RAIDERS SET FOR RECORD TILT ON CHAMPIONS DAY

Dubai Honour, Obamburumai and Mad Cool among 11 internationals ready to feature in lucrative fields for showcase meeting at Sha Tin on April 28

FWD Champions Day is on track to feature record international participation after the likes of Dubai Honour, Obamburumai and Mad Cool were among 11 overseas raiders included in the fields for the showcase meeting on April 28.

Japan will again provide the bulk of the international flavour across the three Group One contests and a couple of familiar faces headline the Land of the Rising Sun’s tilt on the HK$28 million QE II Cup (2,000m).

Hishi Iguazu will run in the race for the first time after twice placing in the Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m), while Prognosis will look to go one better than his second in the contest last year.

North Bridge rounds out Japan’s QE II Cup hand, while Britain’s Dubai Honour, third last year, returns for another crack at local hero Romantic Warrior.

Romantic Warrior, who chases a record third straight QE II Cup win, leads a hometown charge that also boasts Straight Arron, Russian Emperor and last month’s BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) hero Massive Sovereign.

Japan also has three runners in the Champions Mile – Obamburumai, Champagne Colour and Elton Barows – while Archie Watson’s Brave Emperor, who has won races in France, Germany, Italy and Qatar in the past 12 months, will represent Britain.

The brilliant Golden Sixty chases a record-extending fourth consecutive Champions Mile success and is joined in the field by local rivals Voyage Bubble, Galaxy Patch and Taj Dragon, among others.

In the absence of the injured Lucky Sweynesse, California Spangle and Victor The Winner have returned from their respective overseas raids to add star power to the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m), while Japan’s Mad Cool makes his second trip to Sha Tin after finishing eighth in December’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m).

Mad Cool is the only Group One winner among the trio of travelling speedsters, which also includes Sunrise Ronaldo from Japan and Britain’s Believing.

While the Jockey Club failed to attract any Australian runners to Champions Day, last year’s Group One Blue Diamond Stakes (1,200m) winner, Little Brose, is in the field for the Chairman’s Sprint Prize.

This would mark his Hong Kong debut, and Pierre Ng Pangchi’s Mugen will also be thrown in at the deep end.

“FWD Champions Day is one of the most prestigious meetings on the international racing stage and we are delighted to have such a strong group of world-class horses heading to Sha Tin for our spring flagship meeting,” Jockey Club executive director of racing Andrew Harding said.

“With eight visitors from Japan and three from Great Britain, including Group One winners Dubai Honour, Mad Cool and Champagne Color, the might of Hong Kong’s team will be tested in all three feature races. From Hong Kong’s perspective, we are extremely excited at the prospect of Golden Sixty and Romantic Warrior creating more history.

“The reappearance of California Spangle and Victor The Winner shapes as another highlight, along with exciting fouryear-olds in BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Massive Sovereign and runner-up Galaxy Patch taking on our established stars in the QE II Cup and Champions Mile, respectively.

“Champions Day is established as one of the world’s foremost racing events and this year promises to be no exception.”

We are delighted to have such a strong group of world-class horses heading to Sha Tin

ANDREW HARDING, JOCKEY CLUB