Breeders' Cup-bound sprinters entered in Hong Kong International Races

The 2019 Hong Kong International Races has attracted a bounty of stars among 202 nominated horses, with 66 Group 1 winners from 12 countries/regions eyeing the four-race HK$93 million event at Sha Tin on December 8.

This year’s entry is 11 up on 2018 and features world heavyweights Almond Eye, Magical, Beauty Generation, Cross Counter, Benbatl and Santa Ana Lane.

The nominees also include 10 Group 1-winning 3-year-olds, notably Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck, 2,000 Guineas hero Magna Grecia and Yushun Himba heroine Loves Only You, as well as crack milers King Of Change and Circus Maximus, and the speedsters Advertise, Fairyland and Ten Sovereigns.  

Three horses based in the United States are under consideration. Breeders' Cup Sprint contenders Imperial Hint and Shancelot, along with Turf Sprint horse Leinster, were each entered in the Hong Kong Sprint.

Hong Kong won all four features last year -- others are the Hong Kong Cup, Mile and Vase -- with those victors set to defend their crowns.

Beauty Generation will attempt to match Good Ba Ba’s record of three consecutive wins in the HK$25 million Mile; Mr Stunning is entered for a tilt at an unprecedented third HK$20 million Sprint win; Exultant is aiming again at the HK$20 million Vase; and Glorious Forever will try to become only the second back-to-back winner of the HK$28 million Cup.

 Andrew Harding, executive director of racing at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “We are delighted to have more than 200 nominations for our four Group 1 races in December. The LONGINES Hong Kong International Races is recognized the world over as one of the global sport’s truly great events and this year we anticipate another incredible day of elite sport.”

“That we have topped last year’s nominations and have attracted 66 individual Group 1 winners among the entries, including superstars like Almond Eye and Magical, is testament to how appealing Hong Kong racing is in the eyes of the world’s leading horsemen. Hong Kong stages superb sport with excellent prize money and on December 8, Sha Tin will be alive with the excitement of four world class championship races.”

The Hong Kong International Races attracted a total of 289 nominations to the four races, a figure which includes multiple entries, against 262 in 2018 when the races had 191 individual horses nominated.