The star-studded Jockey Club features on November 20 are looking a proper dress rehearsal for the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races in December, with yesterday's release of entries missing few names.
The Jockey Club Cup, Jockey Club Sprint and Jockey Club Mile will feature most of the top domestic performers, though Caspar Fownes-trained Lucky Nine and Green Birdie will miss the day and John Size is bypassing the Mile with Sichuan Success in an effort to have him right for international day.
'Sichuan Success has an issue with his right front foot,' Size said. 'If I miss this race, then I think I might be able to have him right for the Hong Kong Mile, but I might be up against it if I try to run him in both.'
Of the top-rated horses, Collection remains sidelined with injury and Ricky Yiu Poon-fai has already flagged his intention to go straight to the Hong Kong Sprint with Sacred Kingdom, which will also be the case with the Fownes pair after their return from a luckless trip to Japan.
'Green Birdie and Lucky Nine are both good fresh so I'm not worried about going to the international without another run,' Fownes said. 'I did the same thing with Green Birdie last year. He came back from Japan dull in the coat and that has been the case again with both horses this time. They are healthy and well otherwise, but their coats aren't where I would like them just yet.'
As expected. Tony Millard will run Ambitious Dragon - with Maxime Guyon replacing Douglas Whyte - in the Jockey Club Mile so his much-anticipated return bout with California Memory (Jockey Club Cup) will not take place yet, but the Horse of the Year is expected to step up in distance to the Hong Kong Cup on international day.
