Look no further than this weekend’s Group 3 double-header for proof of white-hot competition for CX H K International Races 2007 places.
Crammed into the Premier Bowl (1200m) and Sha Tin Trophy (1600m) are 11 Gr.1 winners - six at international level - and nine more that have scored in Gr.2 and Gr.3 events. Selection for the Turf World Championships on December 9 will hinge both on Sunday’s races and November’s final trials, so there is precious little margin for error.
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It’s maybe best to begin with likely favourite Medic Power (G303) although his task has been complicated by a wide barrier of 13. Last season’s Most Improved Horse has won six of seven starts and in May he lowered the 1200m Sha Tin track record to 1 min 7.7 sec, a feat which prompted comparisons with Mr Tiz, winner of seven Gr.1s and “the best I have trained” according to trainer Paul O’Sullivan.
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“He did very well during the off season - he’s a big, strong boy now. His trial at 1000m the other week was what I hoped for and I’ve no complaints with his preparation,” O’Sullivan reported of Medic Power.
It was in this race last year that Absolute Champion took his first step on a path that led being named ‘World’s Best Sprinter’ after a ruthless dismissal of the HK Sprint field six weeks later. David Hall is plotting a similar campaign for his 6yo, unraced since taking out the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, and has engaged Marco Chui to relieve the burden of top weight of 7lbs.
Scintillation instead shoulders the heaviest impost at 129 lbs. “He’s in good form and he will be better for his first up run but he improves with racing and I hope we’ll see his best form in December,” said trainer Danny Shum.
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Hugely talented but just as fragile, Danacourt (E228) missed the entire 2006/07 season and is now in the care of John Moore, who has been impressed with his recent work, saying: “He’s had all kinds of problems in the past but the main thing I personally have had to deal with has been his very brittle feet. He has come good of late, though, and he’s been flying in his work. We’re looking for a promising run.”
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Sunny Power (G203), never out of the quinella in five attempts at this distance, is out of the handicap but a repeat of the form that beat off Egyptian Ra and Green Birdie on opening day should surely see him competitive here.
Busiest trainer by far in the Sha Tin Trophy will be John Moore, saddling five runners with much of the focus on
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the brilliant four-time Gr.1 champion Viva Pataca and his Champions Mile hero Able One (G108).
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Viva Pataca (G096) reconvenes in the race at which he finished fifth last year. The four-time Gr.1 winner excelled in the latter half of 2006/07 and while lumping top weight over an inadequate distance mitigates against his chances, John Moore believes he will be “in the shake-up, finishing strongly.”
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Moore also vouched for Able One’s chances, adding: “He had no luck in the National Day Cup when he was held up on the inside and the jockey [Zac Purton] felt he might have won or placed at least. That kind of form and a trouble-free preparation hopefully means he can be thereabouts.”
Caspar Fownes prepared the first four past the post in last season’s Sha Tin Trophy when the winner was Green Treasure, another to emerge from a period of rehabilitation and be sent over a shorter distance than normal in the Premier Bowl. Fownes has just one runner in the 2007 edition in reigning CXHK Mile champion The Duke, who shrugged off his big weight to nearly take out the National Day Cup on his reappearance.
Elsewhere, Vital King and Floral Pegasus meet for the first time since they flashed past the post in unison in the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby with a nose margin for the former. Eyeing more lucrative future dates, Paul O’Sullivan expects Vital King “will be doing his best work at the finish” on his seasonal debut.
It’s also interesting also that Tony Cruz, blessed with three chances in the race, made no secret of his hopes for two-from-two entire Royal Prince lurking dangerously at the bottom of the scale.
“He’s had problems with bruised feet here and there but he’s got that Britannia [Handicap, Royal Ascot] form and he’s well now so he must be worth a look from the low weight,” he said.
本週日（10月21日）沙田馬場將有兩項三級賽上演，標誌本地佳駟爭取國泰航空香港國際賽事參賽資格的競爭已踏入白熱化階段。
精英碗（1200米）與沙田錦標（1600米）的參賽馬匹之中，合共有十一匹曾經勝出一級賽，當中六匹更曾勝出國際一級賽，另外還有九匹二級賽或三級賽頭馬。這兩場賽事以及將於 11月舉行的國際賽預賽，都是本地賽駒進軍十二月世界草地錦標賽的重要階梯，參賽馬匹無不寸土必爭，以求一張國泰航空香港國際賽事「入場券」。
精英碗編為第七場。「無敵神駒」儘管抽到外檔（13檔），但依然會是眾矢之的。這匹上年度馬季「最大進步馬匹」，去季七戰六勝，並且在五月份以1分7秒7刷新沙田草地1200米紀錄，媲美七項一級賽冠軍 Mr Tiz。練馬師蘇保羅更稱許「無敵神駒」為其「從練以來訓練的馬匹之中最優秀的一駒」。
「『無敵神駒』在暑假進度良佳，長得更為高大、更加強壯。月初在一千米草地試閘的走勢合乎預期，至今為止備戰程序完整，狀態來得滿意。」蘇保羅道。
「騏綵」去年就是以此賽作為通往「世界最佳短途馬」寶座的起步點，攻下此賽的六個星期後，牠在國泰航空香港短途錦標橫掃對手。賀賢今季替這匹六歲馬所作的部署似想食過返尋味。今仗是「騏綵」在3月份勝出主席短途獎後首度上陣，本來要負133頂磅出戰，但配上見習騎師徐君禮，得以減輕七磅。
由是之故，「燦惑」便成為精英碗實際負磅最重（129磅）的一駒。練馬師沈集成表示：「此駒狀態隨著出賽而一場好過一場，現時較上仗季內首仗為佳，而我希望到了12月時牠的狀態達到巔峰。」
擁有高質但上季由於傷患纏身以致整季沒有上陣的「活力寶蹄」，現時由約翰摩亞訓練，他對此駒近期晨課的表現給予好評。大摩說：「這匹馬以往傷病多多，而我接手之後，首要之務是應付牠那容易受傷的腳。雖然牠的狀態只屬初起，但日有進境。我們期待週日一戰牠會有令人鼓舞的演出。」
五度競逐此程而從未失卻「連贏」一席的「陽光」，今仗雖然要餂磅出戰，但以馬季開鑼日牠在同程擊敗「再領風騷」、「綠色駿威」的水準為據，絕對有力一爭。
第九場沙田錦標，最忙碌的練馬師非大摩莫屬，因為旗下有五駒列陣，包括最受矚目的四項一級賽冠軍「爆冷」以及去季冠軍一哩賽盟主「步步穩」。
「爆冷」上季在此賽獲得第五名。今仗須負頂磅而路程不盡適合，大摩的估計是「後追強勁，會走得接近。」
至於「步步穩」的機會，大摩說：「國慶盃一役牠的運氣欠佳，騎師潘頓認為，若非在內欄受困，應該不勝亦有位置。今仗做足備戰工夫，勇況依然，可在前列歸來。」
方嘉柏馬房去季在此賽包辦前四名，該役頭馬「綠色駿馬」其後受傷患影響，長時間缺陣，直至本週日才復出，但改以路程較短的精英碗為目標。在沙田錦標替馬房衛冕的責任就落在「星運爵士」肩上，這匹去年國泰航空香港一哩錦標冠軍，今季復出首仗角逐國慶盃時，縱負重磅亦幾乎率先觸線。
上季 Mercedes-Benz 香港打 冠、亞軍「活力金剛」、「俊歡騰」將在此賽再次碰頭。瞄準未來更重要的目標，蘇保羅期望「活力金剛」週日於其本季首仗能交出強勁的衝刺。
告東尼亦施馬海戰術，「俊歡騰」、「牛精福星」之外，兩戰兩勝、此賽負 輕 磅的「飛馬王子」毋須諱言是一路奇兵。
