Westerner Considered For Hong Kong Vase

Westerner, runner-up in the Prix de l´Arc de Triomphe, could round off his season with a trip to Hong Kong in December.

Owner Alec Wildenstein is eyeing a crack at the 12-furlong Hong Kong Vase for his versatile six-year-old following his two-length defeat by Hurricane Run in the Longchamp Group One feature.

Westerner won the two-and-a-half-mile Gold Cup at the Royal meeting back in June and has won five Group Ones at trips of two miles and above.

Wildenstein has no regrets about dropping his top stayer back in trip for the Arc, and hopes the Danehill entire will return next season.

'Westerner ran as well as we had hoped he would,' said Wildenstein. 'It was not a gamble to go for the Arc, I never gamble.

'There´s a possibility he could run in Hong Kong in December but we will see how the horse comes out of the race.

'We would hope to keep him in training next year but we will let the horse decide.'

Westerner has won 11 of his 27 starts and notched up more than #1million in prize money.Azamour is on course to end his racing career in the Breeders´ Cup Turf after recovering from a muscle injury.

The four-year-old, trained in Ireland by John Oxx, suffered the setback when attempting back-to-back victories in the Irish Champion Stakes last month.

It forced him to miss yesterday´s Prix de l´Arc de Triomphe but everything is on track for Belmont Park on October 29, after which he will be retired to his owner the Aga Khan´s Gilltown Stud in Kilcullen, County Kildare.

'He is ticking over nicely according to John Oxx. Everything is bang in order for the Breeders´ Cup,' said the Aga Khan´s French racing manager Georges Rimaud.

(C) PA Sport