Military Attack – looks set for Hong Kong Cup
Avontuur stallion Oratorio registered yet another international stakes win when former Hong Kong Horse Of The Year Military Attack grabbed the honours at Sha Tin on Sunday in a Gr2 race billed ‘The Clash Of Champions.’
Sha Tin Racecourse staged a pair of lucrative and top-class contests on Sunday, bith of which are likely to have a strong bearing on the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races at the Hong Kong venue on Sunday, 14 December.
The LONGINES HKIR, known as the Turf World Championships, is the traditional end-of-year international Group 1 extravaganza, with four top-flight contests: the HK$25million LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2,000m – 10 furlongs), HK$23 million LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, HK$18.5 million Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m – six furlongs) and $16.5 million LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2,400m – 12 furlongs).
Sunday’s main feature, the HKG2 Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy (Handicap), is an important stepping-stone to the LONGINES HKIR for horses aiming at races over a mile and beyond. The mile handicap was billed as a clash of the champions and it was the British import, Military Attack, who landed the triumphant blow to emerge victorious as the one-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year flashed home late in a thriller against top-class opponents.
The six-year-old, having his first start for trainer Caspar Fownes following a summer switch from the John Moore stable, and carrying 133lbs, mugged fellow high-weight and Champion Miler Gold-Fun (133lbs) close home to score by a short-head in a time of 1m 34.37s. Two-time Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon (129lbs), returning from an 18-month injury induced absence, ran a huge race to claim third, a further three quarters of a length back.
“It’s good to see the horse perform like that first-up over a mile against some of the best horses in Hong Kong,” said Fownes, who plans to send his new charge to the G2 LONGINES Jockey Club Cup (2,000m) on 23 November before taking on all-comers in the world’s second richest 2,000m turf race, the HK$25 million LONGINES Hong Kong Cup, on 14 December.
Military Attack was notching his first victory at a mile since May, 2012, his major victories having been achieved at 2,000m, notably in the G1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup and the G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup, both in 2013.
“It’s a surprise to beat Gold-Fun at that distance, but he had a decent preparation,” said Fownes. “I gave Military Attack a really nice prep – I trained him just nice for the race – I expected him to run fourth or fifth and then I’d have walked away extremely happy. To come out and do that is great. And there is improvement, for sure.”
Blazing Speed, the winner of two legs of last season’s Hong Kong Triple Crown, kicked for home at the top of stretch with the Richard Gibson-trained Gold-Fun, attempting back-to-back wins in the race, following in hot pursuit under Douglas Whyte. The 13-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey drove his mount to a hard-fought lead 100m out and must have thought the race was in the bag, only for Military Attack to flash down Gold-Fun’s inner with the post fast approaching.
“Military Attack’s going to step up to 2,000m next run on 23rd November,” said Fownes. “Barring any problems, we’ll look forward to bringing him back in four weeks’ time and we’ll get a real gauge on where we are with John’s (Moore) good horses. It’s going to be a great distance for Designs On Rome, too, that’s where he comes into his own, but I’m very happy with that and now we just go forward and try to have him ready for the big race in December.”
Reigning Horse of the Year Designs On Rome, a fine third on his seasonal return over 1,400m on 5 October, was never a factor as he came home eighth under Joao Moreira.
It was a different story for another old champ, however, as Ambitious Dragon, Horse of the Year in 2010/2011 and 2011/2012, delighted his trainer, Tony Millard, as well as his legion of fans.
“Gerald (Mosse) gave him a lovely, balanced race and he’s come home strong at the end – another 50m and he might have got there,” said Millard, after the eight-year-old, winner of the 2012 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, had travelled wide in the run and rolled home with zest.
“I couldn’t have asked for better than that. He certainly said to the youngsters, ‘I’m back!”
In the supporting feature, potential candidates for the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint and LONGINES Hong Kong Mile locked horns in an exciting renewal of the HKG2 Premier Bowl (Handicap).
Aerovelocity showed his trademark tenacity as he overcame a sloppy start and a top-class field of rivals to win under the in-form Hong Kong Champion Jockey Zac Purton, who ended the day with a five-timer all told.
