Home horse racing teams dominate international invaders in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- It was a great weekend for the home teams on the global horse racing scene, as Hong Kong runners landed three of the four Group 1 events on Sunday's program and Japanese fillies easily repelled an invasion by a top U.S. filly.

Local dominance of the Longines Hong Kong International Races is a familiar story, oft told.

This time around, the victors included one of the world's best middle-distance runners in Romantic Warrior, winner of the Hong Kong Cup, and potentially one of the world's top turf sprinters in Ka Ying Rising, who successfully hit the top of the class ladder in the Hong Kong Sprint.

Voyage Bubble added to the local haul with a handy win in the Hong Kong Mile, leaving only the 2,400-meter Hong Kong Vase for the big international raiding party to win.

Romantic Warrior's pace-stalking victory in the 2,000-meters Cup was so comprehensive that jockey James McDonald was turned in the irons in the final 50 meters, looking for competition that wasn't there.

He triumphed by 1 1/2 lengths, despite a gallant rally by 4-year-old Japanese filly Liberty Island, who now has the distinction of having finished second to two of the decade's best horses -- Equinox in last year's Japan Cup and Romantic Warrior Sunday.

It was the seventh straight win for Romantic Warrior. Six of those have been Group 1's, including the Cox Plate in Australia and the Yasuda Kinen in Japan. His owner, Peter Lau Pak Fai, now is targeting the $20 million Group 1 Saudi Cup in February.

"He's once in a lifetime," winning trainer Danny Shum said. "The owner wants to take a chance to take him to Saudi Arabia. Even though it's a dirt race, he's got to try."

Ka Ying Rising's victory in the Sprint was a bit more of an effort than Romantic Warrior's in the Cup. While Romantic Warrior got a dream trip from the inside gate, Ka Ying Rising started from the chancy No. 11 stall and was under pressure through most of the 1,200 meters without cover.

He overcame all that to post his eighth straight win -- first at the Group 1 level -- in 1:08.15, short of the course record he established one race earlier at 1:07.43. Jockey Zac Purton said Sunday's effort, given the barrier draw and positioning during running, might have been the superior performance.

"People underestimate the way races come around," Purton said. "He was using energy throughout the race. His performance is a credit to him."

As often is the case, Hong Kong runners dominated the finish of the Sprint. Helios Express was second for the home team, with Japan's Satono Reve the only foreigner to crack the top-four placings. Starlust, the reigning Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint champ, finished 13th.

Voyage Bubble scored another relatively easy victory for the locals in the Hong Kong Mile. After shadowing the early leader, the 6-year-old gelding seized the lead at mid-stretch and held off Japan's Soul Rush by 1 1/4 lengths.

Trainer Ricky Yiu said he was confident in Voyage Bubble's chances after the prep race win.

"He's a better horse than last year," Yiu said. "A lot more mature, very smart, a little bigger. The way the race went suited him a lot."

The Hong Kong Vase usually is the primary target for travelers to Hong Kong's biggest day, if only because the 2,400 meters is not frequently contested at Sha Tin.

This time around, it was Giavellotto from trainer Marco Botti's yard in England who landed the win, bursting loose from a tight knot of foreigners at mid-stretch to score by 2 1/2 lengths over Dubai Honor. Japan's Stellenbosch was third.

Giavelloto, a 5-year-old by Mastercraftsman, was blocked at the top of the stretch, waited for room and shot through a gap to dominate the late going.

"We got stopped," said winning rider Oisin Murphy, "and sometimes you're worried the race will get away from you. Then, where he got some room, he was explosive."

Japan

May Day Ready came to Sunday's Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies with a lofty record back home in America and high expectations for her international debut. Instead, a combination of factors resulted in a comprehensive beating by a field of locals who came to the race with significantly less experience.

In the end, Arma Veloce, a Harbinger filly making just her third start, found another gear in the stretch run and won by 1 1/4 lengths over two other relative long shots. May Day Ready had nothing left in the final 200 meters and finished 13th.

Jockey Mirai Iwata got his first Grade 1 win and sounded as much surprised as happy.

"It feels great to be able to stand here as a Grade 1 winner after six years of waiting," Iwata said. "I was too occupied in driving her to the finish so I didn't know until I had crossed the wire, but with no horse next to me then, I felt I had done it."

May Day Ready, a Tapit filly, was last seen finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T), her first defeat after three victories including the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes and the Jessamine Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland.

With regular rider Frankie Dettori in the irons, May Day Ready got away well from the No. 17 gate, but was never able to establish position or get cover. Dettori said the turf and a long season also hurt May Day Ready's chances.

"She prefers really fast ground," Dettori said. "It was a little bit loose, and the first time right-handed confused her a little bit. So, the combination of the three things was why she ran no race today. And also, it's the fifth run in four months, so she's tired. It was a long way here."

The race is an important pointer to future success and even stardom. Past winners include Vodka, Buena Vista and Liberty Island.