Champion Line-Up For Champions Mile The Gr.1 Champions Mile, set for Sunday May 7 at Sha Tin, has soared in international significance since it kick-started the Asian Mile Challenge (AMC) a year ago. This HK$8 million event is now the third leg of the AMC, joining the Futurity Stakes in Australia and Dubai Duty Free in the Emirates, and its winner in 2006 will have the opportunity to race for a US$1 million bonus in the Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo on June 4, the fourth and final leg of the multi-million series. Today's announcement of the Champions Mile field numbered eleven horses from Hong Kong and one each from Britain, Dubai and Australia. However, the participation of two HK runners will depend on their performance in the Hong Kong Macau Trophy on April 30. Six individual Gr.1 winners are set to take their place nevertheless. There can be little doubt that Joyful Winner is the hottest miler in Hong Kong nowadays. His uncommon off-the-pace acceleration secured him a first Gr.1 in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) on April 15 and he may well start favourite for this prestigious title. Who knows where Joyful Winner's rise will halt? A win on May 7 could also put him in the reckoning for Horse of the Year honours. Pending the outcome of the Hong Kong Macau Trophy, the very exciting Danacourt may also take his place and its worth remembering that he was an easy three lengths victor from Joyful Winner in the Chevalier Cup (1400m) on November 27, the last time he raced. Three horses travel to Hong Kong from overseas with the return of a certain trainer most keenly anticipated. While based at Sha Tin over a decade, David Hayes won 459 races, many at Gr.1 level, and when he departed in June 2005, he said: 'I´ll only come back to race in Hong Kong with the right horse. I can afford the airfare so I wouldn´t want to return and just run fifth. It would be nice to come back to stick it in all my old mates´ faces!' A short head second in the All Aged Stakes (Gr.1-1400m) in Sydney last weekend, Niconero is the horse that Hayes deems suitable for the smash-and-grab he covets. Niconero, a Gr.2 winner, contested the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield in March and was an unlucky loser, baulked well inside the final furlong when finishing strongly. Dubai-based trainer Dhruba Selvaratnam, once assistant to legendary Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien, is preparing Seihali for a first Hong Kong attempt. Seihali ran third in the Dubai Duty Free behind the top class David Junior last month. Before that he was an easy victor at Nad Al Sheba from multiple Group winner Brunel and should be well suited by the Sha Tin mile. Triumphant in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase in 2004, English trainer Andrew Balding is planning another raid with Vanderlin, a Gr.2 winner over 1400m in Canada last year and later a neck second in the Shadwell Mile (Gr.1) in Kentucky. He also dead-heated in a Listed Race in England recently. Twelve months ago, in one of the most famous finishes seen at Sha Tin in years, this race heralded a spectacular beginning to the AMC when Bullish Luck inflicted a career first defeat on Silent Witness. These rivals, both trained by Tony Cruz, will renew hostilities and Silent Witness retains his status as the highest-rated member of the field. Cruz also fields Gr.1 winners Russian Pearl, winner of the Stewards Cup (Gr.1-1600m) in January, and Perfect Partner. Not content with the threat posed by Joyful Winner, John Moore has also engaged Art Trader and Sunny Sing for the race. Benefiting from a top ride from Eric Saint-Martin to win the Gr.2 Chairman's Trophy (1600m) last time, Art Trader had a luckless Joyful Winner back in fifth place on March 19, while Sunny Sing was successful in the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Mile in February. Trainer Dennis Yip is doubly represented via Dave's Best, second placegetter in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile last December and Wealthy. High Intelligent, third in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup, is the remaining Hong Kong challenger.
