Dicton has Standout Work for Audemars Piguet QEII Cup

Dicton, the horse who officially represents France in Sunday’s HK$20 million G1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup (2000m) but who has a diverse background, was certainly the centre of attention this morning at Sha Tin during the international track work time slot.

That, of course, was chiefly as he was the only international runner to emerge from quarantine. However, it would be unwise to condemn him to that novelty status alone given the strength of his form credential from last year’s G1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby).

And the waiting media was certainly curious to lay eyes on the four-year-old son of Lawman who was bred in England, is owned by a Hong Kong-based Singaporean and trained by an Italian now based in France.

There wasn’t much to see in terms of an exercise stress test. The colt simply trotted two laps of the all-weather track after initially being reluctant to cross the bitumen and metal grates which separate the turf course and the all-weather track.

Nonetheless, the horse looked well, under saddle and regular rider Aude Duporte. Bright in the coat and powerful through the shoulder. Laura Dell’Elce, assistant to trainer Gianluca Bietolini, was pleased with what she saw and how the horse has settled in.

“He’s ready,” she said, “and won’t need a great deal of work here. He just needed to stretch his legs this morning and he will probably have just the one gallop between now and Sunday’s race.”

Dicton, a six-time winner who this week races outside France for the first time, has travelled and acclimatised well according to Dell’Elce. “The travel was no problem for him. He was calm and relaxed throughout the flight and he’s settled in well here where the facilities are so good.

“He lost 18 kilograms through the flight which is in the normal range and I think the horse is very well in himself,” she said.

Dicton, who was secured by Hong Kong’s Sino Group chairman Robert Ng from a two-year-old claiming race at Saint-Cloud in October 2015, recorded his career best when third behind Almanzor and Zarak in last June’s G1 French Derby.

The winner Almanzor, of course, went on to win both the G1 Irish and British Champion Stakes - beating the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Found on each occasion - and Almanzor finished 2016 as the year’s highest rated European racehorse. The Derby runner-up Zarak went on to win the G3 Dubai Millennium Stakes at Meydan this year.

A repeat of that Derby performance would likely have Dicton competitive on Sunday. “I’m not sure about his chance but it is a great experience to be here and we are certainly very enthusiastic about seeing what he can do,” Dell’Elce said.

Trainer Bietolini arrives in Hong Kong on Thursday while four times French champion jockey Olivier Peslier, who rides Dicton and is no stranger to big-race success in Hong Kong.

Tracknotes

DESIGNS ON ROME – HK: Had been scheduled to go on the turf this morning but trainer John Moore opted to switch to regular work on the all-weather. Cantered on the small all-weather track.

“Designs On Rome’s good, I don’t overstretch him because of his little issues, but he’s never missed a day’s work. Boy, he’s tough. He’s like a prizefighter, he keeps getting off the canvas and showing up. He’s an amazing horse.”

DICTON – FR: Two laps at a walk and slow canter under work rider Aude Duporte.

Laura Dell’Elce, assistant to trainer Gianluca Bietolini, said: “He just needed to stretch his legs this morning and he will probably have just the one gallop between now and Sunday’s race.”

NEOREALISM – JPN: Japan’s big hope, the Noriyuki Hori-trained G2 winner, undertook easy exercise in the trotting ring this morning.

Work rider Shinjiro Kaneko said: “As planned, we gave him an easy workout to stretch his legs and help him relax in the trotting ring. He was not tense, he was very settled. He is doing well at this stage.”

SECRET WEAPON – HK: G1 Hong Kong Cup runner-up worked 1200m on the turf course in 1m 17.3s (26.0 27.2 24.1) under big-race rider Zac Purton.

Trainer Dennis Yip said: “Everything is good with him. He just did a little bit this morning to help his fitness because he missed a few days’ work after his last race. He had some hard races so the plan has been to keep him happy and keep him fresh for this race.”

Purton said: “We worked over 1200m. It wasn’t a strong piece of work, it was just to keep him ticking over. He’s not the best moving horse, he never has been, he had a nice stretch and he feels good. He had a good blow afterwards, which showed that he needed it.”

WERTHER – HK: Had been scheduled to go on the turf this morning but trainer John Moore opted to switch to regular work on the all-weather. Cantered on the small all-weather track.

“Werther has had the mile run (G2 Chairman’s Trophy) recently; he got home really strongly with Sam (Clipperton) aboard. I couldn’t be happier. He didn’t need the work this morning (on the turf), he didn’t need the extra gallop, I’ll go straight to Thursday and he’ll go about 28 (seconds) on the turf. He’s humming at the moment.”

Source: Hong Kong Jockey Club