By Alan Carasso
World's joint top-rated racehorse Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}), Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Australian raider Santa Ana Lane (Aus) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) experienced different fates at Thursday's barrier draw for Sunday's HK$58 million FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin Racecourse, featuring the HK$24-million G1 FWD QE II Cup (2000m), the HK$18-million G1 FWD Champions Mile and the HK$16-million G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize (1200m).
Beauty Generation is not only well on his way to a second consecutive Horse of the Year title in Hong Kong, but is well within shouting distance of former John Moore trainee Viva Pataca (GB) (Marju {Ire}) as the all-time money spinner in Hong Kong history. Sunday's Champions Mile is a wholly domestic affair and the 6-year-old gelding's chances were done no harm by drawing gate two in a field of seven as he goes in defence of his title in a race that commenced his current eight-race winning streak last April.
Exultant figures to go off favoured in a contentious renewal of the QE II Cup and will depart gate six with leading rider Zac Purton at the controls. The former Irishcorrespondent, the 5-year-old out-battled Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) last December and has since added a couple more victories, including a facile success in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup over the course and distance in February. A trip to Dubai for the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic was shunned in favor this spring feature. Trainer Tony Cruz will also send out the feast-or-famine Time Warp (GB) (Archipenko), who will go forward from barrier 10.
“No complaints,” Cruz said. “I'm very happy with gate six for Exultant. It is smack in the middle and that will be perfect for him, he won't get trapped on the inside. With Time Warp, I'm happy to be drawn outside, it doesn't matter to him, he's still going to go to the lead from gate 10.”
Like his compatriot Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}), Santa Ana Lane will try to parlay a victory in the G1 T J Smith S. at Sydney's The Championships into success in the Chairman's Sprint Prize, but jockey Hugh Bowman will have to work out the right trip from the widest alley in 10.
“Better 10 than one,” Sam Freedman, trainer Anthony Freedman's son, said. “It'll let him get into a nice rhythm and space to breathe. The draw doesn't really matter given his racing style and the relatively small field.”
Mr Stunning (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) was rolled by former stablemate Ivictory (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}) and will launch his recovery mission from gate three, while his arch-rival Beat the Clock (Aus) (Hinchinbrook {Aus}) will look to improve on his third-place effort from 12 months ago from the six hole.
Click for the HKJC form guide: QE II Cup, Champions Mile, Chairman's Sprint Prize.
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