Sha Tin
This Sunday will see some of the worlds best milers lock horns in the HK$12mil Group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin. In a race that has been totally dominated by the local horses since its inception, dual South African Horse of the Year Variety Club will be gunning to be the first foreign raider to wrestle the title, but the Var entire faces some stiff competition. Our Hong Kong correspondent, Simon Burgess assess the field and gives us his thoughts.
Variety Club
Sunday’s race will be the five-year-old’s first start for de Kock, a three-time winner of International G1 races in Hong Kong, but the Champions Mile is not among them. The trainer has had five previous shots at the race with Musir’s third-place in 2011 being his best result. Then again, Hong Kong-trained horses have won each of the nine editions since the race was opened to overseas runners. Indeed, Musir’s effort matched the best ever placing by an overseas horse in the contest.
Similar to the Godolphin Mile, Variety Club has again drawn wide in barrier 12 with two of the other fancied runners in European Gordon Lord Byron in 13 and likely local favourite, Able Friend in 14 for Joao Moreira and John Moore.
The 1600 metre start at Sha Tin sees a 700 metre straight run to the first bend so no need for jockeys to be scrambling for positions early. This should allow Variety Club to lead if Marcus wants to with local horse Helene Spirit from barrier 4 the other likely go forward horse.
Irish raider Gordon Lord Byron is no stranger to Hong Kong having run fourth in the last two renewals of the race and arrives here with a recent Group 1 win in Australia in the George Ryder Stakes over 1500m. He has been in Hong Kong for over a week now and has looked very well on the track. He definitely prefers some cut in the ground which he is not likely to get come Sunday, but having the services of the current leading jockey in Hong Kong, Zac Purton will be a plus.
Meiner Lacrima
Japanese contender Meiner Lacrima has done a lot of miles on the track this week so fitness will certainly not be an issue. In his last start in Japan, he ran fourth in a Group 2 race beaten 3 and ¾ lengths behind Vercingetorix’s Dubai conqueror, Just a Way, so one would have to think he could be competitive in this race. The concern as always when Japanese horses travel is how he will be ridden, but his fitness levels suggest he can handle traveling wide a lot of the trip.
A horse with a similar form line is the French contender Mshawish who also comes thru the Dubai Duty Free running fourth, albeit a way from the winner and second horse. Often held up behind the pace, barrier six looks to be ideal although the son of Medaglia d’Oro is untested on any ground faster than good.
Of the strong local chances, the best looks to be Able Friend from the outside gate with Joao Moreira, Glorious Days for Karis Teetan from the eight stall and Gold Fun for Douglas Whyte from barrier two.
Able Friend
The form from the Hong Kong Derby looks to be very strong after Designs on Rome’s win in last week’s QEII Cup. Able Friend was only beaten by ½ a length in the Derby, and has come back very strongly winning the Group 2 Chairmans Trophy over the mile here at Sha Tin. Many local experts are of the opinion that Able Friend could in fact be better than Designs on Rome and with a blistering turn of foot and ideal track conditions likely, he looms as the horse to beat.
Glorious Days for Karis Teetan and leading conditioner John Size takes a similar preparation to the one that worked so well for them at the international meeting last December when he took out the Longines Hong Kong Mile first up. He was impressive winning a jump out last Monday as he did last December, and looms as a big danger to give Teetan his 50th winner in his first season hers as well as his first Group 1. His record at this track and over this distance is excellent, especially fresh.
Rounding out the best of the locals is the runner up to Glorious Days last December in the Richard Gibson trained Gold Fun for the “Durban Demon” Dougie Whyte. He also brings great form with a last start Group 1 win over last year’s Champion mile winner, Dan Excel over 1400 metres.
This looms as a cracking renewal with many genuine chances and plenty of value runners. Variety Club back to his favoured turf where he potentially improves lengths. This makes him an attractive proposition, especially if De Kock has improved the five year old, and he’s travelled well which he appears to have done. I can see him looking the winner for a long way but expect Anton Marcus to be looking over his shoulder at some point for a fast finishing Able Friend.
Selection Time:
Able Friend
Variety Club
Glorious Days
Gold Fun
