Snow Fairy: bids to follow up her QEII Cup win in Hong Kong in December

  PICTURE: Masakazu Takahashi  

Far East feast set to light up international stage

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

THEY think it's all over. Frankel and Black Caviar are finished for the year, there are no more championship races in Europe and Sepoy and Atlantic Jewel are likely to be out of action until 2012.

Okay, so it is pretty much all over in Europe and Australia for 2011 but the international competition is far from over out east, where stars like Snow Fairy and Danedream will bid to scoop some huge purses for Europe.

Here's where some of the remaining highlights for 2011 may come:

Japan

The Mile Championship (November 20), Japan Cup (November 27) and Arima Kinen (December 25) often provide some of the best performances in the Japanese season.

The Japan Cup is worth £2 million to the winner and record-breaking Arc winner Danedream is set to fly east in a bid to become the first European winner since Alkaased scored for Luca Cumani in 2005.

Other European winners of the past include Pilsudski, Singspiel, Lando and Falbrav, while more recently Japanese champions like Vodka, Deep Impact and Admire Moon have all won the 1m4f prize.

Triple-crowner Orfevre and Dubai World Cup winner Victoire Pisa are both scheduled for one more run this year in either the Japan Cup or Arima Kinen, while French milers Immortal Verse and Sahpresa are already in Japan preparing for Sunday's Mile Championship.

Hong Kong

Europe's middle-distance horses can win anywhere, their sprinters nowhere: the lop-sided success of Europeans is a common phenomenon around the world but nothing highlights this distance divide quite so clearly as the Hong Kong International Races (December 11).

The four major Hong Kong prizes that make up the 'Turf World Championships' are run at distances of 6f (Sprint), 1m (Mile), 1m2f (Cup) and 1m4f (Vase).

Europeans were early adopters of the championships and have sent out representatives to eachof the four races for each of the last 12 years.

During those 12 years they have had the 1-2-3 in the Vase eight times and they have actually won the Vase in 15 of the 17 renewals since it was first run in 1994. In the Cup (1m2f) the Euros have also done well, winning eight of the last 12 runnings.

But as the distance drops so does the European record. In the Mile they have won just two of the last 12 while they have never won the Sprint.

This year the Sprint is set to be headed by the Singapore-based Rocket Man, who should have enough in hand to see off the leading Euro challenge, headed by Bated Breath.

The Mile could see an intriguing clash between New Zealand champion Jimmy Choux and Euro ace Excelebration - although the Mile often goes to a Hong Kong native.

The Vase and Cup are, as always, chock full of top-drawer Europeans, including Sunday's spectacular Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup winner Snow Fairy.

Ed Dunlop's filly again showcased that rare turn of foot to win from an impossible position on Sunday and it is that late speed which will stand her in good stead at Sha Tin next month.

The form of Sunday's race was not strong - the winner only needed topost an RPR of 114+ - but she has looked better than ever on previous starts this year and will surely go well as she bids to follow her QEII Commemorative Cup repeat with a Hong Kong Cup double.

With Frankel and Black Caviar finished for the year, Cirrus Des Aigles (130) ranks as the leading horse in training on RPRs and he is also heads east with the Hong Kong Cup as his target.

The key home trials for the International races will be run at Sha Tin on Sunday (November 20).

Americain had been expected to contest the Vase but it has been decided to keep him in Australia for races like the Australian Cup and theBMW.

He posted the highest RPR of the week in the Zipping Classic at Sandown, running to 121+ for his cosy success over Manighar on Saturday.

USA

The Horse of theYear is a hard call. Havre De Grace retained her lead in the NTRA poll even after defeat at the Breeders' Cup, with 189 points.

Game On Dude moved up to second (141 points), with Royal Delta in third (135) and Tizway fourth (122).

It's not the hottest competition of the year. In fact it is so open that there is still a slight chance for something to sneak in and take it, like the improving Caleb's Posse.

There are still Group 1 races left on the calendar this year - races like the Clark Handicap (November 25) and Cigar Mile (November 26) - and even a juvenile race like the Cashcall Futurity (December 17) or Hollywood Starlet (December 10) could spice up the voting if the right horse won in the right manner.

But do American voters care about anything post-Breeders' Cup? Isn't that the real end of the season? Isn't the Horse of the Year competition over already?

I think it probably is, but you never know.

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