Our friends in the UK celebrated the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, and on Sunday, we will host the major race with a close linkage with her, the G1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup.
When the Queen visited Sha Tin in 1986, some 30 years ago, the race just a handicap, but has since developed to an international Group 1 event, and the average race rating from its last three runnings was good enough to land ninth in the World’s Top 100 Group 1 races. Let there be no doubt that this year’s field is the most accomplished in the history of the race, and while it is near impossible to predict with precision, it has the look of remaining well towards the top of the table again in 2016, with nine international Group 1 winners in the race.
This year’s field features the three immediate past winners of the race - Blazing Speed, Designs On Rome and Military Attack. Our recent Derby winner Werther seeks a move forward in open company. Meanwhile, the Japanese contingent is a mighty one, with three rivals of superb quality – Lovely Day, Nuovo Record and Satono Crown. I was at trackwork on Friday and caught the videos on our website of the other days - both Lovely Day and Nuovo Record appear very well in the morning. Satono Crown is a bit quirky and immature, but is still a young and progressive type who could be there on his best.
Highland Reel has put forth some very solid work on our all-weather track and as I have said before, it remains such an honour to not just have our Hong Kong Vase winner return for the APQEII Cup, but to have one of the world’s foremost racing and breeding operations represented in Coolmore. For the first time in seven years, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum from Dubai is represented in one of our international races, this time with Ertijaal. With breeding operations on four continents, Sheikh Hamdan is the consummate horseman with an immense love for our sport and it is also a great pleasure to have his interests represented tomorrow. I thought Ertijaal looked exceptionally fit and could move forward a bit off his Dubai performance for legendary trainer Mike de Kock, whose horses often perform admirably when visiting our shores. Rising Romance is a welcome visitor from Australia and she has gone very close in several big races back home for former HK-based trainer David Hayes.
It has been with the outstanding support of our strategic marketing partner, Audemars Piguet, that the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup has developed to a really world class race. One of the uncertainties for Sunday is the course condition – will the race be run on a good track or will the predicted rain result in a track which is more on the yielding or soft side, which some of the starters don't prefer.
The pace is expected to be slow which will help horses in the front of the field. The race seems to lack an obvious leader, even though Highland Reel led in December over a longer trip. Lovely Day, Highland Reel and Horse Of Fortune could all go forward, the latter to avoid being trapped wide. Blazing Speed and Rising Romance could follow them with Werther behind them. Helene Super Star and Helene Happy Star each have wide draws and are in need of great rides. Ertijaal went back from a wide gate in the Dubai Turf but has also gone forward at other points – it’s possible he could be prominent.
Lovely Day, who will be ridden by our champion jockey Joao Moreira looks outstanding and is my favourite to win the race if the going does not get too soft, as he clearly relishes fast ground. Designs On Rome is united with his favourite jockey Tommy Berry, coming back to his best and has no going issue but will have to overcome the likely slow pace and is still my second choice. Nuovo Record has settled-in well but has not been tried of a surface easier than good, but is still a place chance for me.
Werther has improved since he arrived in Hong Kong thanks to John Moore's training and even with this step up in class, is a place chance for me, especially if the ground gets softer. Highland Reel was the HK Vase winner which demands respect, but I like him more over 2400m even though he has won the Secretariat Stakes over 2000m. Coming from Dubai and dropping back to 2000m, after his solid 4th place in the Dubai Sheema Classic, is not ideal. The dark horse could be Ertijaal who is the mount of Douglas Whyte, looked good in his gallop on Friday, and is in my view improving.
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