The Jockey Club could not tempt connections of Frankel to be at Sha Tin for the HK$20 million Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile on December 11, but Excelebration is just about the next best thing and is scheduled to take part.
The Mile goes to HK$20 million in stake money for the first time this year, and though it has been the property of Hong Kong gallopers for the past five runnings they will need to be on their mettle to fend off the renewed foreign challenge. The locals will field a powerful seven-strong team headed by Champions Mile winner Xtension and defending Hong Kong Mile winner Beauty Flash.
Marco Botti-trained Excelebration, with an international rating figure of 126 as a three-year-old, is the most highly- acclaimed runner the Mile has featured.
Botti has been here before for the Mile, bringing Ramonti to finish a brave third in 2006 behind The Duke, before he was sold on to Godolphin and later won the Hong Kong Cup, so the trainer is well aware of the quality required.
A winner at five of his last eight starts, Excelebration took his breakthrough Group One victory in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in Paris in September, but has had Frankel to contend with in each of his minor placings this year and fell four lengths short of the wonder horse at Ascot. Another of the Mile invitees, Dubawi Gold, was further afield there in fourth.
Roger Charlton-trained Cityscape is the second highest-rated Mile runner, with his 121 international figure looking flattering at first glance, with his only black type wins Group Threes at Newmarket and The Curragh. He claimed his first Group One in the Prix Perth in France on very wet ground last time out, but his record reads better when it is acknowledged that he has had to play second and third fiddle to the likes of Goldikova, Dick Turpin and Canford Cliffs in several of his defeats.