Nature Strip, Glory Vase, Kinross and Panthalassa head an impressive array of international horses from four continents invited to compete at the HK$110m ($14m) Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) at Sha Tin on December 11.
Fellow G1 winners Gendarme, Naran Huleg, Saffron Beach and Mendocino have also been issued invitations by the Hong Kong Jockey Club to contest the four-race series billed as the end-of-year ‘Turf World Championships’.
Emerging Japanese stayer Jack d’Or runs in the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn at Tokyo racecourse on Sunday [Oct 30] against several other HKIR entrants, including Dubai Turf dead-heater Panthalassa and Geoglyph.
Japan’s Danon The Kid, Britain’s Sir Busker and Ireland’s Stone Age are also among the HKJC invitees.
Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup favourite Deauville Legend, owned by Hong Kong’s Boniface Ho, is an HK Vase nominee. Also among an illustrious cluster of horses set for the HK Vase are Glory Vase, who will chase a third G1 win in the Sha Tin highlight after scoring in 2019 and 2021, plus Mendocino, Tuesday, Iresine, Broome and Gufo.
G1 scorers Gendarme and Naran Huleg, respective winners of the Sprinters Stakes and Takamatsunomiya Kinen, head Japan’s HK Sprint assault – but the Australian contingent may be formidable, featuring world #1 sprinter Nature Strip and Everest winner Giga Kick. US speedster Golden Pal has also been invited, though he is set for retirement after the Breeders’ Cup.
Leading Breeders’ Cup Mile contender Kinross is entered for both the HK Sprint and Mile. UK compatriots Saffron Beach and Dreamloper also feature among HK Mile possibles.
Hong Kong’s entry is spearheaded by Golden Sixty, Wellington, California Spangle, Sky Field and Russian Emperor with nine individual G1 winners spread among 45 domestic names.
Overall, there are 172 entrants for Longines HKIR, crowned by 53 individual G1 winners.
Longines HKIR invitations (as at Oct 28)
HK Sprint 1200m (6f) HK$24m ($3.06m)
Eduardo, Gendarme, Giga Kick, Golden Pal, Naran Huleg, Nature Strip,
HK Mile 1600m (1m) HK$30m ($3.82m)
Danon Scorpion, Dreamloper, Kinross, Saffron Beach, Salios, Schnell Meister
HK Cup 2000m (1m2f) HK$34m ($4.33m)
Danon The Kid, Geoglyph, Jack d’Or, Panthalassa, Sir Busker, Stone Age
HK Vase2400m (1m4f) HK$22m ($2.8m)
Broome, Deauville Legend, Glory Vase, Gufo, Iresine, Mendocino, Tuesday
• Visit the Longines Hong Kong International Races website
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