Home Team for the Internationals

[jrb]

Apart from the obvious candidates - Electronic Unicorn in the Mile, All Thrills Too in the Sprint, Indigenous in the Vase, will HK have any live chances to win or place in the Internationals ?
I understand John Moore is trying to get Anabatik qualified for the Sprint. Is this a pipedream ? He was clearly inferior to Able Choice as a griffin, and Able Choice, whilst competitive, was not up to the top sprinter/milers here.
I guess Jeune King Prawn and Super Molly will go for the Mile - are they really up to it ? JKP's first up win was full of merit, but it was hardly the electrifying stuff of a Fairy King Prawn, and that's the level he's going to have to attain to match it in the Mile. Super Molly (God love him) just ain't up to the grade.

[imaufo]

Well it looks as though Red Sun will be flying the flag for Hong Kong in Japan...he was a group 1 winner on the dirt in Argentina, I believe sp perhaps this will stand him in some stead.
By the way, watch out for Eishon Preston...his run in the Champions Mile today ( a fighting second) was outstanding and he looks ready to take on the world in Hong Kong in the following weeks.
Meanwhile...back at the ranch...
French rider Eric Saint-Martin was in pain at missing the winning ride on Red Pepper in yesterday's International Cup Trial but he had some good news on a winless day to ease the burden. With Douglas Whyte, Hong Kong's nominated representative for the World Super Jockey series in Hanshin, Japan, under suspension, Saint-Martin has been invited to replace him.
It has been a fast turnaround for the French rider, who returned only yesterday from a nine-meeting ban over his ride on Double Happiness in September and will now line up to represent Hong Kong on successive weekends - with evergreen stayer Indigenous in the Japan Cup next Sunday and then the Jockey Series on November 30 and December 1.
"They asked me if I would go and I am very happy to do it," Saint-Martin said yesterday. "I have ridden in Japan a number of times, but never in this series and it is a very prestigious competition." Saint-Martin will miss two Sha Tin meetings with his commitments in Japan, next Sunday's important Chevalier Cup fixture and the following Sunday.
Although Saint-Martin and Eric Legrix missed out at Sha Tin yesterday, Olivier Doleuze and Gerald Mosse kept the strong French influence in Hong Kong racing alive with wins respectively on Good Fit for Derek Cruz and Champion Boy for Lawrie Fownes.
John Size crept to a clear lead on the trainer's table when Century Star (Shane Dye) continued the impressive turnaround in his record since joining the Australian's stable last season.
At one time a maiden after 25 starts, Century Star has now won at five of his seven runs for Size and gave Dye an armchair ride to score in the second division of the Pok Oi Cup yesterday in the manner of a horse who will be winning again next time.
"His trials and his work have been very good," Dye said. "He has been ready to race well for a while, but John again showed why he was champion trainer last season. He just waited and waited for exactly the right race before running him." The win was Size's 16th for the season and took him clear of Francis Lui Kin-wai on 15.

[lepper]

Red Sun will be lucky to get in before dark in Japan. Sorry Harry, he is a furlong behind the horses he's running on the dirt in Japan. And it's a joke sending the old pensioner Indigenous for the Japan Cup. I'm betting 100-1 Red Sun and 200-1 Indigenous if you are interested.

[imaufo]

I think that you will find that Ivan Alan has spat the dummy over the treatment of Indigenous in Japan and he wont be running. The horse, according to Ivan, is a fussy eater. The feed that Ivan took for the horse was confiscated ( despite being tested previously for god knows what by the authorities) and Ivan wants to bring the horse home.
:confused:

[Horny Harry]

Red Pepper enters Hong Kong Cup reckoning
The inaugural International Cup Trial (Gr.3-2000m) at Sha Tin on Saturday shed plenty of light as to the make-up of the home defence for the Hong Kong Cup on International Races Day.
Red Pepper, originally engaged in just the Hong Kong Mile, is expected to be supplemented by his trainer Brain Kan after scrambling home by a head from Dr More with Precision two and a half lengths further back in third. Both placegetters hold Cup entries.
The winner, which returned at odds of over 8/1, was tackling the 2000-metre journey for just the second time in his career. When he raced as Sir Nicholas under the care of Jeremy Noseda in Great Britain, the son of Cadeaux Genereux was largely confined to sprint distances, and the only time
he raced over ten furlongs was in finishing fourth in the Hong Kong Derby in March 2001.
Jockey Glyn Schofield, who earned an extension of his Club Jockey's licence only last Thursday, said he enjoyed "a perfect ride" on Red Pepper, who he was partnering for the first time.
Idol dictated the pace and a surprise looked on the cards as he skipped two lengths clear off the home turn. Schofield, however, was unperturbed.
"He travelled well on the fence and he was still on the bridle when the rest of them were flat to boards as we turned for home. I knew if we get to Idol in front we would win. We headed him with about 100m to race and he battled on well for. I knew something else was coming at us," the jockey said.
The runner-up Dr More is engaged in both the Hong Kong Cup and Mile and he did his HKIR chances the power of good with a stirring late rally that only fell just short.
Ivan Allan prepared the two best-backed horses for the race in Come See You and Cheers Hong Kong, but the pair could only finish in seventh and eighth place respectively.
HKJC News

[jrb]

You'd have to think that both Cheers HK and Come See You would struggle to get a berth in either the Cup or the Vase based on Saturday's lacklustre performances.