By Alan Carasso
With the Longines Hong Kong International Races now a month and a half in the rear view, the focus turns to the 4-year-old Classics in Hong Kong, a three-race series that kicks off Sunday with the HK$10-million Hong Kong Classic Mile.
Perennial leading trainer John Size won his first Classic Mile just two years ago with Sun Jewellery (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) and the Aussie ex-pat sends out two of the top chances Sunday, including the once-beaten Nothingilikemore (Aus) (Husson {Arg}). A perfect four-from-four during his first preparation in Hong Kong, the bay ended the season on a rating of 89 and picked up where he left with a smooth win in Class 2 Oct. 22. Stepping up to Class 1 for the first time on International Day Dec. 10, he hopped at the start and got far back but kept on well to miss by a short head. Joao Moreira has been aboard for each the gelding's last five runs and doesn't anticipate any problems with Sunday's trip off a lofty rating of 112.
“He's not the type of horse that will over-race and do too much,” the 'Magic Man' told HKJC's David Morgan. “As we know, he has a very good dash at the finish and if he shows that kind of performance again that we've seen before, I think he's going to be very hard to beat.”
Size's other entrant is Time To Celebrate (NZ) (Per Incanto), who spots his stablemate 17 ratings points, but has the advantage of two wins over track and trip, including Class 2 victories Dec. 10 and Jan. 7. Moreira was aboard for those scores, but Brett Prebble is at the controls Sunday.
Former Size assistant Frankie Lor is off to a dream start in his first season out on his own and is represented by the progressive Morethanlucky (NZ) (Per Incanto). Never better than fourth in seven starts last season, he has been reborn under Lor's care, with four wins from five starts and three in a row, all over the mile distance.
“At this moment, I am very lucky to be in the race, I can tell you–that's my feeling,” Lor said. “I'm very happy to have a horse in the Classic Mile because at the beginning of the season I didn't think this horse would be in this race.”
John Moore has won the Classic Mile four times, including last year with Classic series sweeper Rapper Dragon (Aus) (Street Boss) and has three of the 11 runners, two of which are Group 1 winners from their overseas days. Ruthven (Aus) (Domesday {Aus}) is the most recent winner of the G1 Queensland Derby to make his way into the Moore barn and turned in a decent local debut, finishing a midfield seventh over 1400m Jan. 1, a race in which Lockheed (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) was a troubled fourth. Rivet (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) won the 2016 G1 Racing Post Trophy and has shown some signs of improvement in Hong Kong, most recently finishing two lengths fourth to Time To Celebrate Jan. 1.
Exultant (GB) (Excellent Art {GB}) was the highly impressive winner of a Class 2 over 10 furlongs Dec. 23 and may find Sunday's distance on the sharper side, while South African Group 2 winner Singapore Sling (SAf) (Philanthropist) will attempt to build on a victory at Happy Valley Dec. 27.
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