Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Additionally, a handful of other HKIR participants would please certain sectors of the Australian Thoroughbred industry were a positive result to occur on an afternoon where HK$100 million (AU$17.87 million) is on offer.
G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup, HK$30 million, 3yo/up, 2000m
You have to go back 16 years to Vengeance Of Rain (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) to find the most recent Australasian winner of the day's richest event, and while Tourbillon Diamond (Olympic Glory {Ire}) is unlikely to snap that streak this weekend, he certainly has earned the right to compete in a race of this magnitude.
Vengeance Of Rain (NZ) (purple cap), winner of the 2005 G1 Hong Kong Cup | Image courtesy of the HKJC
The proverbial horse that has punched well above his weight, the $7000 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale grad won four of 14 and was third behind Quick Thinker (So You Think {NZ}) in the 2020 G1 Australian Derby for trainer Stuart Kendrick before heading north as a Hong Kong Derby prospect.
A troubled third in the Hong Kong Classic Mile and seventh, but beaten just 2.5l in the Derby, the bay has been competitive in the early season group handicaps at Sha Tin, including a short-head success, albeit with no weight on his back, in the G3 Sa Sa Ladies' Purse H. on November 7.
Loves Only You (Jpn) | Image courtesy of the HKJC
The Cup appears to go through the Japanese pair of G1 FWD QE II Cup and G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), undefeated at 2000 metres.
G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, HK$26 million, 3yo/up, 1600m
For a second consecutive year, Golden Sixty (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) is the marquee horse for the International Races meeting. His accomplishments to date scarcely require rehashing, as he looks to become a dual winner of the Mile, having defeated the now-retired Southern Legend (Not A Single Doubt) 12 months back.
A victory Sunday would make the $120,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling turned NZ$300,000 NZB Ready to Run breezer the winningest horse in Hong Kong history, surpassing the record held by Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock) and the legendary Silent Witness (El Moxie {USA}) and pull him to within one of the latter's 17-race winning streak. He'll be fit and ready off a first-up score when carrying a five-pound penalty in the G2 Jockey Club Mile on November 21.
Excellent Proposal (Exceed And Excel) caused a 22-1 surprise in last year's Classic Mile before running fourth in the Classic Cup and in the Hong Kong Derby. The winner of three from four for Richard and Michael Freedman in New South Wales pre-export, Excellent Proposal exits an unlucky runner-up effort in the Class 1 Chevalier Cup H. over Sunday's distance.
The $200,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast acquisition is one of three in the race for John Size, who also sends out Lucky Express (Toronado {Ire}), victorious in the Class 1 Panasonic Cup H. (1400 metres) ahead of a sixth in the Chevalier Cup. A $145,000 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling, Lucky Express was two-for-three in Australia for Matt Laurie, including the valuable VOBIS Showdown at Caulfield under his previous moniker, Prince Of Sussex.
Gallery: Some of the Hong Kong Mile runners as yearlings
Reigning Derby hero Sky Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), a NZ$160,000 purchase out of the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale in 2018, added the G3 Lion Rock Trophy H. last term, but is winless in three appearances this season, including a fair third behind Golden Sixty in the Jockey Club Mile.
Japan's Danon Kingly (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who defeated Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Yasuda Kinen earlier this season, looks the most dangerous of the foreign raid.
G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, HK$24 million, 3yo/up, 1200m
Australian-breds have dominated this event, with 15 victories dating back to 1999. Wellington (All Too Hard) is a winner of seven of his 11 starts locally, having fetched $70,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The 5-year-old sailed through the lower classes last season and capped it off in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize in April.
He was seventh to Lucky Patch (NZ) (El Roca) ($40,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Sale) in the G2 Jockey Club Sprint on seasonal reappearance on November 17 and should go better Sunday. The latter is the surprise package of the season thus far and rides a two-race winning streak into the main event Sunday, which looks an open test.
Lucky Patch (NZ) | Image courtesy of the HKJC
Torryburn Stud-bred Hot King Prawn (Denman), a $70,000 Inglis Sydney Classic graduate, makes a fourth straight appearance in the Sprint, having disappointed as the warm favourite in 2018 and again last December sandwiched around a near-miss second to stablemate Beat The Clock (Hinchinbrook) in 2019.
Naboo Attack (Warhead) attacked the line in the Jockey Club Sprint, missing by 0.75l to Lucky Patch after racing with a tongue tie for the first time in his six-race Hong Kong career. The 1366-pounder is the lone HKIR runner for David Hayes, who won the 2002 Sprint with All Thrills Too (St Covet) up the 1000-metre straight course in 2002.
Two of the three entrants in the Sprint from Japan have connections to the Australian industry. Pixie Knight (Jpn), recent winner of the G1 Sprinters' S. at Nakayama, is one of two Group 1 winners from the first crop of Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}), winner of the 2015 Mile and the 2016 Cup in his career finale.
The Horse of the Year shuttles to Arrowfield for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season and has been represented by 25 winners from his first Australian crop, most prominently G1 VRC Derby winner Hitotsu.
Danon Smash (Jpn), winner of the 2020 G1 Hong Kong Sprint | Image courtesy of the HKJC
Defending Sprint winner Danon Smash (Jpn) is a son of Lord Kanaloa (Jpn), who made a splash as the sire of G1 Blue Diamond S. winner and Yulong Stud stallion Tagaloa.
The 6-year-old, who bows out in the Sprint, is out of the winning Spinning Wildcat (USA) (Hard Spun {USA}), whose champion dam Hollywood Wildcat (USA) (Kris S. {USA}), produced Yarradale Stud's War Chant (USA) (Danzig {USA}), sire of 10 Australian stakes winners, including Group 1 winner Silent Sedition.
G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase, HK$20 million, 3yo/up, 2400m
A NZ$33,000 purchase out of the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale, Columbus County (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) (ex Sword In Stone) has won just two of his 19 starts in Hong Kong, but he stretches back out to what is clearly his best distance this weekend.
Columbus County (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
In three previous tries over the metric 12 furlongs, the 6-year-old was third to the reopposing and likely favourite Mogul (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in last year's Vase and runner-up to Cup hopeful Panfield (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky {USA}) in the G1 Champions & Chater Cup at the tail-end of last season.
Reliable Team (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) did not reach his reserve when bidding stalled out at NZ$50,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale, but blossomed into a NZ$430,000 under-tack purchase at the same auction house's Ready to Run Sale just nine months later.
The grey has become a 'reliable' money spinner locally, with seven wins from 28 runs, but none more valuable than his surprising front-running success in the G2 Jockey Club Cup November 21, two weeks after finishing third behind Tourbillon Diamond in the Sa Sa Ladies' Purse.
Reliable Team (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
