AIDAN O’Brien is set to send four runners to Sha Tin for the Hong Kong International Raceday on Sunday, December 10th.
The Ballydoyle team is expected to consist of Luxembourg, Warm Heart, Cairo and Aesop’s Fables.
O'Brien has won the 12-furlong Vase at this meeting three times in the past with Highland Reel (twice) and Mogul.
This year O'Brien will be represented in the 10-furlong Cup by Luxembourg, while Warm Heart is set to line up in the Vase. Cairo goes for the Mile and his runner in the Sprint will be Aesop's Fables.
Other world-class horses on track for the meeting are Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior, Highfield Princess and Lucky Sweynesse.
Recent winner of the Cox Plate in Australia, the Hong Kong-trained Romantic Warrior will bid to win the Cup for a second time. He is likely to be taken on by France’s Horizon Dore and Japan’s Prognosis, Rousham Park and Hishi Iguazu.
Golden Sixty makes his long-anticipated competitive return when Hong Kong’s equine idol attempts to join Good Ba Ba as a three-time winner of the Mile.
Winner of a Hong Kong record of nine Group 1s, Golden Sixty’s pursuit of history will be challenged by Japan’s Namur and Serifos, while France’s Tribalist, trained by Andre Fabre, is also a high-class contender.
In the Vase, Warm Heart will face Japanese globe-trotter Shahryar, the imperiously-bred Geraldina from Japan, and Andre Fabre’s Junko.
Hong Kong’s quest for its first Vase victory since Exultant in 2018 will be spearheaded by reigning Hong Kong champion stayer Russian Emperor, Senor Toba and Five G Patch, while US-based trainer Christophe Clement will be represented by Soldier Rising.
John Quinn’s Highfield Princess will carry British hopes in the Sprint. The mare will face a formidable Hong Kong defence led by the world’s top-ranked sprinter Lucky Sweynesse.
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