Melbourne winner bids for Hong Kong glory Melbourne Cup winner Americain is pleasing connections ahead of his bid for more international-race glory in the Hong Kong Vase. His victory in Australia was the result of a long-term plan by his French trainer, Alain de Royer-Dupre. Having won his last four races, two in France and two in Australia, the five-year-old could not be in better condition. His jockey, Gerald Mosse, was also thrilled with his latest workout at Sha Tin. "He is in very good form," said Mosse. "He just did a canter this morning but I rode him again on yesterday morning and he feels fine. He did 1800 metres, same as last week, but maybe a bit faster. "He's back in full gear and very fluent. I'm not too worried about the drop in trip from the Melbourne Cup. "Maybe the further he goes the better, but I think he should be OK. It's not something he's never done before. "He did a proper job at 2400m (a mile and a half) in Geelong on a tiny track and I believe this bigger track at Sha Tin will help him." Connections of Kingsgate Native hope the sprinter can replicate his Temple Stakes-winning form when he runs in the Hong Kong Sprint this weekend. The Sir Michael Stoute-trained five-year-old won his first start of the season at Haydock but failed to hit the target in five subsequent runs. He was not disgraced, and not beaten far at all, in the Diadem Stakes on his latest outing and has since been freshened up. However, how he will handle going around a bend for the first time remains up in the air. "Kingsgate Native worked well in Newmarket before he left for Hong Kong," said Chris Richardson, managing director of owners Cheveley Park Stud. "He has always gone well after a break so we have freshened him up for this race. "It will be a new phenomenon for him going round a bend in Hong Kong and we are in the lap of the Gods with the draw. "If he can reproduce the form that won us the Temple Stakes first time out in May he should run well."
