Beauty Generation looked nigh on invincible, until beaten second up this preparation by Rise High. That came off a gut busting first up effort where he broke the Sha Tin track record for 1400m, lugging a big weight and conceding many pounds to his competitors. He was expected to bounce back in the Jockey Club Mile, but was again beaten, this time by Waikuku, who showed a return on his promise from his four year old season.
Beauty Generation has led from go to whoa in his two Hong kong Mile victories, but he will face a contest fro the lead here, from Ka Ying Star. Waikuku is likely to roll forward from ten and find a position. Japanese star Indy Champ will likely settle mid pack.
Indy Champ is Japan’s standout miler this year. He developed from below the top level with three wins from six starts as a 3yo and tarted this year with G3 1600m win. The mighty Almond Eye was third when he won the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) in June. Indy Champ then returned with a warm-up G2 3rd in October and then took Japan’s second 1600m major the G1 Mile Championship in November. Maurice in 2015 completed the same G1 double before winning this race.
Admire Mars is a winner of five from eight races, and went undefeated in four starts as 2yo last year including the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (1600m). Forth to Saturnalia in G1 Satsuki Sho (2000m) earlier in the year, but he bounced back against his 3yo peers to win G1 NHK Mile Cup in May. He then returned from a summer break with a sub-par 9th to Normcore in the G3 Fuji Stakes (1600m) in October.
There will not be any better looking horses stabled at Sha Tin than Persian Knight. Earlier this week he looked very keen when he was out on the dirt track, but appeared far more settled as the week wore on. He was out of form in first half of 2019 but better in three starts since August; and back to something like his best in his latest run, when delivering a late rattle for 3rd to Indy Champ in G1 Mile Championship.
Normcore comes to Hong Kong off a win in the G1 in the Victoria Mile, and in 2018 enjoyed success at G2 and G3 level. On bare form she may struggle to be up to the level of some of the others here, but is clearly in the best form of her career.
This is clearly dependant on which Beauty Generation shows up, he’ll clearly need to be at his absolute best to win.
My stabs: Indy Champ, Beauty Generation, Waikuku, Ka Ying Star