knee and needed to take a long break, but he has recovered perfectly and won the Sprinters Stakes last time which was much better result than our aspects.  I know it will be very competitive race on Sunday, but hopefully he will run at his best.”

Satono Reve – JPN

Breezed on turf, clocking 53.9s (29.8s and 24.1s) over 800m.
“We prepared in Japan, so it was just an easy gallop this morning. He moved well in a good rhythm. Looking forward to the race,” Joao Moreira said.

Starlust – GB

Jockey Rossa Ryan was on hand to steer the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (1000m) hero around a gentle canter of the all-weather track in front of trainer Ralph Beckett.

Beckett said: “We’ve come to the conclusion that a flat track around a bend suits him best so the way it sets up here is ideal for him. He came out of Del Mar in good shape.

“Everything went his way that day at Del Mar, I’m well aware of that, but you’ve still got to get it done and he did. I think there’s a good chance he’ll run well on Sunday but we shall see whether that’s good enough. He looks great, he hasn’t been clipped and is still holding his coat really well. It’s his 11th start of the year, he started in January in Dubai and he’s still at it.”

Toshin Macau – JPN

Galloped on turf, clocking 1.23.6 (32.7s, 27.6s and 23.3s) over 1200m.

“He accelerated well and it was a nice breeze this morning. We decided to send him to Hong Kong after the Sprinters Stakes. He is in good form as he was in Japan,” Mizuki Takayanagi said.

“He launched his bid in the back stretch and showed great momentum which I was nearly out of control. He seems to be in a bit of tense, but is in good condition. Depending on how it goes this afternoon, we will decide tomorrow’s plan but he won’t come out on the main track,” a stable representative, Takashi Komine said.

LONGINES Hong Kong Vase

Dubai Honour – GB

After several days of light work on the all-weather track, the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner moved across to the turf on Wednesday. He was not asked for much effort and completed an easy gallop in relaxed fashion under regular work rider Issy Paul, clocking 32.5s over 400m. He returned to the all-weather surface on Thursday for another easy lap of the track.

Rider Issy Paul said: “I’m very happy with him. He just had a nice, easy canter on the grass on Wednesday. We were just letting him get a feel for it. He doesn’t need a hard piece of work because he’s very fit.”

Giavellotto – GB

The Yorkshire Cup and Princess of Wales’s Stakes winner did his usual easy canter for a lap of the all-weather track.

Trainer Marco Botti: “I’ve seen videos of him. He’s training fine. He tends to get a little bit warm, but that’s normal for him and I’d be worried if he didn’t. He gets warm in the winter at home when it’s 5C. My staff are happy with the horse. They say he’s been moving well. His fitness is there and his preparation has gone smoothly so far. We haven’t decided when he’s going to do a strong piece of work, we were thinking Friday morning, but we’ll see.”

Iresine – FR

Iresine produced his most sustained piece of work on the all-weather under trainer Jean-Pierre Gauvin, who asked him to stretch out in the home straight and go past his travelling companion and lead horse. 

The six-year-old son of Manduro has barely registered a time with the Sha Tin clockers this week but came home in 1.27.0 (31.3s, 29.7s and 26.0s) over 1200m.

Marquisat – FR

After his gentle Wednesday breeze on the turf on Wednesday, Marquisat returned to the all-weather track on Thursday under work rider Tony Farina.

“He had a nice breeze on the turf yesterday but it was only very light work and was designed to give him a look at the track. Tony was very happy with him. 

“He has got used to his surroundings as the week has gone on and although he still has a bit of a look around before and after cantering, he is completely dialled in while he’s working. He also did some paddock schooling yesterday and he took it all very well. He is a quick learner.”

Without A Fight – AUS

Cantered one lap on all-weather track.
Trainer Sam Freedman: “He is going well and everything has been pretty smooth. He did a bit of work on Tuesday and will just canter through to Sunday, I’d say.
“Funny enough I reckon he is better this direction (clockwise). Every rider who has ridden him says he changes his leg at the right time. It’s strange.”