Brett Prebble has partnered Lucky Nine in 24 races in five
countries/regions and has been in the saddle for numerous early morning
gallops, so when the Australian ace says "he's never felt better"
ahead of Sunday's G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint it makes sense to take note.
"The horse is full of energy, I can't give you any negative and I'm
excited for Sunday to come," said Prebble of last season's G1 KrisFlyer
International Sprint hero.
Hong Kong's Champion Sprinter is bidding to emulate the great Sacred
Kingdom (2007 & 2009) by regaining the Hong Kong Sprint crown he won
in 2011 but relinquished 12 months ago when only fifth. The horse that
emphatically wrested the title in 2012 was Japan's star sprinter Lord Kanaloa
and Prebble is looking forward to locking horns with that rival once more.
"I'm worried about the draw but I'm not worried about Lord Kanaloa.
If I get a draw - I'm not saying we'll definitely beat him - we'll certainly
give him a race," said the jockey, who was also atop Lucky Nine when the
gelding was an unlucky fifth to Lord Kanaloa in the 2012 G1 Sprinters Stakes in
Japan.
"We've met Lord Kanaloa twice and both times I've stood him up a
huge task to catch him because my horse has come out very awkward both times -
he's jumping much faster now. If I'm in front of Lord Kanaloa, he'll have a
race on his hands."
Lucky Nine has had an unusual campaign so far this term, his two lead-up
races having been in Australia. After an agonising nose defeat in the G1
Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in October, the Caspar Fownes-trained
six-year-old failed to fire when sixth down the Flemington straight in the G1
VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) on November 9.
"It's hard to put a finger on what took place at Flemington because
he's done well down the straight here at Sha Tin, so I'm not saying it was just
the straight course - the horse wasn't comfortable when he started,"
commented Prebble. "Since he's got back here he's a different horse to
what he was down there. I worked him yesterday (Monday) and it was the Lucky
Nine of old."
Lucky Nine went 1200m of the Sha Tin all-weather on Monday and after a
steady 33.3s opening 400m he wound up with a 25.8s split before closing off
with a 21.8s final section for 1m 20.9s.
"He can't be better, he's on top form and Caspar's done a fantastic
job to get him back to the form he's in now," enthused Prebble. "He's
as good as he's felt in a very long time. It's very important to draw a good
gate, but if he does, we'll be in the finish. We just need a bit of luck, get
the barrier draw, and we'll see the real Lucky Nine on Sunday."
The G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint is the final leg of the Global Sprint
Challenge and features a top-class field of 14 runners, including this season's
G1 King's Stand Stakes hero Sole Power and G1 Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Jwala.
LONGINES Hong Kong International Races Tuesday track
notes
There was an increased buzz of activity at Sha Tin this morning as more
of the international press turned out and there was plenty to see on the track.
Ireland's Vase hope Simenon was one of two to work on the turf, clocking 1m
26.2s for 1200m, while USA contender King Kreesa limbered up for the Mile with
a steady 1200m breeze in 1m 21.6s.
LONGINES Hong Kong Vase
ASUKA KURICHAN (JPN)
Cantered on the all-weather under jockey Takuma Ogino who is the horse's
exercise rider.
Trainer Naosuke Sugai said: "Everything has gone well, as planned,
so far. It was his first day to work on the track yesterday so he was as fit as
a fiddle. This morning, he was more relaxed and cantered comfortably. We will
give him a gallop on the all-weather tomorrow."
DOMINANT (HK)
Trainer John Moore said: "He's a little bit thick in the wind but
we've got used to that now. He worked along with Ashkiyr this morning and it
was good work over about a mile. He'll go through his final gallop on Friday
just to top him off."
DUNADEN (FR)
The seven-year-old is visiting Sha Tin for the third consecutive winter
and he seems to be regarded by the other French challengers as a schoolmaster
leading them on the all weather track, bar Cirrus Des Aigles, who does things
his own way after four visits.
Exercise rider Mathieu Brasme commented: "He hardly raced at all 10
days ago so he's not tired!"
EBIYZA (FR)
Exercised on the all-weather track.
Jean-Michel Roux, travelling head lad for Alain de Royer Dupre said:
"Her morning rider lets her do what she likes but once they are at work,
it all falls in place. Those two love each other! I guess that the filly will
work on the turf on Thursday, like most of them."
MOUNT ATHOS (GB)
Cantered and then walked down the turf track to the parade ring, a
regular pattern for the horse.
Charlie Henson, representing trainer Luca Cumani, commented: "This
helps with acclimatisation. It is a tried and tested system used in the past by
Mr Cumani with the likes of Falbrav and Presvis. Mount Athos is enjoying the
warmer weather and is in good shape. He'll do some work on the turf at some
point later in the week."
Like plenty of others Henson pointed in only one direction regarding the
most likely winner of this year's Vase. "If The Fugue shows up at the top
of her game, she'll be hard to beat."
RED CADEAUX (GB)
Went a steady 800m on the all-weather in 1m 02.9s (splits: 34.5, 28.4)
The 2013 Dubai World Cup and Melbourne Cup runner-up continues to
"tick over well" according to his long time handler Robin
Trevor-Jones. This year the gelding comes to Hong Kong directly from Melbourne
whereas last year he went from Melbourne to the Japan Cup before winning the
Vase.
Trevor-Jones, representing trainer Ed Dunlop, said: "He had a
pretty tough run in this year's Melbourne Cup so it was decided to miss Japan.
He was tired after Flemington but is sparking up again now as he always does.
He's a wonderful horse who always gives his best and I'm happy with how he's
looking. He's probably ready now for a bit of a blow tomorrow."
LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint
CERISE CHERRY (HK)
Worked 800m (all-weather) in 48.3s (splits: 26.0, 22.3).
Jockey Matthew Chadwick said: "The draw is going to be important
for him. I just galloped him this morning and he was very relaxed - he does his
own thing but he'll wake up on race day. I gave him a squeeze and he responded
- he knows what he's doing.
EAGLE REGIMENT (HK)
Manfred Man, trainer of Eagle Regiment: "We'll work him tomorrow.
We just want to keep him fresh - he's six now so I know him - it will be an
easy, normal pace. My horse can run fresh. He ran very well in Dubai when he
missed track work. The main thing is I can't push him that hard - if I do,
maybe he would not make the race. It will be a headache if he draws wide but if
he gets the inside draw he will get a good chance and it will be very close.
But Japan's horse (Lord Kanaloa) is very strong."
LORD KANALOA (JPN)
Had a routine canter on the all-weather under regular exercise rider
Shogo Yasuda who is a son of trainer Takayuki Yasuda.
Ryuji Iwamoto, assistant trainer, said: "We are very happy with his
good condition. As I saw him working this morning, he was full of beans
and wanted to go faster, which was a good sign, but he seemed to keep in good
contact with the rider. He will have a gallop on turf tomorrow."
SOLE POWER (IRE) and SLADE POWER (IRE)
Irish trainer Edward Lynam, who is two handed in the Hong Kong Sprint,
was at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning for the first time as Sole Power and Slade
Power put in routine canters on the all-weather track. He reported that all was
well with his pair:
"They have both travelled well and have settled in here with no
bother, which is the main thing," he said of his King's Stand Stakes Royal
Ascot winner. "I hope they will run their races on Sunday. Sole Power has
been running well all season, he's an experienced horse, getting wiser as he
gets older - a bit like his trainer! He'll need to run a lot better than he did in
this race two years ago (9th in 2011), but if he relaxes in the race he'll get
the six furlongs alright. He's fresh and well and his training has been
good."
Speaking of Slade Power, winner of the Group 2 British Champions Sprint
on his most recent start at Ascot in October, Lynam said " He's an
improving horse, winning a couple of Group 3 races, being placed in a Group 1
race, and winning a Group 2. If he breaks well, he'll run a good race."
Lynam plans to put Slade Power through the starting gate on Friday
morning, and let him break from the gate for a hundred metres or so, in an
effort to ensure that all goes right on the big day for this occasionally
erratic starter.
LONGINES Hong Kong Mile
DAN EXCEL (HK)
Worked 1200m (turf) along with Military Attack in 1m 17.4 s (splits:
27.1, 26.9, 23.4)
Trainer John Moore said: "He went through his paces with Military
Attack on the turf this morning and he worked very well. He'll have another
three-quarter pace work on Friday morning to apply the finishing touches."
LINTON (AUS)
The distinctive grey had a steady canter on the all-weather track and
has pleased connections with steady improvement in his condition over the past
48 hours according to stable manager Troy Corstens who ventured to Sha Tin for
the first time this morning.
Corstens said: "The horse is coming good. He's back on his tucker
now after taking a few days to settle in. He lost around 15kg on the trip over
but he's nearly put that all back on now. Just three or four kilos to go.
"He looks great in the coat. It's always a little hard to tell with
greys but I think he's the healthiest in the coat right now that he's ever
been. Being stabled alone isn't ideal but the Jockey Club has helped us out
with a few things including a mirror in his box and that seems to have helped.
"Carolyn (Mason) is happy with him and she's looked after the horse
ever since he joined our stable. We haven't done a great deal with him here in
Hong Kong but he's not a gross horse. He doesn't take a lot of work but he will
probably have a more serious workout on Thursday morning."
Corstens is under no illusions about the enormity of the task in
Sunday's race. "The Mile looks an exceptional race this year. It's
certainly the toughest race he's contested and he'll need all the luck we can
get. We're here with open eyes and under no illusions about how tough it's
going to be but we're still quietly confident that he'll run well."
MOONLIGHT CLOUD (FR)
Worked on the all-weather track.
Regis Barbedette, travelling head lad to trainer Freddy Head, said:
"She's all right. There is not much to do as she worked very well on
Monday last week at Chantilly before taking off."
SHAMALGAN (FR)
Luis Garcia Fernandez, travelling head lad, said: "It is my first
time here after we travelled Europe in Shamalgan's horsebox. He travelled all
right and seems to be in good shape."
LONGINES Hong Kong Cup
CIRRUS DES AIGLES (FR)
Exercised on the all-weather and breezed 400m in 27.6s.
Zoe Gargoulaud, exercise rider, said: "He's keen enough and he
always seems to want more when we hit the turf course on our way to the
quarantine stables."
Jean-Jacques Poincelet, assistant trainer to Corine Barande-Barbe,
added: "He always wants to go, although I feel that with age he is now
able to manage himself. Zoe (Gargoulaud) needs to check him every now and then
but that's all right."
MILITARY ATTACK (HK)
Worked 1200m (turf) along with Dan Excel in 1m 17.4 s (splits: 27.1,
26.9, 23.4)
Jockey Zac Purton said: "His work has been good. He has progressed
from one week to the next and he did a nice little piece of work on the grass
this morning. Obviously we didn't get to the bottom of him, it's just a case of
topping him off for the weekend - he's done enough. He's going in third up and
he's a horse that loves his racing and gets better as he gets into his
preparation, so for me that's probably our only concern."
SIDE GLANCE (GB)
The Andrew Balding-trained contender was again out on the all-weather
track with regular rider Leanne Masterson aboard. The consistent six-year-old
gelding, who gained his first success at Group 1 level when taking the
Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington on his last start, galloped over 1200 metres in
1m 19.9s (splits: 28.3, 27.5, 24.1) and looked very well in doing so.
"He's in good form," said a smiling Masterson recalling his
Australian triumph, "I am just so happy he won that day, he really
deserved it, and it was so special for everyone."
TOKEI HALO (JPN)
Cantered on the all-weather under his regular work rider Yoshiyuki
Miyashita.
Assistant trainer Yoshiyuki Miyashita said: "He is maintaining good
form and everything up to now has gone smoothly. The trainer will come out on
the track to see his gallop on turf tomorrow morning. Jockey Yutaka Take will
take reins."
No comments:
Post a Comment