Little Mike and King Kreesa run in Hong Kong's richest races

The timing of the Hong Kong International Races being contested only 1 month after the Breeders’ Cup often spoils the likelihood of America’s best turf horse from trying to compete.  However, for the first time since 2010, American horses are going to make the effort to win some of the most prestigious races in Asia.

Little Mike and King Kreesa have made the exhausting trip to Hong Kong to try and carve out a piece of the $72 Million HKD ($9.6M USD) in prize money being offered in this year’s Hong Kong International Races. The international races are made up of the 6 furlong Sprint, the Mile, the 1 ¼ mile Cup, and the 1 ½ mile Vase.

For those unfamiliar with Hong Kong, and their racing system, the city state is home to 7 million people, 2 race tracks and boasts a yearly racing betting handle equal to all of the tracks combined in the U.S. Sha Tin, the track where the International Races are to be contested has a 1 1/8 mile main turf track with a highly advanced water draining system to help maintain the racing surface during the very damp rainy season in Southeast Asia. This system creates a very consistent racing surface often rated as good despite an annual rainfall of nearly 10 feet per year!

Fortunately for Little Mike and King Kreesa, as well as the rest of the runners, December is one of the most moderate months of the year in the tropical climate where little rain is seen and temperatures often range between 60º and 70ºF.

The one question the pair from America will need to answer: Can they turn right? Sha Tin contests races clockwise which is opposite of all racing venues in the U.S. Also, those that remember the Dubai racing carnival, Little Mike did not show his best form in the Duty Free.

First to race of the American pair is King Kreesa, who is planning his assault on the one turn Mile. This will be no easy task. Having suffered a mild fever during the 14 hour flight to Hong Kong, he has missed out on some of his intended training. Recent reports from on track veterinarians suggest he has regained his health and is now looking much better during his morning workouts. However, he will need to dig deep and find his best to succeed against this highly acclaimed group assembling for the Hong Kong Mile.

King Kreesa has had a mixed season in the USA, but he is clearly at his best at around the one mile distance, in which he will race on Sunday. Finishing a very respectable second, 1 ¼ lengths behind Wise Dan in the Fourstardave Handicap earlier this year, we know he can compete with the best in the world. His pace pressing running style recently saw him to victory in an overnight stakes at Belmont as his final prep for the Hong Kong Mile. If he is to find the winner’s circle at Sha Tin, King Kreesa will need to best a talented field including Moonlight Cloud, Sky Lantern, and local Hong Kong miler Glorious Days. His front running style suits him well in a race typically void of fast pace. Able One cruised to victory at odds of 66-1 in 2011 by sitting chilly on the front end, turning it on early down the stretch and never looking back.

The second of the American invaders is four-time Grade 1 winner Little Mike. He will be seeking glory in Hong Kong’s most prestigious race, the Hong Kong Cup. Run over the 1 ¼ mile distance, the $20 Million HKD purse attracts some of the best middle distance turf horses from Japan, Europe, and Australia. This year is no exception. Cirrus Des Aigles is back for the fourth straight year, and is determined to find a way to win one of the few unconquered international grade 1’s in his esteemed career. Also part of the field is reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Military Attack who has been trained this season specifically to peak at this race. He, like Little Mike, likes to sit near the front and has one of the most explosive turns of foot to be found in Hong Kong.

The key to success in this race is positioning into the first turn. With the race starting right in front of the grandstand mid stretch, there is a short run up, about 1 furlong, to the first turn. California Memory, winner from the last two editions of this race has won from the inside post position and under brilliant positioning from his talented rider, Matthew Chadwick. His strategy, knowing the race had no pace setter was to keep his deep closer much closer to the front of the pack than usual and to save ground on the rail. The strategy was extremely successful, rocketing his mount to victory both times he utilized this approach.

Sha Tin is extremely favorable to closers, and like many European turf races, the first mile of the race is merely the means to the end. Slow pace and uneventful trips set up a cavalry charge of a sprint coming down the long stretch. This is where Little Mike’s American running style can be very advantageous in a race unaccustomed to dedicated front-runners. Little Mike has the speed and the class to get far out front and never look back. If he does control the pace in an attempt to try and outsprint the opposition at the finish, he may find himself in a position similar to this year’s Dubai Duty Free where he was swallowed by the field at the top of the stretch.

Given the talent of both of these runners and the difficulty of the travel, I would not be surprised by any outcome. But as a fan of both American and Hong Kong racing, I am extremely excited to see some great horses make the trip and compete on the world stage.