Declan Schuster rounds up all the latest ahead of Sunday's card at Sha Tin featuring the the FWD QEII Cup and Chairman’s Sprint Prize, live on Sky Sports Racing.
A team of five from Japan will take on the home team this Sunday (25 April) at Sha Tin in two out of three Group 1 contests on the FWD Champions Day card, the FWD QEII Cup (2000m) and Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), while only a handful from Hong Kong will attempt to overthrow the all-conquering Golden Sixty in the FWD Champions Mile.
Aside from Glory Vase whose participation was cast into doubt after being found lame in the right front leg following his work on Thursday (22 April), it appears to be all systems go according to connections of the remaining four - Daring Tact, Loves Only You, Kiseki and Danon Smash.
Outnumbering the home team four to three in the FWD QEII Cup, the Japanese quartet is spearheaded by Daring Tact, the sixth Fillies’ Triple Crown winner from the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, but just the first to do so unbeaten.
Winning her first five races, Japan’s super filly tasted defeat for the first time two starts ago in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m), beaten only by Almond Eye and Contrail.
She then contested the G2 Kinko Sho at Chukyo, first-up this year to suffer defeat once more, logging a fast-finishing second to Gibeon in the 2000m event on rain affected ground.
However, trainer Haruki Sugiyama is confident in her ability to bounce back, placing his faith in added maturity and services of jockey Kohei Matsuyama, whose hands - according to Sugiyama, act as a calming influence on the occasionally volatile filly.
“Last start, the excuse was mostly the ground condition, I am 100 percent confident Matsuyama knows this horse better than any other rider in the world- it’s a clear and easy decision to put Kohei Matsuyama on her in this race,” Sugiyama said.
Matsuyama, who has been by her side all week, is pleased with her ahead of Sunday.
"She is keeping good condition, she relaxed well in the gate this morning. I might ride her again on the all-weather track tomorrow (Saturday, 24 April)," Matsuyama said.
She will depart from one with Matsuyama in the saddle.
While four arrived in Hong Kong from Japan, one arrived from Dubai, Loves Only You, who last-started notched a game third to the current highest-ranked horse in the world, Mishriff in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2410m).
Trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who has successfully blazed a trail globally with Lys Gracieux in Australia and Real Steel in Dubai, is seeking his first Hong Kong win with the Deep Impact mare.
“Lys Gracieux won in Australia and Japan (both at G1 level), but unfortunately she didn’t win in Hong Kong so this is kind of for me revenge in Hong Kong,” Yahagi laughed.
“My horse did really well in Dubai and I believe she is really good enough against these horses,” he added.
Loves Only You claimed the 2019 Japanese Oaks (2400m) and has twice contested 2000m across her career – both times at Hanshin, winning the 2019 Listed Wasurenagusa Sho before finishing second in the G3 Naruo Kinen, four starts later.
She will set off from gate five with Vincent Ho in the plate.
Kiseki brings both flare and flamboyance to the FWD QEII Cup, not least brilliance as the winner of the 2017 G1 Japanese St. Leger (3000m).
That win came in cyclonic conditions at Kyoto and while rain isn’t expected, he does boast five G1 placings behind the likes of Almond Eye, Al Ain, Lys Gracieux and Chrono Genesis.
This Sunday, he’ll pair with Chad Schofield, who has been pleased through the week with the son of Rulership.
"He feels great, he moved well and is in very good form. He worked hard in the final furlong, and I think the turf here suits him well," Schofield said following a grass gallop on Wednesday (21 April).
This will be Kiseki’s second foray in Hong Kong after he finished a fading ninth in the 2017 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) when second to favourite to eventual winner, Highland Reel.
However, he is excused after as he was unlucky at the break before making a mid-race run which he was unable to sustain.
The seven-year-old arrives this time off the back of a solid fifth-placed effort to Gibeon last time out in the Kinko Sho, and this Sunday he departs from gate three.
Glory Vase, the fourth and final runner in the FWD QEII Cup is being closely monitored, and assuming he does line-up, the dark bay will set off from gate seven with Karis Teetan engaged in a bid to remain unbeaten at Sha Tin after claiming the 2019 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m).
Danon Smash is the sole international entrant in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize and he will aim to also become the first Japanese-trained runner to win the contest.
A son of Lord Kanaloa, Danon Smash returns to Hong Kong off the back consecutive scores at the top-level having claimed the 2020 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m).
And this week, trainer Takayuki Yasuda, who also trained Lord Kanaloa to six G1 wins, heaped praise on his speedster ahead this weekend’s contest.
“Last December I honestly thought Danon Smash was not equal to the level of Lord Kanaloa at that stage, but after winning that race, he improved a lot,” Yasuda said. “I think Danon Smash has reached the same point as Lord Kanaloa now.”
Joao Moreira, the championship’s leading jockey in Hong Kong will partner the gelding.
“Lord Kanaloa is the best sprinter I have seen turn up here in Hong Kong, so I am very surprised Mr Yasuda has put Danon Smash on his level but I am very pleased to be riding him,” Moreira said.
“In my opinion, gate five is extremely good, he will have the chance to place himself wherever he wants to,” the Brazilian added.
