The HK$93 million LONGINES Hong Kong International Races will bring together international stars for four exciting and elite Group 1 contests at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday, 9 December. Among the 50 selections ‒ featuring 22 G1 winners ‒ is a 24-strong contingent of world class overseas raiders including Japan’s champion sprinter Fine Needle, plus the hugely-talented Sungrazer and five other G1-winning compatriots. The strong Japanese party also includes crack miler Persian Knight who will challenge Hong Kong’s outstanding champion Beauty Generation, the world’s highest-rated specialist turf miler. The European cohort features French ace Waldgeist and the reigning Irish Derby winner Latrobe, as well as Britain’s new G1 heroine One Master. The LONGINES HKIR is the sport’s global year-end Group 1 extravaganza. The “Turf World Championships” features the HK$28 million LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), the HK$25 million LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), the HK$20 million LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and the HK$20 million LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m). This information is correct as of 27th November 2018. 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 ...................................................................... 42 Trainers Profile .................................................................................................. 50 Past HKIR Results of Trainers ........................................................................... 56 Jockeys Profile ................................................................................................... 59 Past HKIR Results of Jockeys ........................................................................... 65 Betting Guide ..................................................................................................... 68 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 Hong Kong International Races Trivia 2018 marks the 32nd running of the HKIR. A total of 1,300 Derek Leung became the second home-grown jockey, runners from 17 countries/regions took part in the past 31 following Matthew Chadwick’s Cup wins atop CALIFORNIA 1 editions. 13 MEMORY in 2011 and 2012, to win a HKIR race when he steered BEAUTY GENERATION to success in the 2017 Mile. All four HKIR events were named in the World’s Top 100 G1 Hong Kong runners have won three of the four G1 events at a Races in 2017. Both the Vase and Cup ranked equal 40th, the single HKIR five times, the latest being MR STUNNING 2 Sprint in equal 44th and the Mile equal 81st. 14 (Sprint), BEAUTY GENERATION (Mile) and TIME WARP (Cup) in 2017. The first ever Hong Kong International Race, the 1988 Hong Hong Kong runners have won 40 HKIR races since FLYING Kong Invitation Cup carried prize money of HK$1.47 million, DANCER took the inaugural HK Invitation Cup in January 1988. 3 just 5.3% of the Hong Kong Cup’s 2018 purse. 15 Some 34 of these wins were achieved after 2002. The shortest-priced HKIR victor is SILENT WITNESS, who 2001 is the only year in which overseas raiders won all four started at odds of 30/100 for the Sprint in both 2003 and 2004. events at the HKIR: Japanese trio STAY GOLD (Vase), EISHIN 4 16 PRESTON (Mile) and AGNES DIGITAL (Cup), as well as Australian speedster FALVELON (Sprint). New Zealand’s GREY INVADER won the third Cup at odds of LORD KANALOA holds the record for the widest winning 72/1 in December, 1989, the longest price of any winner in margin at the HKIR - five lengths in the 2013 Sprint. 5 HKIR history. 17 The HKIR’s winning-most trainer Tony Cruz scored his ninth No horse has as many HKIR wins on their record as GOOD BA win with TIME WARP in the 2017 Cup. He is also the only BA, who won the Hong Kong Mile three times (2007, 2008 & 6 trainer to have won a HKIR race as a jockey, too, as he rode 18 2009). COLONIAL CHIEF to victory in the second Invitation Cup in January, 1989. John Moore is the only trainer to have won each of the four Six three-year-olds have triumphed at the HKIR, yet not one of HKIR races at least once. Having saddled a total of 110 runners that age has ever won the Sprint: (HIGHLAND REEL – 2015 7 since 1988, he has amassed seven wins, nine seconds and 11 19 Vase; SNOW FAIRY – 2010 Cup; DARYAKANA – 2009 Vase; thirds. ALEXANDER GOLDRUN – 2004 Cup; VALLEE ENCHANTEE – 2003 Vase; ADDITIONAL RISK – 1991 Bowl) John Size became the first trainer to saddle a one-two finish in ABLE ONE is the oldest HKIR winner as he turned the clock a HKIR race, with his runners MR STUNNING and D B PIN in back as a nine-year-old in the 2011 Mile. Only two eight-year- 8 the 2017 Sprint. 20 olds have succeeded at the HKIR – COLLIER HILL in the 2006 Vase and AEROVELOCITY in the 2016 Sprint. Leading the overseas trainers on the HKIR all-time list is A total of 10 fillies and mares have won at the HKIR down the 9 Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor with four wins. 21 years, the latest being SNOW FAIRY in the 2010 Cup. Japanese trainer Noriyuki Hori is the only overseas trainer to France has produced more HKIR winners than any other have saddled two winners at the same HKIR. He achieved the overseas jurisdictions with a total of 14 victories, 10 of which 10 unique feat with MAURICE (Cup) and SATONO CROWN 22 were achieved in the Hong Kong Vase. Next on the list are UK (Vase) in 2016. and Japan with 12 HKIR wins apiece. With an impressive eight wins on the board, veteran French ace Japan is the only overseas country to have won each of the 11 Gerald Mosse has more HKIR victories than any other jockey. 23 four HKIR races at least once. Zac Purton joined Gerald Mosse and Joao Moreira as the only three jockeys to have won each of the four HKIR events at least 12 once. He achieved that feat when winning the Cup atop TIME WARP in 2017. - 2 - LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (Group 1) HK$20 million (US$2.5 million) Race Best Time 1st HK$11,400,000, 2nd HK$4,400,000, 3rd HK$2,000,000, 2.25.10 (1994) 4th HK$1,140,000, 5th HK$660,000, 6th HK$400,000 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 Waldgeist FR 4c 126 122 15 (6-3-1) 7 (2-1-0) 7 (3-0-1) 8 (3-3-0) 11 (4-2-1) 9 (4-1-0) 0 (0-0-0) P-C Boudot A Fabre Pakistan Star HK 5g 126 120 19 (5-5-0) 4 (2-1-0) 18 (5-4-0) 1 (0-1-0) 19 (5-5-0) 1 (1-0-0) 1 (1-0-0) W Buick A S Cruz Salouen GB 4c 126 117 21 (2-6-6) 8 (0-2-2) 15 (2-4-2) 6 (0-2-4) 11 (1-3-3) 8 (0-1-3) 0 (0-0-0) O Murphy S Kirk Exultant HK 4g 126 116 17 (5-5-2) 2 (0-1-1) 15 (4-5-1) 2 (1-0-1) 16 (4-5-2) 3 (1-2-0) 2 (1-1-0) Z Purton A S Cruz Mirage Dancer GB 4c 126 116 11 (3-3-2) 0 (0-0-0) 8 (3-2-1) 3 (0-1-1) 6 (2-2-1) 6 (2-3-1) 0 (0-0-0) R Moore Sir M R Stoute Eagle Way HK 6g 126 115 34 (8-4-5) 6 (1-0-2) 30 (8-3-5) 4 (0-1-0) 34 (8-4-5) 8 (2-2-1) 5 (1-0-1) S de Sousa J Moore Red Verdon GB 5h 126 113 25 (5-9-1) 5 (0-1-0) 9 (1-4-0) 9 (1-3-0) 10 (1-5-0) 16 (4-5-0) 0 (0-0-0) J Doyle E A L Dunlop Prince Of Arran GB 5g 126 112 29 (5-6-4) 3 (0-0-1) 16 (2-4-2) 6 (0-1-1) 9 (3-1-1) 6 (3-0-2) 0 (0-0-0) M Walker C Fellowes Ruthven HK 5g 126 110 19 (4-5-0) 3 (1-1-0) 16 (3-4-0) 3 (1-1-0) 11 (2-0-0) 4 (1-1-0) 0 (0-0-0) H Bowman F C Lor Lys Gracieux JPN 4f 122 113 16 (4-6-3) 8 (1-4-0) 15 (4-5-3) 1 (0-1-0) 9 (2-3-3) 3 (1-0-0) 0 (0-0-0) J Moreira Y Yahagi Crocosmia JPN 5m 122 112 25 (5-3-3) 5 (0-2-0) 21 (4-2-3) 4 (1-1-0) 19 (3-3-2) 3 (0-2-0) 0 (0-0-0) Y Iwata K Nishiura Eziyra IRE 4f 122 111 12 (6-3-2) 3 (0-0-2) 6 (2-1-2) 6 (4-2-0) 4 (3-0-1) 7 (3-1-2) 0 (0-0-0) C Lemaire D K Weld Latrobe IRE 3c 121 114 8 (2-5-0) 4 (1-2-0) 6 (2-3-0) 2 (0-2-0) 5 (2-3-0) 3 (2-1-0) 0 (0-0-0) J McDonald J P O'Brien Rostropovich IRE 3c 121 113 14 (4-2-2) 6 (0-1-1) 9 (3-2-1) 5 (1-0-1) 6 (1-2-0) 4 (1-2-0) 0 (0-0-0) W Lordan A P O'Brien Barrier Draw Statistics Speed Chart Draw 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1 0 5 1 3 2 2 1 3 2 3 3 3 1 1 4 4 1 2 3 5 1 2 1 3 6 1 1 2 3 7 3 3 4 1 8 1 1 2 0 9 4 1 1 1 10 1 3 3 3 11 0 1 3 1 The start for the Longines Hong Kong Vase is at the top of the home straight, so the contenders 12 3 1 0 1 have a straight run of 400 metres before completing a lap of the course.