FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2011 732-747-8060 $ TDN Home Page Click Here MIXED BAG FOR FAVORITES AT HKIR DRAW FEATURE PRESENTATION • G1 CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG VASE Over 50 of the world=s top turf horses were entered yesterday for Sunday=s Cathay Pacific International Races, and, with the possible exception of Rocket Man (Aus) (Viscount {Aus}), most of the major players in the four events drew favorably. Corine Barande-Barbe, trainer of G1 Hong Kong Cup hopeful Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top {Ire}) was looking to change her luck after her last two trips REDWOOD A VASE DARK HORSE to Hong Kong. AI asked With the presence of the top two finishers from the co-owner Jean-Claude G1 Melbourne Cup and with Campanologist likely to Dupouy to draw himself take action based on because he=s a lucky man,@ his connections, there she explained. ATwo years could be worse ago, [assistant trainer] options than Khalid Jimmy Choux’s trainer John Jean-Jacques [Poincelet] got Abdullah=s Redwood Bary HKJC.com number 12, while last year, I (GB) (High Chaparral got the 13 draw! We have a {Ire}) in Sunday= HK much better start here as there are only 10 runners and G1 Vase. As a 4-year we got a good draw with stall number two.@ The old in 2010, the bay favorites for the day=s co-richest event, the G1 Hong came from midpack to Kong Mile, also fared well, with the connections of finish second to Redwood HKJC.com Australasian hope Jimmy Choux (NZ) (Thorn Park Godolphin=s Mastery (Fr) (Sulamani {Ire}) and resurfaced {Aus}) also pulling the two hole. AI=m very happy with to be runner-up in this year=s G1 Dubai Sheema Classic that gate,@ trainer John Bary confirmed. AWe can sit in over the Vase trip. Cont. p2 behind the pace or he can do it from the front if that=s what his jockey wants. Jonathan [Riddell] knows him so well. That=s why he=s riding him. I=m very pleased with the horse.@ The G1 Hong Kong Vase is the first of the International races to be staged and figures to be the race day=s most wide-open affair, with G1 Melbourne Cup first and second Dunaden (Fr) (Nicobar {Fr}) and Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) in the mix, while Campanologist (Kingmambo) will try to make it back-to-back wins in the race for Godolphin. The draw for the G1 Hong Kong Sprint was easily the most eventful, as three of the top foreign entrants drew wide out. Rocket Man, the narrowest of runners-up last year, will have to overcome the 13 hole, and Bated Breath (GB) (Dansili {GB}) the 12, while and top Japanese filly Curren Chan (Jpn) (Kurofune) was also handed a double-digit draw in 11. AWell, it=s not the gate we would have wanted obviously, but he=ll go forward from there because that=s what he does,@ Patrick Shaw said of Rocket Man. AI won=t say I=m not fazed by the draw, but what can you do?@ Two-time Sprint champion Sacred Kingdom (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) is widest in the 14-horse field. Cont. p2 www.claibornefarm.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 12/9/11 • PAGE 2 of 8 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Cont from p1 A close third in the GI Canadian International S. when prepping for this a year ago, Redwood was seventh to Sarah Lynx (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) in October, but the effort is excusable, according to trainer Charles Hills. AHe loves travelling, and he had no luck in Canada last DRAGON SLAYER time where the ground turned soft on him, which is not Jockey Douglas Whyte has ridden his fair share of what he really wants,@ Hills said.@ As for the high draw top horses during his wildly successful career in Hong in 12? AIn the Vase I am not sure that the draw matters Kong, but minces no words in describing reigning Horse as much as luck in running. That draw should be no of the Year Ambitious Dragon problem because he can be a bit slow away anyway.@ (NZ) (Pins {Aus}), calling him Aone of the best horses I=ve Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, post time: 2:00 p.m. ever ridden.@ The bay gelding CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG VASE-G1 , HK$14,000,000, 3yo/up, won a record-equalling seven 2400mT races in the 2010-2011 SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER 1 8 Trailblazer (Jpn) Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn) Ando Ikee season, including the Hong 2 13 Jakkalberry (Ire) Storming Home (GB) Branca Botti Kong Derby followed by a 3 2 Silver Pond (GB) Act One (GB) Jarnet Head 3/4-length score from Douglas Whyte and owner 4 6 Campanologist Kingmambo Dettori bin Suroor California Memory (Highest Johnson Lam HKJC.com 5 3 Dunaden (Fr) Nicobar (GB) Williams Delzangles Honor {Fr}) in the G1 Queen 6 11 Mighty High (Fr) Peintre Celebre Beadman Moore 7 5 Mr Medici (Ire) Medicean (GB) Mosse Ho Elizabeth II Cup last May with Whyte in the saddle. The 8 12 Redwood (GB) High Chaparral (Ire) M Hills C Hills ADurban Demon@ was aboard for a comeback success in 9 1 Thumbs Up (NZ) Shinko King (Ire) Prebble Fownes the National Day Cup H. over an insufficient 1400 10 7 Red Cadeaux (GB) Cdeux Gnrux (GB) R Moore Dunlop meters, but Ambitious Dragon could not overcome a 11 9 Super Satin (NZ) Danehill Dancer (Ire) Doleuze Fownes wide trip and dropped his prep to Destined for Glory 12 4 Sarah Lynx (Ire) Montjeu (Ire) Soumillon Hammond 13 10 Vadamar (Fr) Dalakhani (Ire) Lemaire de Ryr-Dpre (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) in the G2 Jockey Club Mile. All carry 126 pounds, bar Sarah Lynx, 122; and Vadamar, 121. Cont. p3 TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 12/9/11 • PAGE 3 of 8 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Cont from p2 That effort should deter few of Ambitious Dragon=s backers, nor should the return of Whyte to the controls, and they will depart the five hole Sunday. AIt=s a lovely gate,@ Whyte said. APerfect draw and from there I=ll have options. I=ll go home and do a little more work on the race, but I doubt that I=d ride him forward. I=m happy for him to settle and make use of his great turn of foot.@ Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, post time: 4:30 p.m. CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG CUP-G1, HK$20,000,000, 3yo/up, 2000mT SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER 1 2 Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) Even Top (Ire) Soumillon Brnde-Brbe 2 5 Ambitious Dragon (NZ) Pins (Aus) Whyte Millard 3 6 Byword (GB) Peintre Celere Guyon Fabre 4 7 Durban Thunder (Ger) Samum (Ger) Starke Mundry 5 10 Irian (Ger) Tertullian Beadman Moore 6 1 California Memory K Highest Honor (Fr) Chadwick A Cruz 7 8 Zazou (Ger) Shamardal Peslier Hickst 8 4 Ransom Note (GB) Red Ransom M Hills C Hills 9 3 Pure Champion (Ire) Ftspsinthesnd (GB) Mosse A Cruz 10 9 Jacobee (GB) Mark of Esteem (Ire) Clark Moore All carry 126 pounds. SAHM KIND OF RACEMARE Teruya Yoshida=s Sahpresa (Sahm) arrives in Hong Kong in arguably better form than she was this time last year, when she finished willingly to be third in the G1 Hong Kong Mile, about 1 1/4 lengths behind the 859-873-7270 • www.airdriestud.com victorious Beauty Flash (NZ) (Golan {Ire}), with whom she rematches this weekend. And while she hasn=t Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, post time: 3:50 p.m. quite gotten over the hump at the top level outside of CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG MILE-G1, HK$20,000,000, 3yo/up, her sex, the three-time G1 Sun Chariot S. winner hasn=t 1600mT exactly embarrassed herself either, with thirds against SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT 1 12 Cityscape (GB) Selkirk Drowne Charlton 126 the boys in the G1 Prix 2 2 Jimmy Choux (NZ) Thorn Park (Aus) Riddell J Bary 126 Jacques le Marois-- 3 4 Rajsaman (Fr) Linamix (Fr) Jarnet Head 126 where she completed a 4 10 Beauty Flash (NZ) Golan (Ire) Mosse A Cruz 126 1-2-3 for the fairer sex-- 5 5 Xtension (Ire) Xaar (GB) Beadman Moore 126 and last time out in 6 7 Able One (NZ) Cape Cross (Ire) Lloyd Moore 126 7 6 Flying Blue (Aus) Piccolo (GB) Doleuze Size 126 Kyoto=s G1 Mile 8 1 Destined for Glory (Ire) Azamour (Ire) Clark Moore 126 Championship S. Nov. 9 3 Fair Trade (Aus) Danewin (Aus) Prebble Fownes 126 20. She left from the 10 13 Sichuan Success (Aus) Fastnet Rock (Aus) Whyte Size 126 nine hole in 2010 and 11 11 Fat Choy Oohlala (GB) Dr Fong Guyon Yip 126 did slightly better this 12 14 Dubawi Gold (GB) Dubawi (Ire) Hughes Hannon 125 Sahpresa HKJC.com 13 8 Sahpresa Sahm Lemaire Rod Collet 122 time around, earning 14 9 Apapane (Jpn) Kng Kamhamha (Jpn) Ebina Kunieda 122 trainer Rodolphe Collet quote-of-the-week honors. AI am happy with number 8. It=s better than number 9, which Also Eligible I picked last year,@ he stated. AI seem to make some Outdoor Pegasus (GB) Dubawi (Ire) No Rider Yiu 126 progress every year, but I wish I was improving faster. I am told that 8 is a lucky number. Why don=t they give me the winner=s prize money straight away then?@ TDN Twitter Contest Follow or retweet us @theTDN Trainer John Moore thinks he=ll have something to say from now through the end of the about that with Xtension (Ire) (Xaar {GB}), who=s cozily year and get automatically drawn in five.