Hong Kong International Races Trackwork Notes Thursday

CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG CUP (Gr.1-2000m)
Five times Gr.1 winner and last year´s Cup runner-up, Rakti was confined to the trotting ring today after an over exuberant workout yesterday.

The Michael Jarvis-trained star has been very free and buzzed up in his exercise over the last few days so Jarvis, just arrived from England, decided to put the hand brake on today.

Jarvis said:' I decided to give him a day in the trotting ring after yesterday. The horse is behaving like a lunatic at the moment.'

This side to Rakti´s character has often blighted his career and his trainer is just hoping that the right Rakti turns up for the big race on Sunday.

Australian trainer Tony McEvoy has been a keen observer of Rakti this week. 'He does seem pretty fizzed up but at the end of the day you know that he´s clearly the one to beat if he runs to his best,' he said.

McEvoy´s contender Fields Of Omagh continues to please in his preparation. 'He looks stunning. He´s really in good shape,´ he said.

Syndicate manager Bryan Martin, one of Australia´s leading race broadcasters, is also enthusiastic about Field Of Omagh´s prospects. 'The Cox Plate and this race have always been his targets this year. He´s a different horse to last year and remember he was only beaten four lengths in the Vase which wasn´t his optimum distance,' Martin said.

Powerscourt clocked the quickest time of the morning on the turf, covering 400m home in 21.9 sec under Seamus Heffernan. Big race jockey Jamie Spencer said: 'His run in Tokyo [10th in the Japan Cup] was something you could forgive. The ground was like the road, all baked up and bald. And he was drawn very wide. The drop back in trip should suit and the surface here is better. If he gives the form he has shown all year up until Japan he should be right there.'

Perennial Hong Kong placegetter Bowman´s Crossing was reported to have improved for his overseas stint this summer by trainer David Oughton.

'His run in the Queen Anne at the Royal meeting was probably the best of his career,' said Oughton. 'I really think travelling improved him, it somehow toughened him up.

He probably should have won the Hong Kong Mile last year but he had to overcome a very bad draw. He definitely wants 2000 metres now as he showed by his great run in Singapore when third to Epalo.

'I am so pleased to have Michael Kinane back riding again. He has seven rides for me on Sunday. He sat on Bowman´s Crossing on Tuesday morning and was pleased. If he reproduces his Royal Ascot form, he could go close.'

Dance in the Mood, trained by Japan´s leading handler Kazuo Fujisawa, breezed over five furlongs on the dirt to the satisfaction of exercise rider Naruhito Kasai.

'She is very relaxed. I think she is in good shape, better than she was in California for the American Oaks (Gr.1).'

CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG MILE (Gr.1-1600m)

The Alain de Royer Dupre-trained Valentino worked for around 1200m on the turf in the company of Phoenix Reach and Powerscourt, going the last quarter in 23 sec. However the trainer is concerned that the horse has not really settled into his new surroundings: 'It´s all a bit new for him, the travel and it´s very different here from home. He´s not really been as relaxed as I would have liked, so we´ll have to see how he goes.'

Aidan O´Brien´s Mile hope Antonius Pius continued his quiet build up to Sunday with another easy canter on the all weather track. Despite his long season and seven consecutive Gr.1 races between May and October, the horse looks well enough and assistant trainer Pat Keating is hopeful that the Breeders´ Cup Mile second can hold his form for Sunday´s race.

Jockey Jamie Spencer said: 'Obviously he is a class horse and he has learned plenty this year. I´m just hoping his class puts him in the finish.'

Dual winner of Japan´s Mile Championship, Durandal looked well, galloping strongly on the dirt track to come home in 22.6 sec.

'I am happy with him,' said trainer Masahiro Sakaguchi, 'the interval between Mile Championship and this race is less than a month so I told his rider not to work him too hard in today´s work-out. That was very good.'

Telegnosis, tackling the CXHK Mile for the second time, worked in 22 sec for the final 400m on the dirt. 'He´s in great condition and is very familiar with the place now.'

David Oughton, Hong Kong trainer felt that his local Gr.1 winner Figures was up against in the Hong Kong Mile on Sunday.

'He had a great year last year, winning five and finishing with that win in the Gr.1 Champions Mile. He is a very tough little Kiwi horse who really adapted to Hong Kong. He never impresses in his work but he keeps pulling out extra in his races. My concern, though, is whether he is really up to international class. I´m just not sure. He certainly deserves to be there on what he has achieved, but I think the Japanese horse and [leading local chance] Grand Zulu are very good.'

CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG SPRINT (Gr.1-1000m)

Hong Kong sprinter Cape of Good Hope was reported in great form following an impressive trial at Sha Tin last week. David Oughton his trainer said: 'Clearly the Sprint is going to be very hard to win with Silent Witness being phenomenal and Var clocking some exceptional times in Europe, but my horse will hopefully get into the prize money. He is a superstar and has given us all so much fun. He hasn´t won for a while but was third in this race last year and should be there or thereabouts again.

'He was third in the Sprinters´ Stakes at Nakayama over 1200m in October and I have been easy on him since he got back to Hong Kong. He needed his last start in the International Sprint Trial and has done really well since. With Silent Witness around it is going to be hard for him to win a sprint in Hong Kong so after Sunday we´ll get his passport out again and take him to Japan in March.'

British Sprint hope Pivotal Point had a quiet canter. He looked much more relaxed than earlier in the week and just lobbed one circuit of the dirt track at Sha Tin.

Trainer Peter Makin reported 'He will have a blow on the grass tomorrow. So far so good, he is very pleased with himself and feeling quite cheeky. I couldn´t be happier.'

Trainer Hiroyuki Oneda is very happy with the good form for Japanese leading sprinter Calstone Light O after the horse galloped steadily over the dirt track this morning.

'He looks great, and this warm weather makes him happy because he is a ´summer horse´ - he has won the [JpnGr.3] Ibis Summer Dash in August twice. I know there is one big star from Hong Kong [Silent Witness] in the Sprint, but I believe our horse compete well on Sunday.'

Another Japanese contender Sunningdale looked very relaxed following the fast piece of work on the turf stretch course under his jockey Yuichi Fukunaga this morning leaving trainer Tsutomu Setoguchi content. 'I am satisfied with his good shape. His weight now is the same as when he won the Gr.1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen in March.' Referring to Silent Witness, Setoguchi boldly predicted: 'If there is a horse who can finally beat him, it will be our sprinter.'

CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG VASE (Gr.1-2400m)

One trainer expressing confidence in his Vase prospects was German trainer Andreas Wohler, whose Simonas caught the eye of work watchers as he completed a strong work on the Sha Tin turf. The grey looked in great shape as he galloped out the final quarter in 22.3 sec.

Wohler said: 'He´s in good form, seems very well and that was a nice piece of work this morning. His jockey [Kieren Fallon] has a lot of confidence in him and I hope he´s right. I think that if he can reproduce the form that he showed in Canada [when second to Sulamani in the Canadian International], he´ll have a chance.'

Trainer David Oughton reported local Vase contender Roosevelt in great shape ahead of a second tilt at the race in which he finished fourth in last year.

'He´s had a much better prep than last year when he I only managed to get one run into him as he had only been in Hong Kong for two months. He came back from last year´s race with a leg injury but is fine now,' said Oughton.

'He ran over a mile last time as there no races of this distance in the build up to the International meeting but it really sharpened him up. Michael Kinane rode him on Tuesday and was very happy. I think you´ll see a better performance than last year.'

Phoenix Reach, a solid sixth in the Japan Cup, looked very well and caught the eye under his big race jockey Martin Dwyer as he worked on the turf this morning.

Dwyer started his work at the 1400-metre marker and built up his speed, doing the last 400m in 24.1 sec and the jockey was very happy with way he went.

'He felt very good,' said Dwyer. 'I am sure he could have finished a bit closer in the Japan Cup if he has settled better early on. He is a fresh horse and has not had a hard season. He has come to himself now and I have a lot of faith in him.'

'I suppose there is a worry that there won´t be much pace on in which case the tactics will be to remain handy on him. He is not the type that I would want to lead on.'

Sights On Gold, representing Godolphin, did quiet work on the dirt along with stable mates Firebreak (CXHK Mile) and Ancient World (CXHK Cup). Travelling head lad for Godolphin, Sam Avis, said Sights On Gold is the kind of horse that can race prominently.

'Frankie [Dettori] is such a good judge of pace that it won´t matter to him if they go slowly or go fast. It will be down to the horse and I know that he is well and in good form. All three of our horses have a bit of a pipe opener tomorrow.'