Shallow Hal
30-10-2002, 16:25
Hong Kong adventure on cards for Fergie's Rock
ALAN AITKEN
The Jockey Club's dream of having superstar miler Rock Of Gibraltar at Sha Tin on December 15 may have come closer to reality following his shock defeat at the weekend, with trainer Aidan O'Brien signalling the possibility of a Hong Kong Mile bid in the aftermath of the Breeders' Cup meeting.
All the indications before the weekend were that the Breeders' Cup Mile would be the career swansong for Rock Of Gibraltar, winner of a record seven Group One races in a row, but his second place behind Domedriver at Arlington Park, Chicago, has led to a rethink.
O'Brien said: "There is a chance that Rock Of Gibraltar might stay in training next year. It's also a possibility, no more than that, that Rock Of Gibraltar might run again this year in the Hong Kong Mile. A firm decision is likely later in the week."
One attraction for Rock Of Gibraltar's connections could be a rematch with Domedriver, whose French connections are reportedly keen to come to Hong Kong. "I think that Rock Of Gibraltar would have been very little chance of coming had he won the Breeders' Cup Mile, but his defeat may have opened the door," Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Jockey Club's director of racing, said yesterday on his return from Chicago.
"Unfortunately, it was the wrong day to discuss it with his connections in Chicago, as they were quite shocked about the death of their horse, Landseer, after the Mile," he added. "But my understanding now is that they are seriously thinking about coming here. I believe there is a chance that O'Brien's Breeders' Cup Turf winner High Chaparral might also come."
Engelbrecht-Bresges was part of a Jockey Club delegation, also including chairman Ronald Arculli and chief handicapper Ciaran Kennelly, which attended the Breeders' Cup meeting to encourage and inquire about visitors for the Hong Kong International Races. While they came away from Chicago with few HKIR confirmations seven weeks out from the races, Engelbrecht-Bresges said yesterday there was now a very strong expectation that the Pascal Bary-trained Domedriver will be the first Breeders' Cup winner ever to run in Hong Kong.
"The owner and trainer of Domedriver were caught in a lift during the running of the race and did not see it live, and I was in the same lift," Engelbrecht-Bresges said. "Perhaps now we have a special bond between us that will help to get Domedriver here. But in all seriousness, I believe that the owners, the Niarchos family, and the trainer are very keen to come. I also think we have strong hopes of seeing Forbidden Apple here again after his fourth in the Mile in Chicago."
Kennelly added: "Not everything went Rock Of Gibraltar's way in the race. I think and certainly hope from our point of view that the connections of Rock Of Gibraltar would be keen for a rematch and the chance to turn the tables."
Engelbrecht-Bresges said the Club was also looking at the flight schedules from London to see if Rock Of Gibraltar's part-owner, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, might be brought to the HKIR meeting as a guest. "Manchester United will play in North London on the Saturday, so it is possible that Sir Alex will be able to attend our meeting if we can find a suitable flight," he said.
Perhaps just as importantly as attracting a Breeders' Cup winner to Sha Tin, American stayer Sarafan could become the first leading performer from the States to actively bypass the Breeders' Cup in favour of Asia. "People at the Breeders' Cup meeting were talking about the Hong Kong races as a serious rival in a way they have never done before and it was noted that Sarafan's connections preferred the Japan Cup and the Hong Kong Cup," Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
"That was to some extent because the horse needs firm going and his people felt that was unlikely at Arlington, which turned out to be right. But it is a very encouraging sign for our races that people in America are looking at these kinds of options more seriously now."
Kennelly said that there was still racing to occur in the United States, Australia and Japan before decisions were made about tackling the Hong Kong meeting.
"The Australian carnival is at its height now in the next week or 10 days. There are other major events coming up in the US, and in Japan the Kyoto Mile Championship is a couple of weeks away followed by the Japan Cup," he said. "But I am confident that we will have at least four Group One winners in the Sprint, with Falvelon and Mistegic very likely from Australia and Malhub and Continent all systems go from Europe. And we spoke with the owner of Morluc in Chicago and he is very keen to be here again.
"The Sprint, which has in the past been the hardest of the four races to attract top runners, is looking very strong now that it is a Group One race."
Godolphin's Grandera is already booked to come straight from Melbourne to Hong Kong following his third behind Northerly in the Cox Plate on Saturday.
ALAN AITKEN
The Jockey Club's dream of having superstar miler Rock Of Gibraltar at Sha Tin on December 15 may have come closer to reality following his shock defeat at the weekend, with trainer Aidan O'Brien signalling the possibility of a Hong Kong Mile bid in the aftermath of the Breeders' Cup meeting.
All the indications before the weekend were that the Breeders' Cup Mile would be the career swansong for Rock Of Gibraltar, winner of a record seven Group One races in a row, but his second place behind Domedriver at Arlington Park, Chicago, has led to a rethink.
O'Brien said: "There is a chance that Rock Of Gibraltar might stay in training next year. It's also a possibility, no more than that, that Rock Of Gibraltar might run again this year in the Hong Kong Mile. A firm decision is likely later in the week."
One attraction for Rock Of Gibraltar's connections could be a rematch with Domedriver, whose French connections are reportedly keen to come to Hong Kong. "I think that Rock Of Gibraltar would have been very little chance of coming had he won the Breeders' Cup Mile, but his defeat may have opened the door," Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Jockey Club's director of racing, said yesterday on his return from Chicago.
"Unfortunately, it was the wrong day to discuss it with his connections in Chicago, as they were quite shocked about the death of their horse, Landseer, after the Mile," he added. "But my understanding now is that they are seriously thinking about coming here. I believe there is a chance that O'Brien's Breeders' Cup Turf winner High Chaparral might also come."
Engelbrecht-Bresges was part of a Jockey Club delegation, also including chairman Ronald Arculli and chief handicapper Ciaran Kennelly, which attended the Breeders' Cup meeting to encourage and inquire about visitors for the Hong Kong International Races. While they came away from Chicago with few HKIR confirmations seven weeks out from the races, Engelbrecht-Bresges said yesterday there was now a very strong expectation that the Pascal Bary-trained Domedriver will be the first Breeders' Cup winner ever to run in Hong Kong.
"The owner and trainer of Domedriver were caught in a lift during the running of the race and did not see it live, and I was in the same lift," Engelbrecht-Bresges said. "Perhaps now we have a special bond between us that will help to get Domedriver here. But in all seriousness, I believe that the owners, the Niarchos family, and the trainer are very keen to come. I also think we have strong hopes of seeing Forbidden Apple here again after his fourth in the Mile in Chicago."
Kennelly added: "Not everything went Rock Of Gibraltar's way in the race. I think and certainly hope from our point of view that the connections of Rock Of Gibraltar would be keen for a rematch and the chance to turn the tables."
Engelbrecht-Bresges said the Club was also looking at the flight schedules from London to see if Rock Of Gibraltar's part-owner, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, might be brought to the HKIR meeting as a guest. "Manchester United will play in North London on the Saturday, so it is possible that Sir Alex will be able to attend our meeting if we can find a suitable flight," he said.
Perhaps just as importantly as attracting a Breeders' Cup winner to Sha Tin, American stayer Sarafan could become the first leading performer from the States to actively bypass the Breeders' Cup in favour of Asia. "People at the Breeders' Cup meeting were talking about the Hong Kong races as a serious rival in a way they have never done before and it was noted that Sarafan's connections preferred the Japan Cup and the Hong Kong Cup," Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
"That was to some extent because the horse needs firm going and his people felt that was unlikely at Arlington, which turned out to be right. But it is a very encouraging sign for our races that people in America are looking at these kinds of options more seriously now."
Kennelly said that there was still racing to occur in the United States, Australia and Japan before decisions were made about tackling the Hong Kong meeting.
"The Australian carnival is at its height now in the next week or 10 days. There are other major events coming up in the US, and in Japan the Kyoto Mile Championship is a couple of weeks away followed by the Japan Cup," he said. "But I am confident that we will have at least four Group One winners in the Sprint, with Falvelon and Mistegic very likely from Australia and Malhub and Continent all systems go from Europe. And we spoke with the owner of Morluc in Chicago and he is very keen to be here again.
"The Sprint, which has in the past been the hardest of the four races to attract top runners, is looking very strong now that it is a Group One race."
Godolphin's Grandera is already booked to come straight from Melbourne to Hong Kong following his third behind Northerly in the Cox Plate on Saturday.