Form Guide, the Club Endeavours to Offer the Most Current, Correct and Clearly Expressed Information to the Public
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The LONGINES Hong Kong International Races is world horseracing’s year-end showcase. This year’s selected runners for the four Group 1 races feature strong contenders from Europe, Asia and North America converging in Hong Kong on Sunday, 10th December 2017. International stars are among the 53 world class selections for the HK$84.5 million LONGINES Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin Racecourse. Global horseracing’s year-end finale has 29 overseas challengers and is set to feature 23 Group 1 winners, including recent Breeders’ Cup victor Talismanic, Japanese heavyweights Kiseki and Neorealism, Europe’s all-time highest money earner Highland Reel and local hero Werther. The LONGINES HKIR comprises the HK$25 million LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), the HK$23 million LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), the HK$18.5 million LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and the HK$18 million LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m). Japan has enjoyed notable successes in recent times, thanks to the outstanding Maurice, A Shin Hikari and Satono Crown, and this time Hong Kong’s east Asian neighbour has eight raiders with LONGINES HKIR engagements; Great Britain also has eight, France and Ireland has six each, and the USA has one. The overseas challengers are primed to face a 24-strong home defence at this year’s Turf World Championships. This information is correct as of 28th November 2017. Contents LONGINES Kong Kong Vase (G1) ................................................................................. 4 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (G1) ............................................................................ 14 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (G1) ............................................................................... 24 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (G1) ............................................................................... 34 Key Race Sectional Photographs ................................................................................... 43 Trainer Profile ................................................................................................................ 55 Past HKIR Results of Trainers ...................................................................................... 62 Jockey Profile ................................................................................................................... 65 Past HKIR Results of Jockeys ....................................................................................... 71 Betting Guide .................................................................................................................. 74 Published by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Compiled by the Handicapping, Race Planning and International Racing Department Disclaimer In the preparation of this Form Guide, the Club endeavours to offer the most current, correct and clearly expressed information to the public. Nevertheless, inadvertent errors in information may occur. In particular but without limiting anything here, the Club disclaims any responsibility and accepts no liability (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) for any direct or indirect loss or damage arising from any inaccuracies, omissions or typographical errors that may be contained in this Form Guide. The Club also does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness or fitness for purpose of the information contained in this Form Guide. Distance and weight conversions are subject to the rounding of these figures. LONGINES HKIR Trivia 1. 2017 marks the 31st running of the HKIR. Nearly 1,250 runners from 17 countries/regions took part in the past 30 editions of the HKIR. 2. The Cup was ranked equal 15th in the World’s Top 100 G1 Races in 2016. It is the highest ranked event of the four HKIRs and was also the top-ranked G1 in Hong Kong last year. Meanwhile, at equal 38th, the Sprint was rated the world’s best sprint race in 2016. 3. Tony Cruz is the winning-most trainer. He is also the only horseman to win a HKIR race as a jockey, too, as he rode COLONIAL CHIEF to victory in the second Invitation Cup in January 1989. 4. John Moore last year became the first trainer ever to have over 100 starters in HKIR history. Having saddled a total of 103 runners since 1988, he has amassed six wins, eight seconds and 10 thirds. He’s also the only trainer to have won each of the four HKIR races at least once. 5. Japanese trainer Noriyuki Hori is the only overseas trainer to have saddled two winners at the same HKIR. He achieved the unique feat with MAURICE (Cup) and SATONO CROWN (Vase) in 2016. 6. Gerald Mosse and Joao Moreira are the only two jockeys to have won each of the four HKIR events at least once. Moreira completed his full collection of wins in just three years, aboard ABLE FRIEND (2014 Mile), DESIGNS ON ROME (2014 Cup), PENIAPHOBIA (2015 Sprint) and SATONO CROWN (2016 Vase). 7. Six three-year-olds have triumphed at the HKIR, yet not one of that age has ever won the Sprint. 8. Only two eight-year-olds have succeeded at the HKIR – COLLIER HILL in the 2006 Vase and AEROVELOCITY in the 2016 Sprint. ABLE ONE is the oldest HKIR winner as he turned the clock back as a nine-year-old in the 2011 Mile. 9. A total of 10 fillies and mares have won at the HKIR down the years, the latest being SNOW FAIRY in the 2010 Cup. 10. Hong Kong runners have won 37 HKIR races since FLYING DANCER took the inaugural HK Invitation Cup in January 1988. Some 31 of these wins were achieved after 2002. France has produced more HKIR winners than any other overseas jurisdiction with a total of 14 victories, 10 of which were achieved in the Hong Kong Vase. Next on the list are the UK and Japan as each of these two countries has 12 HKIR wins. - 2 - LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (Group 1) HK$18 million (US$2.3 million) Race Best Time 1st HK$10,260,000, 2nd HK$3,960,000, 3rd HK$1,800,000, 2.25.10 (1994) 4th HK$1,026,000, 5th HK$594,000, 6th HK$360,000 Performance Analysis Horse Details Horse Statistics Probable Trainer Jockey Name Rep Age/ Wt. Int’l Lifetime G1 Good Wet RH 2200-2800 Trk/Dist Sex Rtg Highland Reel IRE 5h 126 123 26 (9-6-3) 21 (6-4-3) 17 (9-4-2) 9 (0-2-1) 15 (6-4-1) 13 (5-3-1) 2 (1-1-0) R Moore A P O'Brien Talismanic FR 4c 126 122 16 (6-5-1) 4 (1-0-0) 5 (4-0-0) 11 (2-5-1) 4 (0-1-1) 11 (5-3-1) 0 (0-0-0) M Barzalona A Fabre Tiberian FR 5h 126 114 18 (6-4-0) 4 (0-0-0) 8 (3-2-0) 10 (3-2-0) 9 (2-4-0) 13 (5-3-0) 0 (0-0-0) O Peslier A Couetil Chemical Charge GB 5h 126 113 14 (5-6-1) 1 (0-0-0) 6 (3-2-1) 5 (0-3-0) 8 (2-5-1) 10 (3-4-1) 0 (0-0-0) O Murphy R M Beckett Danehill Kodiac GB 4c 126 113 16 (5-3-3) 0 (0-0-0) 9 (2-2-2) 4 (2-0-1) 7 (3-1-1) 9 (3-2-2) 0 (0-0-0) S Levey R Hannon Eagle Way HK 5g 126 113 22 (6-3-1) 2 (1-0-1) 18 (6-2-1) 4 (0-1-0) 22 (6-3-1) 5 (2-2-1) 2 (1-0-1) T Berry J Moore Max Dynamite IRE 7g 126 113 16 (3-2-4) 5 (0-1-1) 6 (0-2-2) 8 (3-0-1) 9 (0-0-2) 4 (1-0-0) 0 (0-0-0) G Schofield W P Mullins Tosen Basil JPN 5h 126 113 17 (5-3-2) 2 (0-0-0) 17 (5-3-2) 0 (0-0-0) 12 (2-3-2) 8 (3-1-1) 0 (0-0-0) J Moreira H Fujiwara Gold Mount HK 4g 126 109 14 (6-1-2) 1 (0-0-0) 8 (3-1-1) 4 (3-0-0) 10 (5-0-2) 4 (2-0-1) 2 (0-0-1) Z Purton A S Cruz Helene Charisma HK 4c 126 108 18 (3-1-4) 2 (1-0-0) 11 (0-1-2) 7 (3-0-2) 15 (1-1-3) 4 (1-1-0) 2 (0-1-0) S Clipperton J Moore Smart Call GB 6m 122 110 21 (7-4-3) 8 (3-1-0) 18 (7-4-2) 3 (0-0-1) 16 (4-4-2) 0 (0-0-0) 0 (0-0-0) J Crowley Sir M R Stoute Kiseki JPN 3c 121 118 8 (4-1-2) 1 (1-0-0) 7 (3-1-2) 1 (1-0-0) 5 (2-1-2) 2 (0-1-1) 0 (0-0-0) M Demuro K Sumii Barrier Draw Statistic Speed Chart Draw 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1 0 4 1 3 2 2 1 3 2 3 3 3 1 1 4 4 1 2 2 5 1 2 1 3 6 1 1 2 3 7 3 3 3 1 8 0 1 2 0 9 4 1 1 1 10 1 3 3 3 The Sha Tin 2400m circuit is relatively flat and fast by European standards, making tactical speed an advantage. Last year, when Satono Crown and Highland Reel singled out to stage their 11 0 1 3 1 memorable 2-horse war, Highland Reel was in front at the 800m and Satono Crown just 2-1/2 12 3 1 0 1 lengths off the lead at the same stage. The most recent winner to come from the rear was Hong 13 0 0 2 0 Kong’s Dominant (2013), and he was still 5-1/4 lengths off the leader at the 800m. If there is such 14 1 1 0 1 a thing as the “perfect” place to be, it would be four lengths off the lead, and one horse away from (Past 23 runnings) the rail, when they reach the half-way point. (Likely Pace: GOOD TO SLOW) - 4 - LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (Group 1) – 2400m – Turf – Right-handed Course Spotlight Highland Reel gave the Aidan O’Brien stable its first Hong Kong win when successful in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase two years ago.