LONGINES Hong Kong Cup
EDISA – FR
Worked a lap of the Sha Tin all-weather, clocking 56.6s (29.0, 27.6) with work rider Louise Grouselle allowing her partner to ease past a couple of other horses up the straight and finished the morning with paddock schooling.
Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre said: “Previously I have come with top fillies and this is a good filly, not a top one. But I had a good feeling about coming because she did very well in America on a quick track and I think she will be able to adapt to the Hong Kong track. When you come to a place like Melbourne, Hong Kong or Dubai, once you’ve done it plenty of times, you know what you need to do. The filly has done very well and looks in excellent condition. She is from a great Aga Khan family and normally they are even better at four. She has improved all through the season and she is definitely stronger than she was at the beginning. I saw the Galileo filly of Aidan’s this morning [Magic Wand] and she looks beautiful so I know it will be difficult but my filly is very genuine and she always does her best.”
FURORE – HK
Cantered on inner all-weather track.
Trainer Frankie Lor said: “He worked nicely yesterday morning. He’s in very good order, drawn one and I think he can run a very good race.”
MAGIC WAND – IRE
Worked on all-weather track over 1200m in 1m29.3s (31.4, 29.9, 28.0).
Trainer Aidan O’Brien’s travelling head lad Pat Keating said: “All good, no problems at all.”
WIN BRIGHT – JPN
Warmed up in the trotting ring and had an easy piece of work on the all-weather track.
Trainer Yoshihiro Hatakeyama said: “He has been doing very well. The temperature here in Hong Kong suits him well. This is his second time here, and he travelled well and settled into the surroundings here quickly.”
LONGINES Hong Kong Mile
ADMIRE MARS – JPN
Worked three quarters of a lap around the all-weather course over 1200m in 1m30.9s (31.7, 30.7, 28.5) and finished the morning with a bit of paddock and gate schooling.
Assistant trainer Yusuke Oe said: “He is relaxing nicely and when we neared the track, he took hold of the bit, so he is ready to run. His schooling went very well.”
CITRON SPIRIT – HK
Worked on the all-weather track.
Trainer Ricky Yiu said: “He worked in Conghua yesterday morning, he came back yesterday afternoon. He’s just been on the track this morning – I was really happy with him, even the rider said he’s turning eight soon and he was a bit scratchy before he went to Conghua but he came back nice. Mentally and physically it helps, most of the horses like the change in training. Conghua is a new track and you can work them on the grass and on the dirt, the ground is softer so they enjoy it, they love it. It will be a small field, we are drawn pretty wide and we have the best local jockey aboard so we’ll let him enjoy himself. We’ll put him midfield somewhere, wherever he’s happy, ride for luck and see if he can finish.”
INDY CHAMP – JPN
Cantered a lap and a half around the all-weather course, completing his last 400m in 31.8s and finished the morning with paddock and gate schooling.
Trainer Hidetaka Otonashi said: “Today’s main focus was to get him used to the gate handler and he handled it very well. It has been a while since I’ve seen the horse and he looks really good. We’re hoping he can reproduce the same effort he gave us in his last race.”
NORMCORE – JPN
Had an easy canter on the all-weather track before schooling at the paddock ring.
Trainer Kiyoshi Hagiwara said: “She was ticking along nicely, and all has gone well.”
PERSIAN KNIGHT – JPN
Stayed in the quarantine area.
Trainer Yasutoshi Ikee said:“He is keeping his condition very well.”
SIMPLY BRILLIANT – HK
Cantered on inner all-weather track.
Trainer Frankie Lor said: “He’s coming along well and did what we wanted on the track yesterday morning. I think he’d had enough and was a little bit tired when he had his last couple of runs last season so he had a good break. First-up he needed the run and then we put the cheek-pieces on and he ran much better. I think he should also run a good race on Sunday.”
ZAAKI – GB
Easy breeze on the turf covering 1200m in 1m 27.5s (29.3, 32.5, 25.7), followed by a visit to the parade ring.
Work rider Fabien Guilois said of the four-year-old gelding, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore on Sunday: “He did a normal canter on turf today, just like yesterday. He has done nothing but improve all through the year and comes here at the top of his game.”
LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint
DANON SMASH – JPN
Warmed up on the quarantine trotting track before cantering a lap and a half around the all-weather course. He finished the morning with a bit of paddock and gate schooling.
Assistant trainer Keiichiro Yasuda said: “He didn’t seem to mind the gate handler this morning and relaxed well in the gate. If he can stay just like he is now, we will be very happy.”
IN HER TIME – AUS
Breezed the turf track, covering the final 800m in 59.7s (34.0, 25.7).
Trainer Kris Lees said: “She looks good, I’m happy with her. She’s pretty relaxed and settled in well. Obviously air travel is a little different but she’s coped. She’s been to Melbourne four times and box to box Newcastle to Caulfield by road is not dissimilar time-wise. She’s stabled alone here but that hasn’t bothered her. The old trick of the mirror in the box and I had her stabled on her own for 10 days at home, before she left, just get to used to it. She’s fine.”
MR STUNNING – HK
Cantered on inner all-weather track.
Trainer Frankie Lor said: “I was happy with his work yesterday morning. You’d be happier if he’d had another run or two leading into this race but he has improved since his Jockey Club Sprint run.”
LONGINES Hong Kong Vase
ANTHONY VAN DYCK & MOUNT EVEREST – IRE
Had a light canter over a lap of the all-weather track.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien’s travelling head lad Pat Keating said: “All good, no problems at all.”
ASPETAR – GB
Went a circuit on the all-weather track, going much faster than he had earlier in the week, clocking 51.2s (28.4, 22.8) for 800m. Schooled in the parade ring, appearing to take it all in his stride.
Trainer Roger Charlton said: “He’s only been going steadily earlier in the week but the plan was to go quicker today, more like the way we do it a couple of days before a big race at home. The surroundings are completely different here to the tranquillity of my training base at Beckhampton in the UK so it took him a few days to get used to the noise but he seems to be adapting now. I used to think he was a soft ground horse but he’s won twice now on a fast surface so it should be okay on Sunday. He needs to find a few pounds but we race for peanuts in the UK and we have to come to where the money is.”
CALLED TO THE BAR – FR
Worked a circuit of the all-weather track under trainer Pia Brandt. Sven and Carina Hanson’s homebred son of Henrythenavigator has been the epitome of chilled-out cool this week but appeared a little more urgent in his work with race day now fast approaching.
DEIRDRE – JPN
Had an easy work in the quarantine trotting ring.
Trainer Mitsuru Hashida said: “She had some work to loosen up in the trotting ring. She is relaxed and ready.”
GLORY VASE – JPN
Stayed at the quarantine stable area and had a light work in the trotting ring as well as starting gate practice.
Trainer Tomohito Ozeki said: “He moved sound and was flexible after he breezed on turf yesterday. He looks to be in very good form.”
LUCKY LILAC – JPN
Cantered a lap and a half around the all-weather course; completing his final 400m in 32.1s and finished the morning with paddock and gate schooling.
Assistant trainer Eishu Maruuchi said “She feels really good today after her breeze yesterday.”
TRUE SELF – IRE
Had a gentle canter on the all-weather track.
David Casey, work rider and assistant to trainer Willie Mullins said: “It was just steady away today, she doesn’t need to do anything more. This is a real step up from Flemington, a very tough race. If she can nick a bit of prize-money, I think everyone will be very happy.”
YOUNG RASCAL – GB
Worked on the all-weather track, clocking 1m03.4s (32.8, 30.6) for 800m and schooled in the paddock.
Trainer William Haggas said: “He’s just on the dirt this morning. I don’t know why I’m here today as I’ll leave it to the rider with him, he knows him better than I do! He did all of his serious work before he left, I’ve been very happy with him.”
