The build up to the Champions Mile and Chairmans Sprint is well and truely underway now. There are two visitors for the Champions Mile and the Chairmans Sprint is an all local affair.

Stormy Antarctic

The son of Stormy Atlantic, trained by Ed Walker, comes to Hong Kong with an encouraging second in his seasonal debut, in the Doncaster Mile on the 1st April. He’s a winner of three from a total of eleven starts in the UK and France. Twice a 2yo winner over 1400m and 1600m before finishing a head 2nd in G1 Criterium International (1400m) at Saint-Cloud. He won on 3yo reappearance in G3 Craven Stakes (1600m) at Newmarket before 11th in G1 2,000 Guineas.

He was 2nd in G1 Prix Jean Prat (1600m) at Chantilly before a couple midfield finishes over a mile behind Ribchester and Minding. He seems to perform on all types of ground and generally races just in behind the speed. He races in the familiar colours of Hong Kong owner Siu Pak Kwan.

This morning he cantered a lap of the dirt track after again appearing reluctant to cross the path and drains leading out to the track. Deepak Gaikwad, assistant to trainer Ed Walker, said: “He’s well. He’ll have a gallop later in the week, maybe after Ed (Walker) arrives. He’ll have look at him and decide.”

Convey

This son of Danisli, trained by the legendary Sir Michael Stoute,  is a winner of four from fifteen in the United Kingdom. Three of those four have been on synthetic tracks, with a big debut win at Kempton on the all-weather as a 2yo. His turf form is a little mixed but does have a win in the Listed Pomfret Stakes (1600m) at Pontefract in July 2016.

He boasts a 2nd in G3 Supreme Stakes (1400m) at Newmarket and 3rd in G3 Superior Mile (1600m) at Haydock from four more 3yo efforts. This season he has begun with tw  wins from two, taking G3 Winter Derby (2000m) at Lingfield before winning the All-Weather Middle Distance Championships also at Lingfield at the same trip. An on pace runner, he is comfortable in all ground.

This morning he had a look around the Sha Tin dirt track, hardly breaking into a canter as he went. Mark Westgate, assistant to trainer Sir Michael Stoute, said: “He’s travelled really well – lovely. It’s not easy being more than 24 hours door to door but he’s coped well and settled in now. His appetite was down a touch when he arrived but that’s not abnormal, a bit like us having a touch of jet-lag. He’s quite bright in himself now. He had his first canter this morning and was just out there to stretch his legs. He’s fit having won two races on the all-weather at home this year and he’ll likely just need one breeze up later in the week.”

Over the next couple of day I’ll hopefully work my way through all the local contenders, with Thursday likely to be a big morning of track work.