With four consecutive victories highlighted by the last three at Group 1 level and being named the equal 10th best galloper in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse rankings, the timing is perfect for New Zealand stayer El Vencedor to tackle the G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on 27 April.

El Vencedor will go into the HK$28 million feature after being freshened up following last-start victory in the G1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on 8 March.

El Vencedor arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday (17 April), having pleased Marsh.

“He is going super, he really is,” Marsh said. “He just keeps on winning. He is tough, puts himself in the race and is as genuine as all hell.

“He has had a little freshen since his last race and it’s fair to say we’ve given him a fair bit of racing but he is just going so well and has freshened nicely.”

The six-year-old gelding, sired by 2009 G1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) winner Shocking, had his final hit-out before the flight to Hong Kong with a solo gallop on the course proper in between races at Te Rapa last Sunday (13 April).

Marsh’s stable star galloped over 1400m after also having a recent 1300m trial, which he won by three and a half lengths, on 3 April.

“The gallop will really bring him on,” Marsh said. “He trialled up great about and week and half ago.

“It was a 1300m trial and he won it well and I just sort of let him roll past the post a bit and sort of into the back straight so he had a great, solid hit-out. The track was a little bit off. He just won as he liked.”

A versatile galloper, El Vencedor usually jumps well to put himself in the race – either leading or settling in the first four – which Marsh says normally takes bad luck out of the equation.
“The last four races he has led, he has trailed, he has sat in the one-one and has sat outside the leader and he has done a bit of everything,” Marsh said.

While Marsh said he is excited with the challenge of competing against world-class opposition, he is thrilled to have booked Hong Kong’s leading rider Zac Purton for the ride.

“When you are going to Hong Kong, he is the king, so I am very happy to have him,” he said.

After starting out as a sprinter, El Vencedor did a lot wrong early on but, since tackling staying races, he has gone to another level but Marsh admits he would never have predicted the three Group 1 victories in a row.

“But he just keeps on doing it and now he just seems to be the ultimate racehorse,” he said. “He just keeps getting better and better and has surprised us how dominate he has been and we always knew he was a very good horse.”

El Vencedor’s dam Strictly Maternal also produced 2021 BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner Sky Darci for Caspar Fownes.