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Soumillon Ruled Out of HKIR

Christophe Soumillon will miss Sunday’s Hong Kong International Races meeting after failing to secure an ‘unconditional’ release from the 14-day quarantine he has been undertaking in Hong Kong.

Having been granted a short-term riding contract with the Hong Kong Jockey Club set to begin HKIR day Dec. 13 and last through Feb. 14, Soumillon–who tested positive for COVID-19 at the Breeders’ Cup in Kentucky early last month–arrived Nov. 26.

A release from the Club Thursday evening indicated that even though Soumillon had cleared his first COVID-19 test upon his arrival, that he had been yet to receive clearance and was being asked to undergo further testing by the Hong Kong Department of Health. The release stated that is was not known when said testing would take place, nor could a release date from quarantine be pinpointed.
Soumillon was booked for each of the four HKIR Sunday afternoon, chief among them defending champion Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) in the Hong Kong Mile. Ryan Moore has been engaged. His other rides have been assigned as follows:

Hong Kong Vase: Vincent Ho on Ho Ho Khan (NZ)
Hong Kong Sprint: Alexis Badel will ride Computer Patch (Aus)
Hong Kong Cup: Zac Purton rides Normcore (Jpn)

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Enable Film Released

Juddmonte has released a film on DVD celebrating the career of its dual G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and triple G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. winner Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). The film, produced in collaboration with Equine Productions and spanning the five years from her arrival onto a racetrack in 2016 to her retirement at Banstead Manor Stud, includes interviews with trainer John Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori.

The DVD is available for pre-purchase on Amazon for £14.99. Juddmonte will make a contribution to the Injured Jockeys Fund from the proceeds of sales.

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‘Legend’ Unluckiest Among Favorites at Longines HKIR Draw

A total of 39 horses representing Hong Kong, Japan, Ireland and France were entered and barriers drawn Thursday morning for Sunday’s HK$95 million Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Although Boniface Ho’s Classique Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) has yet to win a race at Group 1 level–he is a multiple Group 2 winner in Australia–he is one of the marquee horses of this year’s HKIR, having arrived in Hong Kong on the back of a dominating victory in the A$15-million The Everest at Randwick Oct. 17. Having come good in his recent trackwork for trainer Caspar Fownes, he figures to jump favourite for Sunday’s G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, but his chances were done no favours by pulling gate one as the last horse out of the box at the draw.

“I was really hoping for gate five, to tell you the truth, all the way before the draw started,” Fownes told the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Leo Schlink. “He’s a horse that needs a bit of room. Anyway, it is what it is. Most people won’t complain about draw one. He’ll be ridden to get his chance and we’ll see it happens. Just going to hope that the legendary Hong Kong pace is on, like it always is, and then it’s up to [jockey] Vincent [Ho] to ride his race.”

Ballydoyle’s Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will also begin from the pole position as she faces seven other rivals-including three from Japan–in the day’s richest event, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m). Ryan Moore takes the ride on the bonny mare as she tries to exact revenge on Win Bright (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn), who got just the better of the Moore-piloted Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in last year’s Cup. The latter will be having the final start of his career Sunday and carries Masami Matsuoka from barrier four.

Moore and Aidan O’Brien will also team up with Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), who looms the main danger to reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the first of the four internationals, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m). A barnstorming winner of the G1 Grand Prix de Paris in September, he was a fair fifth behind a modest pace when last seen in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland Nov. 7. He landed gate four. Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won the Vase in 2015 and 2017 for Ballydoyle. Exultant, winner of this race in 2018 before a tough-trip third in his title defence last December, was beaten on the square by leading Cup chance Furore (NZ) (Pierro {Aus}) at both his previous starts this season, each over trips short of his best and at something less than peak fitness. He begins one stall to the outside of Mogul in five.

It was lucky seven for Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro) in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile as he goes in search of a first Group 1 himself and an 11th win on the bounce. To do so, he will have to take down the colors of Japan’s Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), who became the rare 3-year-old to win the Mile 12 months ago. Moore takes the ride from Christophe Soumillon, who has been stood down owing to COVID-related issues (see related story) and will have to work out a trip from the widest alley in the field of 10.

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Far Above A Speed Specialist For Compas

Far Above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) has joined the Compas Stallions roster for the 2021 season. Micheal Orlandi spoke with TDN‘s Alayna Cullen about the new stallion who showed blistering speed throughout his racing career.

AC: Micheal, Far Above, although lightly raced, was a racehorse of note. What were some of the highlights of his racing career?

MO: He was a fantastic racehorse and exceptionally fast. He started off as a breeze up horse and I liked the fact that he came through the breeze ups and developed into top-class racehorse. It showed great strength of mind and physical strength that he progressed throughout his career and got better. What I loved about his career was he actually got faster when James Tate, his trainer, dropped him back in trip. He started at seven, went back to six, and his best race and best career performance was at Newmarket in the Palace House over five furlongs. Race record is very important in signing a stallion, and Far Above ended his career being Timeform rated 122.

AC: How is it that he came to stand at Compas Stallions?

MO: These things are very interesting and normally not very straightforward, but in a roundabout way, Jack Cantillon and myself wanted to stand a stallion together under the Compas banner alongside his racing syndicate. There was plenty of other people interested in the stallion but Jack and I put together a pitch and we approached Jono Mills of Rabbah on behalf of Sheikh Dalmook and we were fortunate that they decided the best place for Far Above was Compas Stallions. We are really excited to have him. He’s really a stallion that we think complements Kuroshio (Aus) and the rest of the guys here: Cappella Sansevero (Ire) and Smooth Daddy.

AC: He is by an interesting sire and his damsire is one of the most prolific around. What are the highlights of his pedigree?

MO: He’s by Farhh, who statistically is an exceptional stallion. He is a son of Pivotal (GB), who is a proven sire of sires with Siyouni (Fr) doing so well in France. Far Above is out of a Shamadal mare, probably the broodmare sire of the moment, and the cross of Pivotal and Shamadal has worked well.

AC: He looks to be an imposing type of horse. Tell us about his conformation.

MO: He’s a fantastic physical. I remember reading somewhere that Napoleon had a famous war horse called Marengo and if I had to ride to war, I’d definitely ride to war on Far Above. He’s got fantastic use of himself first and foremost. A beautiful head, great, genuine eye with an unbelievable shoulder to him. He’s got great bone and he’s very correct. The physical is very hard to fault, because he has all the attributes you’d want. He’s got plenty of strength, he’s well balanced and he has a great way of walking. You wouldn’t hear him walk past you, he just glides over the ground. I don’t know anyone who has come to see him who has faulted him.

AC: Considering the positive reviews from those who have come to see him, do you have an idea of how well supported he might be in the new season?

MO: Breeders in Ireland are very conscious of breeding fast, precocious horses as well as breeding a horse that hopefully will sell well too. Far Above has those attributes in pedigree and physique. Breeders on the flat are very clued in, they know the time of day, and the amount of interest in him from breeders in France, the UK and all across Ireland has been great. It’s not by accident that there is a huge interest in breeding rights. The people who are planning to breed to Far Above and who have bought breeding rights for Far Above have been successful and have established themselves as leading breeders in Ireland, the UK and France for a number of years. They’re not a flash in the pan. It gives me great confidence in the stallion and I think an apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree so I’d be very confident that Far Above will be a success for everyone who’s involved in him.

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