A Cape Guineas winner is one of the 67 Gr1 winners amongst the 262 first stage entries for the HK$93 million LONGINES Hong Kong International Races published on Wednesday, 24 October.
Noah From Goa wins Cape Guineas
A R325,000 graduate of the 2014 Emperor’s Palace National 2-Year-Old Sale and formerly trained by Mike de Kock, the 2015 Cape Guineas winner Noah From Goa was in the 2016 Gr1 LÓrmarins Queen’s Plate and was also multiple Gr2-placed in Dubai in 2017, when part-owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa.
The Tiger Ridge gelding holds a dual entry in the Longines Hong Kong Cup and the Longines Hong Kong Mile.
Now based in Singapore where he has already won for trainer Ricardo Le Grange, Noah From Goa is a 6yo.
He is one of 191 individual horses for the total number of nominations to the four Gr1 contests on Sunday, 9 December, with 70 horses holding entries in more than one race.
The LONGINES Hong Kong International Races is a highly-coveted quartet of outstanding championship races and each contest will offer record prize money this year.
The Gr1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) is worth HK$28 million, an increase of HK$3 million; the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) has had its purse upped to HK$25 million; and the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) are now worth HK$20 million apiece.
Japan’s incredible filly Almond Eye is among the host of top-class nominations. Trainer Sakae Kunieda’s brilliant three-year-old recently completed Japan’s Fillies’ Triple Crown and is unbeaten this year from a mile to 2400m. She holds entries for the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.
Others to note are the French big-hitters Cloth Of Stars, Waldgeist and Talismanic from the powerful André Fabre stable; North America’s exhilarating pair Mind Your Biscuits and Imperial Hint; Japan’s standout speedster Fine Needle, crack miler Mozu Ascot and 2016 Japanese Derby winner Makahiki; Ireland’s big name Gr1 winners Mendelssohn, Kew Gardens, Capri and Latrobe; recent Longchamp winner One Master and Godolphin’s Blair House; and an exciting batch of Hong Kong’s own star racers, including last year’s victors Beauty Generation (Mile), Time Warp (Cup) and Mr Stunning (Sprint).
Australia is also well-represented, with 24 horses in the 2018 nominations notwithstanding the Australian government’s current ban on horse movements from Hong Kong to Australia.
Australia’s significant number of entries – seven more than in 2017 – features 15 Gr1 winners, including the three-time top-flight scorer Trapeze Artist, the world’s second-best turf sprinter according to the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.
The Hong Kong contingent numbers 44 this time against 147 horses nominated from overseas.
Mr. Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “It is very pleasing to see such exciting quality among the nominations for this year’s LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, which is long-established as one of the global sport’s truly great events. This year we have attracted entries from 67 individual G1 winners – eight more than in 2017 – and among those we have bill-topping international stars of the highest calibre.
“Hong Kong in December is a destination that appeals to the world’s great horsemen and that is borne out by the fact that we have entries from 12 jurisdictions, with many of the world’s most prominent trainers and owners looking to end their year on a high at Sha Tin in four career-defining races.”
