Home-based Lucky Nine narrowly landed the Hong Kong Sprint on Sunday

  PICTURE: HKJC  

Familiar trends continue at HK International meet

WORLD CLASS: an analysis of the international scene according to Racing Post Ratings

There were some familiar scenes in the Hong Kong International races on Sunday.

Finishes so tight there were dead-heats in the first two races, a Hong Konger winning the Mile and Europe coming out on top in the Vase.

The winners might be hard to find, but there are certain trends which stand up year after year at Sha Tin.

One of the most consistent trends at the meeting is the notable success of the home-based sprinters - and the regular disappointment from their European challengers.

Hong Kong didn't have as strong a team as normal in 2011. There was no Absolute Champion, no Silent Witness and Sacred Kingdom is not quite as sharp as he used to be, but still the home team dominated.

Lucky Nine (121) came out best in a three-way photo with countrymen Joy And Fun and Entrapment, who dead-heated for second. Little Bridge finished fourth with Japanese filly Curren Chan the highest placed foreigner back in fifth.

As always, the Europeans finished well down the field in eighth, ninth and 13^th. That takes the Euro record in the Hong Kong Sprint to 42 runners, no winners and only one placer (Benbaun, third 2006) in the race's 13-year history.

The International races provide a unique test for Europeans. The track is tight, there is a distinct draw bias, which played its part in Sunday's Sprint, and the meeting sits very late in the calendar. But do these factors provide a complete explanation for the Sprint results?

The Europeans enjoy regular success in the Cup and Vase, which counters most of the environmental differences, so perhaps it is just a case of Hong Kong Sprinters being the better? Or perhaps it shows that seasonal differences affect sprinters more than stayers?

It would be interesting to see howthe best Hong Kong-based sprinters would compete in June on a straight track, since they inevitably beat the Euros every year on their own terms.

Is it just a difference of race styles and when they hit their peak, or are the Hong Kongers superior sprinters?

There aren't many form lines going the other way, although the mighty Sacred Kingdom was beaten into fifth in the Golden Jubilee in 2009, while Joy And Fun finished tenth in the 2010 Golden Jubilee and Sweet Sanette was third to Prohibit in this year's King's Stand.

Sweet Sanette has proved below the top level in Hong Kong, so perhaps her run indicates that Euro sprinters are as bad as the international form lines suggest. But three examples does not a sample make.

The more international racing becomes, the more of this type of question will be answered. But after their continued success at home it would be fair to expect Hong Kongers to continue to try their hand overseas.

They have had some success in the sprint ranks abroad, with Joy And Fun winning the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan and the likes of Green Birdie and Lucky Nine placing in the last two runnings of Japan's Centaur Stakes.

In the Vase it's the Europeans who dominate. They have provided eight trifectas in the last 12 runnings, although they had to settled for the swinger on Sunday, with Melbourne Cup pair Dunaden and Red Cadeaux finishing first and third.

Given the steady early fractions and tight finish it was quite surprising that the first five horses all ran to form, with Dunaden matching his Flemington RPR of 121.

Dunaden clearly has the finishing kick that's required at Sha Tin and he posted a fast piece of work earlier in the week which had connections excited.

With a Melbourne Cup and a Hong Kong Vase, he is racking up quite a CV, although the Vase looked pretty weak after the defection of clear favourite Snow Fairy.

The field was predominantly European, but none of them had won a Group 1 race in Britain, France or Ireland and the pre-race ratings topped out at around 120.

The only potential improver in the field was Vadamar, but he was a no show from a wide draw, having raced wide and in rear.

A peak RPR of 121 means Dunaden will probably struggle at championship level back in Europe, but that finishing kick is a real weapon and he could cause an upset in a big staying prize if things fall right.

Home-trained Thumbs Up was bidding to follow up a win in the Jockey Club Cup and he did well to split the Melbourne Cup duo, finishing second and running to his best with an RPR of 120.

The Mile was also a Hong Kong-European affair. There was less than a length separating the first four at the line, with Able One and Xtension finishing first and third for the home team and Cityscape and Dubawi Gold taking second and fourth for Europe.

Able One had a perfect sit behind the pacemaker turning in and he stole a big lead early in the straight, pulling lengths clear of the field. He won the Jockey Club Mile last year with a career best RPR of 123 and he returned to that mark with this win.

Cityscape was closing at the finish and ran in line with recent efforts with an RPR of 122, with the fast finishing Xtension (121+) also to form in third.

Europe might have done better here if Excelebration had not been sidelined. He was set to become the highest-rated international raider in the history of the Hong Kong Mile, but was ruled out after a dirty scope.

The Hong Kong Cup often goes to Europe, but the home team again came out on top on Sunday, with California Memory (121) beating Irian and the German-trained Zazou in third.

Irian had finished second to Snow Fairy in last year's race and provides a good line on the form, running to the same RPR of 119.

Cirrus Des Aigles showed last yearhe doesn't have the finishing kick for Sha Tin and after a long season he failed to make inroads on the leaders, winding up fifth.

He would struggle to win the Cup even if he was on the front turning in, simply because other horses can finish faster. Put him on a straight track, though, and he's among the best in the world.

Able One came out best on the ratings this week, but that doesn't necessarily mean he was the best horse in action, merely that he was afforded the best opportunity at a track which crunches the accordion like Joe Pesci with a vice.

TOP OF THE CLASS: Able One 123, John Moore (HK) (Hong Kong Mile, Sha Tin, 1m, Dec 11)

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