Can Variety Club break Hong Kong’s stranglehold?
Hong Kong-trained horses have won each of the nine editions since the race was opened to overseas runners. Can Variety Club turn the tables?
3rd May 2014
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Hong Kong-trained horses have won each of the nine editions since the race was opened to overseas runners. Can Variety Club turn the tables?
Trainer Mike de Kock inspected the horse, this morning, in the quarantine stables and advised that he did not require any further work.
“It’s Hong Kong and they don’t generally just hand you the lead here. He generally goes forward but he has been ridden off the pace and won at home in South Africa. We’ll have a think about what we might do,” says Trevor Brown
“You’ve got to respect them” says Trevor Brown of their rivals in this Sunday’s Hong Kong Mile. “They grind and then they kick.”
Dual South African Horse of the Year Variety Club steps out for his first track work session at Sha Tin
Olivier Doleuze says “There’s no pressure on me or the horse. Nobody’s watching us. He will enjoy the little cut in the track and the distance is no problem so he might surprise a few people.”
Less than 2 hours till this year’s HK$14 million Audemars Piguet QEII Cup. The event has proved a profitable one for Mike de Kock who saddled two previous winners in Iridescence and Archipenko. He fields a strong double hander Vercingetorix and Sanshaawes. Will he lift the Cup a third time?
Mike de Kock runners Vercingetorix and Sanshaawes draw 3 and 8
Injury sidelines Akeed Mofeed for the Audmars Piguet QEII Cup, the South African contingent settles in and ‘Mauritian Magician’ Karis Teetan gets a surprise call-up
Appeal hearing scheduled for Monday after sensational suspension of Mike De Kock’s Dubai jockey
Trainer Mike De Kock saddled a first stakes winner for his wife Diane when longshot Silent Force made a mockery of the handicapper to run out an easy winner of the Listed Queen Of The Sand run over a mile at the Vaal on Tuesday
A bruised and battered Louis told the Sporting Post on Tuesday that he was in pain in various parts of his body, but was feeling ‘okay’
