The month of April will end on a high note tomorrow as we host the first of our three spring internationals at Sha Tin, the HK$20 million G1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
While we had some unstable weather early in the week, Sunday’s forecast looks very promising for a fantastic day. I was at Sha Tin yesterday to catch some of the final trackwork from the overseas horses and also saw the footage from our local entrants’ last works – all seem to be in good order for the big race. It was also nice to catch up with the connections and friends from the overseas media who are here for the week, with representation from five continents.
Visiting horses have enjoyed plenty of success in the APQEII Cup over the years, but none have tasted victory since 2012 when Japan’s Rulership landed the spoils. It has been four consecutive wins for Hong Kong and six of the last seven for Sha Tin residents dating to Viva Pataca in 2010. If our reigning Horse of the Year Werther were to repeat the task, he would become only the second horse in the Group 1 history of the race to win the APQEII back-to-back, and the first Hong Kong horse to manage the feat. Japan’s Eishin Preston won the race in both 2002 and 2003.
While we have a smaller field for this year’s race, each of the runners are top class, and as mentioned last week, bring some of the world’s highest quality form lines into this event. The barrier draw result should not play a critical factor in the result, but it seems likely this will be a tactical affair.
Beside the APQE II Cup we have the Queen Mother Memorial Cup which is an International Group 3 run as a handicap over 2400m which has attracted a very good field and 7 of the 13 starters are 4 year olds. The expected pace will be slow and it is one of only three races over 2400m in Hong Kong. Supreme Profit is likely to lead with Basic Trilogy and Helene Super Star nearby. Circuit Hassler should also be close. Beauty Generation, with topweight, will likely settle behind the speed.
Eagle Way is working very well and should enjoy stepping up from 2200m to 2400m being the Queensland Derby winner over this distance. Beauty Generation beat him last time by a short head and will have no issues with this distance too but Eagle Way is three pounds better off this time and is my first choice. Besides these two upcoming staying stars I like Helene Charisma, who is a G1 winner over 2400m in France in the Grand Prix de Paris and Dinozzo who is coming back in my view to his best. Happilababy is, beside the before mentioned horses, another interesting contender who can make use of his weight carrying only 115 pounds and his fast finishing ability to challenge at least for a place.
One of the sporting highlights of our season is the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup which is one of the top 2000m turf races in the world. Our partnership with Audemars Piguet is one of the longest sports sponsorships and our first partnership with an International Brand with its 19th edition this year. We have an elite field of eight with only one horse currently under the International Group 1 benchmark of a rating of 115 which is our rising star, Pakistan Star, on a rating of 112 but I am very confident he will go higher up soon.
The pace is expected to be slow which can turn the race into a little bit more of a sprint, but with eight horses we should have less hard luck stories which can occur in these kind of circumstances. Neorealism is likely to lead under Joao Moreira with Blazing Speed sitting just off the lead. Werther should get a nice position behind the leaders with The United States tracking. Due to the slower pace, Pakistan Star should not be too far behind and might settle just behind midfield with Dicton, while Secret Weapon and Designs On Rome are likely to trail.
Werther, Neorealism and Pakistan Star are working extremely well and it will be interesting to see how Pakistan Star, who is, with Dicton, a 4-year-old, will perform against this international Group 1 proven armada. Neorealism was a little bit disappointing in his run in the Hong Kong Mile in December, but I believe he is best at the 2000m. In his last outing in the Nakayama Kinen over 1800m, he was impressive beating Vivlos and Real Steel, and is definitely a win and place chance.
Werther is in top form and primed for this race and has to show his best form to win but I still believe with the home advantage he is the horse to beat. A little more cut in the ground would be even better for him.
Pakistan Star looks to me to be in even better form than in the BMW Hong Kong Derby, and with hopefully an uninterrupted run over the last 400m with his phenomenal finishing speed, could test the two proven international stars for a win.
Blazing Speed will try to repeat his 2015 surprise win but I see him more as a place chance with Dicton another chance for a place on his good form in the French Derby last year, as well as his good first up start when being a strong closing second in the G3 Prix Edmond Blanc.
Comment
