By Larry Foley, Singapore Turf Club
At weight-for-age conditions, the highest-rated horse gets a weight advantage over their same sex rivals and off a rating of 103, Hongkong Great stands head and shoulders above the rest in Saturday’s $300,000 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1800m).
The Chilean-bred seven-year-old will carry the same weight (58kgs) as the rest of the 13 horses running in the feature race; three-and-a-half kgs better off than Mr Malek and Sacred Croix, who are the equal next best on a rating of 96.
Hongkong Great also brings winning form into the classic, after he broke through for his first win in Singapore over 1600m on the Polytrack in the $85,000 Class 3 race on September 10.
Of that relatively easy victory, he will meet two of his previous competitors again – Circuit Mission and Tangible – and be better off by seven kgs and eight-and-a-half kgs respectively.
The well-travelled multiple Group 1 winner is certainly ticking the right boxes to be the horse the others have to beat on Saturday and give his trainer, Ricardo Le Grange, a second QEII Cup after Quechua won in 2017 with Vlad Duric on board.
“Very happy with him,” said Le Grange, who took time out from a busy bidding session at the Inglis Ready2Race Sale in Sydney, Australia on Tuesday to talk about the son of Lookin At Lucky.
“He has come on really well after his win and his recent trial (won trial no.3 on October 4 in 59.09 secs) was very good.
“(Jockey) Louis (-Philippe Beuzelin) has the ride on Saturday and worked him up nicely in the trial.
“He (Beuzelin) was very complimentary about him (Hongkong Great) and it’s hard to fault his work leading into Saturday’s race.
“Really excited to get him back on the turf over his best trip.”
If there was one box yet to be ticked by Hongkong Great, it is his lack of winning turf form since leaving Chile as a three-year-old back in 2018; but that does not bother his trainer.
“Sure, his best form in Hong Kong was on the all-weather track (three wins over 1650m) but from memory, he only had a few runs there on the turf,” he said.
“He won three times at Group 1 level in Chile on the turf, so obviously he handles the surface.
“I thought his first run in Singapore on the grass track was good but that was over 1200m, so obviously not his trip.
“1800m looks ideal for him to show his best and that last win in a handicap race was a proper win, so we should see what he has to offer at weight-for-age conditions.”
Le Grange also saddles the only other last-start winner in the QEII Cup – Senor Don (who has won his last three races) – and given both horses like to race on the pace, the barrier draw results on Wednesday will play a part in the pre-race tactics.
“He (Hongkong Great) led at all of his wins in Hong Kong and did the same when he won last start with (jockey) Danny (Beasley) aboard,” said Le Grange.
“But a lot will depend on the barriers. Hongkong Great can easily take a sit whereas Senor Don is probably best when leading.
“(Apprentice jockey) Krisna (Thangamani) stays on (Senor Don) after winning on him last start (September 24 in a pick-up ride for the indisposed Yusoff Fadzli) and he knows the horse well.
“He (Senor Don) is tested at the weight-for-age so his best race could be the (Group 1) Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) at the handicap conditions.
“But in saying that, he was bought with the intention to race in feature races like this, though he had shoulder issues to deal with.
“He was unlucky at his first run this campaign and won his next three, so he’s showing you guys what we knew he was capable of all along.
“He’s smart and gutsy, so don’t underestimate him.”
Quechua’s win in the QEII Cup five years ago – the South African expatriate’s only Group 1 success as a trainer thus far – makes this race special, but even more so this year given the circumstances.
“This race is special,” explained Le Grange.
“(His ex-boss and previous Kranji trainer) Pat (Shaw) never won this race – he won most of the others – so it was a big thrill for me to add that trophy to the stable.
“And obviously (now named in memoriam of the much-loved British monarch) it takes on a more nostalgic feel this year.”
With the Ready2Race Sale starting on Tuesday, Le Grange is more than happy to leave the final touches of his two-pronged attack in the QEII Cup to his assistant-trainer, Jacci De Tert.
“She will do a better job than me,” quipped the trainer who sits fourth on the 2022 trainer’s premiership with 32 winners.
“The stable is in very good hands and hopefully I can pick up some nice horses from the sale.
“There is a massive Kranji contingent here (at the Sale) and they have been busy this morning.
“That is really positive for racing in Singapore going forward.”
