World class talents nominated for the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races.

Elite Group 1 stars are prominent among the 293 first stage nominations for the HK$84.5 million LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, which will take place at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday, 10 December. World horseracing’s year-end showcase has attracted 59 G1 winners among the 210 individual horses engaged, including top gallopers from Europe, Japan, USA, South Africa and Australasia.

The four-race Turf World Championships consists of the HK$25 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), the HK$23 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), the HK$18.5 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and the HK$18 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m).

Among the heavyweights from overseas under consideration for a tilt at one of the features are Britain’s mile star Ribchester; Ireland’s 2015 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase hero Highland Reel and his stablemate, the top-class filly Roly Poly; Japan’s QEII Cup winner Neorealism, as well as Real Steel, Satono Aladdin and recent classic scorer Kiseki; France’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Cloth Of Stars; and two of the USA’s brightest talents, Roy H and Oscar Performance.

Cloth Of Stars (=6), Ribchester (8) and Highland Reel (=9) rank in the top 10 in the latest edition of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.

South African connected horses nominated include Smart Call, the impressive 2016 Met winner in South Africa and the 2017 Met winner, Whisky Baron. Smart Call is running out of the British Stable of Sir Michael Stoute whilst Brett Crawford entered Whisky Baron. The latter is unlikely to take his place due to injury but that could change. Both are Grade 1 winners. 

The home Hong Kong contingent numbers 59 against 151 overseas nominations, and includes former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther, as well as last year’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile winner Beauty Only and the crack sprinters Lucky Bubbles and Mr Stunning.

The entries feature horses from 13 jurisdictions spanning five continents, and Japan
has the largest bloc of overseas entries with 51 (13 more than in 2016). Seventeen horses from Australia are entered, which is a marked drop on the 30 engaged last year. The reduced Australian entry this time is due to the Australian government’s ongoing assessment of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s protocols regarding horses travelling to and from its Conghua complex in the Chinese Mainland – at present, horses are required to complete 180 days in quarantine before returning to Australia. The entry features G1 winners Vega Magic and Redkirk Warrior.

Mr. Anthony Kelly, Executive Director of Racing Business and Operations at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “It is very pleasing to see such strong international and domestic representation among the entries for this year’s LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, which is well-established as one of horseracing’s premier international occasions. The world’s elite horsemen clearly relish the challenge of Sha Tin in December.

“We are delighted to have received a very healthy number of entries with 26 more horses entered than last year, and nominations from Japan, Britain and Ireland noticeably up. Given the uncertainty created by the ongoing situation about horses travelling to and from Australia to Hong Kong, it isn’t surprising to see their number of entries reduced for this renewal. It is a mark of the event’s draw that 17 Australian horses have nonetheless been entered.

“The calibre of horses that have been nominated gives a clear indication of the quality we can expect to enjoy at this year’s Turf World Championships. The countdown has started to the second Sunday in December and there is palpable excitement at the prospect of seeing stars like Ribchester, Highland Reel, Neorealism, Cloth Of Stars,
Librisa Breeze and Real Steel take on Hong Kong’s world class gallopers on Sha Tin’s famous turf.”