Hong Kong Sunday

Hope you can get a bet with your bookie?
The payouts might be strange 8/1 shot paying 1.8

lol

MDK runs a "small" but select team,according to Jason Weaver

I hope you all enjoyed that stupid cart race in the middle of the HK preview. Can't they give that rubbish a break for even 5 minutes? Jeez.

Vision D'Etat scores for France in HK Cup

Report: Hong Kong, Sunday

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup (Group 1) 1m2f, 3yo+

VISION D'ETAT overcame a lateinjury scare to beat Collection and Presvis in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.

There was a doubt about the former Prix du Jockey-Club and Prince of Wales's Stakes winner running at the start of the day owing to a swelling in a hind leg that had revealed itself the previous morning, but local officials were satisfied he was fit to race and he showed no indication that the problem was troubling him.

In a race in which the Japanese mare Queen Spumante could never establish the kind of lead she had enjoyed when a shock winner of her most recent start, Olivier Peslier produced Vision D'Etat with a strong run to collar favourite Collection inside the final furlong and score by three-quarters of a length.

Presvis, held up as ever, never got in a blow and was another two and a half lengths away.

Historic third HK Mile win for Good Ba Ba

Report: Hong Kong, Sunday

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile (Group 1) 1m, 3yo+

GOOD BA BA made Hong Kong history on Sunday when he claimed his third successive victory in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile in another clean sweep for the hometeam.

The defending champion proved he was not about to abdicate his throne by dismissing the local pretender to his title, Happy Zero, who was sent off the odds-on favourite on course, by half a length.

It ended acontroversial chapter in the seven-year-old's career who, having been removed from trainer Andreas Schutz, who prepared him for his first two triumphs, was winning for the first time for new handler Derek Cruz.

Owner John Yuen had replaced Olivier Doleuze with Christophe Soumillon a year ago but Doleuze was back in the saddle for Sunday's race, in which none of the overseas raiders made the first four. Ferneley did best in fifth, behind third and fourth Fellowship and Egyptian Ra.

Doleuze said: "It's a dream. As you can imagine I was a bit sad to lose the ride and sit and watch him win last year from the jockeys' room. It was a bit tight at the start, but I saw the Aga Khan's filly [Daryakana] win from the back and I knew the pace was strong enough. You go with your heart and believe in the horse."

Good Ba Ba has had exactly the same race preparation each time, running in the Sha Tin Trophy and then the Mile Trial, in which he finishedthird last month.

Cruz said: "This is just unbelievable, awesome is the word. I got a phone call from the owner in the summer when on holiday and he asked if I would like to train his horse. I said 'What horse?' and he said 'GoodBa Ba'. I said, 'Are you joking?'"

Asked how his preparation had gone and how confident he was, Cruz said: "I planned out the three runs. I just had to keep him ticking, keep him happy and we could make history."

Confront ran on well at the finish to take sixth and Teddy Grimthorpe, owner Khalid Abdullah's racing manager, said: "He picked up really well in the last furlong and a half. He might just want a mile and a quarter now, but he is going to be an interesting horse. I expect he will be clocking up the air miles."

Frankie Dettori said Alexandros, who finished seventh, wasn't quite good enough. "A mile here is too quick for him and he was outclassed," he said.

Pressing disappointed here again, trailing in last. "It was a carbon copy of last year," said Michael Jarvis's assistant Roger Varian.

Sacred Kingdom speeds to Hong Kong Sprint win

Report: Hong Kong, Sunday

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint (Group 1) 6f, 3yo+

SACRED KINGDOM captured the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint for the second time, claiming a one-two-three-four finish for the home team as Hong Kong runners swept aside high-class sprinters from Britain, Australia and the United States.

The local favourite, whotook the prize two years ago, put his dismal showing at Royal Ascot this summer behind him to live up to his status at the top of the world's sprint rankings.

Against the strongest field ever assembled for the race, Sacred Kingdom ran down the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner California Flag in the final 200 metres to secure the win by half a length from the fast-finishing One World, with Joy And Fun three-quarters of a length back in third and Green Birdie fourth.

Total Gallery was the only British runner to mount any sort of a challenge, breaking well to hold third entering the straight.

The Stan Mooore-trained colt was unable to muster a telling burst at the end and finished sixth.

Sacred Kingdom, fifth in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, went into the race as the joint-highest rated sprinter with Scenic Blast, who came home last having bled, but he should hold that position all on his own after this demonstration of speed.

Jockey Brett Prebble said: "It was a question of count to ten, count to ten, and let him go. I was biting my tongue on getting to the front and he nearly pulled up onme, but he is the best sprinter in the world and as long as he has got one to run down he is fine. These Group 1s are hard to win, but I expected it and it all went to plan."

California Flag produced the best run from the overseas challenge to take fifth ahead of Total Gallery. Borderlescott was 11th and War Artist 12th.

Total Gallery's trainer Stan Moore said: "He ran a great race. Probably the two draw made us have him handier than we should have, but he travelled real good and just got run out of the places in the last 50 yards. I think we'll come back next year - this was only the trial."

Robin Bastiman put the task facing European sprinters into perspective, saying: "They are just different class here. Borderlescott is quick at home but he couldn't lay up with them. It's unbelievable. I think we will stick to England and Ireland in future."

James Eustace, trainer of War Artist, said: "He beat only two home. He didn't run very well, but possibly didn't handle the bend."