Four Japanese horses made the trip to Hong Kong this year for the big Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races, but they could not repeat the success of past years, with Jaguar Mail finishing best of the four, in 3rd place.
Jaguar Mail was the first Japanese participant to line up, which was the Group 1 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase. Although his rating before the race was one of the lowest in the field, Hong Kong punters were well informed of his performances in Japan, and although he is yet to win a Group race, Jaguar Mail – the runnerup to eventual Japan Cup winner Screen Hero in the Copa Republica Argentina – was eventually sent out as the second favorite.
In a fairly slowly run renewal of the Vase, jockey Michael Kinane settled Jaguar Mail back towards the tail of the field, just ahead of the race favorite Doctor Dino. At the top of the straight, third favorite Purple Moon, who was ninth in the Japan Cup last month, hit the lead after sitting just off the pace, and put a break on the rest of the field.
But Doctor Dino and Jaguar Mail made their runs together down the middle of the track, and in the final stages, it was clear that the three horses had the race to themselves. Purple Moon fought on strongly on the inside, but Doctor Dino kept on coming. Jaguar Mail was outside of Doctor Dino, but in the last 50 meters or so seemed to run out of surge, and on the line Doctor Dino finished just a little too well for Purple Moon, to win by a short half head, with Jaguar Mail a neck back in 3rd place. The race time was 2:29.14.
After the race, Kinane said that it had been an excellent run, but it would have been helpful if there had been a bit more pace in the race. Trainer Noriyuki Hori did not have much to say after the race, except, "The horse ran very well.It is disappointing he did not win."
Next up were the two Japanese representatives in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint.Laurel Guerreiro started from gate No. 3 and sat just off the lead in the early stages of the race, while Tosho Courage went back early from gate 10. The race was run a quick tempo, and Laurel Guerreiro tried to hit the lead as the field entered the straight. However he was quickly under pressure, and the favorite for the race Apache Cat loomed up ominously.
However Apache Cat could not find much, together with Laurel Guerreiro, and it was eventually the outsider Inspiration winning by a neck from Green Birdie, with Apache Cat finding again after once looking gone, finishing 3rd.Laurel Guerreiro finished 8th, with Tosho Courage finishing on reasonably at the end to finish 9th. The race time was 1:08.68.
After the race, jockey Hirofumi Shii said of Laurel Guerreiro, "We made our move early as planned, but the field today was just too strong."
Kenichi Ikezoe, who rode Tosho Courage, said, "He ran his own race, and was making some ground at the end."
The last race contested by the Japanese was the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile, where one of Japan's best milers, Super Hornet,lined up. The word from the Japanese press who had been following the horse's progress was that he was not eating well, but still seemed to be working out well. Well known for his adversity to travel, connections were not sure which Super Hornet would turn up, but the plan was to go forward from gate 2.
Unfortunately, as the race unfolded, Super Hornet was closer to the rear of the field than the front in running, and was never really a winning chance in the race. He made up some nice ground when the race was all over, but in the end he finished a well beaten 5th. The race was won by the local champion Good Ba Ba who produced an amazing sprint in the straight to easily catch the leaders and then put a few lengths on them. Locals dominated the race with Able One finishing 2nd, and race leader Egyptian Ra finishing 3rd. The race time was 1:32.71.
"Even though he didn't use up much energy early on, he still didn't sprint like he can," said Super Hornet trainer Yoshito Yahagi after the race. "It looks like a mile is now too short for the horse. We'll be back next year!"
In the final race, the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup, there were no Japanese participants. The race was won by 2nd favorite Eagle Mountain, with Balius and Linngari coming in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. The local favorite Viva Pataca had no luck at all in the final straight, but still finished on well at the end to finish 4th. The race time was 2:00.92.
>2008 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races website
>Hong Kong Jockey Club website
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