This will have to be an abbreviated version of the photoblog today but I will make up for it tomorrow though. Only a couple of horses worked on the turf track, Tiberian and Max Dynamite. These guys were first to arrive here and are well and truly settled into their quarantine barns.

Tiberian

He kept the clockers on their toes when completing his final planned piece of turf work on Tuesday morning. Starting off from a steady canter at around the 1400m mark he was steadily wound up by work rider Emmanuel Cardon. Clocked from the 1200m, he came home in 1m 20.6s (28.0, 29.4, 23.2), completing his final 200m in 11.4s.

Trainer Alain Couetil said: “Everything went fine with the work and the horse is well, probably better than ahead of the Melbourne Cup. I don’t pay too much attention to the times but he is in good form and finished off the work well in the straight. That will be his last piece on the turf.”

Max Dynamite

He worked strongly on the turf course this morning, running 1200m in 1m 26.8s (31.2, 31.6, 24.0) with his last 200m in 11s. David Casey, rider and assistant to trainer Willie Mullins, said: “He’s well, he’s in good form and there’s no problem with how he’s taken the trip. I was pleased with his work this morning.”

Mullins said from Ireland: “I am very happy with Max Dynamite and he has been working well. We would be delighted if he could make it into the first three in Hong Kong. He has recovered well from his run in the Melbourne Cup and has been fine since then. We are looking forward to him running at the weekend.

“The drop back in distance is not ideal, but it is what we have to do and he had some good form over shorter distances back in his younger days.”

Let’s Go Donki

Let’s be honest the name is kind of an eye opener, but this mare is much more than a quirky name. She well is a well performed sprinter/miler, who comes here in good form finishing 2nd in both the Takamatsunomiya Kinen and the Sprinters Stakes (both 1200m).

She made her first appearance outside the quarantine barn today when she cantered one and a half laps around the Sha Tin Dirt track. Groom Yoshiaki Terada said: “She is now used to her new surroundings a bit more, so she settled much better today. She acted up a bit the first day. She is a smart horse. Jockey Yasunari Iwata won’t make it over for her breeze on Thursday so our assistant trainer Rena Maehara will ride her.”

TOSEN BASIL 

This son of Harbinger is a five time winner, with a career best 2nd in the Kyoto Daishoten at his last start to Cup runner Smart Layer. Japanese stayers have twice won the Vase (Stay Gold in 2001 and Satono Crown last year). He is an emerging talent, who should not be underestimated here.

He cantered one and a half laps around the Sha Tin all-weather track. Assistant trainer Kazuo Fujiwara said: “He is in great condition. Joao Moreira will ride him on Thursday.”

Neorealism

This his his third visit to Kong Kong, his first being in the Mile last year and then he was successful in the QEII Stakes in April over 2000m, a trip that is far more suitable than the Mile. He reunites with Jo Moreira, who gave him a cracking ride here in April. He was originally scheduled to stay in the quarantine barn today, but catered a lap of the dirt.

Talismanic

With a big white blaze on his face, Talismanic is easy to spot in a crowd. He comes here off a win in the Breeders Cup Turf and appreciates firm turf, so will be a major player come Sunday.

He once again acted as team-leader for three of the French challengers today, hacking steadily around the outside of the Sha Tin all-weather for two laps. Richard Lambert, travelling head lad to Andre Fabre, said: “He just did the same as yesterday and everything is well with the horse. It’s less than a month since he ran in America and he’s ready.”

Lisa-Jane Graffard, Racing Manager for Godolphin France, said: “Everything has been good with Talismanic since the Breeders’ Cup. He has been kept ticking over and is in good form. He travelled back well from the USA and has travelled out nicely to Hong Kong.

“The horse has a great temperament which helps and has shown himself to be very adaptable. Talismanic is maturing and improving all the time, so who knows what level he can reach in Hong Kong. It will pose a different challenge, but he should run very well again.

In the past, he has run better going left-handed than right-handed, which would could be one negative to look out for.”