SIA Cup and Krisflyer draw stellar nominations 12 Mar 2010
Singapore Turf Club
Nominations for Singapore’s two International Group 1 races on May 16 have brought together potentially the strongest line-ups in their short history.
The S$3million Singapore Airlines International Cup over 2000m and the S$1million KrisFlyer International Sprint over 1200m have attracted a galaxy of stars from around the globe.
Leading racing powerhouses Australia, Japan, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Hong Kong, Great Britain, France, South Africa, among others, are again strongly represented in both races.
In total, international nominations hail from 14 countries along with a strong local representation from Singapore.
A combined total of 195 horses have been nominated, with 120 and 75 of them split between the SIA Cup and the KrisFlyer respectively.
The SIA Cup is extremely strong with GIO PONTI, a four time Group 1 winner in the USA and second to champion mare Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last year among the nominations.
Also nominated is the French galloper VISION D’ETAT, a multiple Group 1 winner in Europe before winning the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup last December and the Australian THESEO who landed his fourth Group 1 success in winning the Chipping Norton Stakes in Sydney on March 6.
The KrisFlyer has two of the highest ranked sprinters in the world in SACRED KINGDOM and ROCKET MAN among the nominations along with CALIFORNIA FLAG who was successful in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in the USA last year.
“It is the strongest list of nominations we have had for the two races,” commented Mike Wanklin, Vice President of Racing and Head of Handicapping at the Singapore Turf Club.
“The depth is well and truly there for both races. We have the first three home from last year’s SIA Cup entered again and a mouth watering rematch of the first two placegetters from last year’s KrisFlyer.”
SINGAPORE AIRLINES INTERNATIONAL CUP
At the closing date for first nominations, 13 Singapore-based runners and 107 overseas horses had set their sights on the SIA Cup.
The first three home in last year’s thrilling contest - GLORIA DE CAMPEAO, PRESVIS and BANKABLE - have all again been nominated to renew rivalry in the 2010 edition. The trio have taken different paths since last year but are finding form in Dubai again at the right time.
The 2007 winner SHADOW GATE heads a strong list from Japan which has 11 entries including TASCATA SORTE, fifth in last year’s edition behind Gloria De Campeao.
Great Britain heads the nomination count with 17 entries. From the leading yard of Sir Michael Stoute come CONFRONT and KINGDOM OF FIFE while Mark Johnston and John Gosden have multiply entries. Highly regarded entries also include GITANO HERNANDO, CROWDED HOUSE and STOTSFOLD.
Australia as usual is well represented with 16 nominations in total. David Hayes has three nominations including EXTRA ZERO and ZAGREB – while Gai Waterhouse has entered ROCK KINGDOM and THESEO. Team Hawkes – Michael, Wayne and John – have nominated DAO DAO with Mick Price, who finished fourth with Pompeii Ruler last year, entering HEART OF DREAMS. Other notables are RANGIRANGDOO and ROAD TO ROCK.
There are 13 French-trained gallopers in the nomination list this year. Besides last year’s winner GLORIA DE CAMPEAO for Pascal Bary, VISION D’ETAT is there for Eric Libaud, along with ASHALANDA for Alain De Royer Dupre while Elie Lellouche has four nominations including POUVOIR ABSOLU and STARLISH. CIRRUS DES AIGLES from the yard of Corine Barande Barbe is also among the entries.
The United Arab Emirates have posted 12 entries, with nine of those coming from Godolphin’s trainer Saeed Bin Suroor including ALEXANDROS, ALLYBAR, CAMPANOLOGIST, JUSTENUFFHUMOUR and SKYSURFERS.
Of the 11 USA entries, they include GIO PONTI from the Christophe Clement stable who has also entered STAYING ON. Other notable entries are BATTLE OF HASTINGS, PROUDINSKY and THE USUAL Q. T.
Hong Kong has six which includes COLLECTION, SIGHT WINNER, SPECIAL DAYS and YOUNG ELITE. Recognised international traveller Dermot Weld has entered FAMOUS NAME for Ireland while Jim Bolger has GAN AMHRAS entered.
There are six nominations from South Africa with five from Mike De Kock’s yard including GOLDEN SWORD, MR BROCK and LIZARD’S DESIRE with BANKABLE for Herman Brown.
New Zealand has four entries – RED RULER, VELOCE BELLA and Jeff Lynds’ pair of VOSNE ROMANEE and WALL STREET. Saudi Arabia is to the fore with seven nominations, five from the stable of Jerry Barton alone including DEEM and NAVAL OFFICER while Bahrain has a solitary entry in the shape of LAHALEEB.
That brings us to the local Singapore entry which is headed by dual Singapore Gold Cup winner EL DORADO, last season’s Four-Year-Old Triple Crown winner JOLIE’S SHINJU and the unbeaten Laurie Laxon-trained three-year-old BETTER THAN EVER.
Michael Freedman has three entries in ACE AVIDA, ANY HUMOUR and CHEYENNE DANCER. DESERT LINKS has been nominated by recently domiciled South African Basil Marcus while Patrick Shaw has ESCAMONDA among nominations. GIVEN VISION and GOLDSCHATZ are two from Stephen Gray’s stable, PINA COLARDA for Leslie Khoo and REVOLTE rounds out the nomination for Michael Clements.
KRISFLYER INTERNATIONAL SPRINT
The eagerly awaited return bout of last year’s quinella pairing of SACRED KINGDOM and ROCKET MAN is the headline that screams quality amongst the sprinters.
Singapore’s ROCKET MAN is one of 15 local sprinters to be nominated for the race which will be run for the first time with International Group 1 status.
Laurie Laxon has entered five of his sprinters for the 1200m dash – ACE ALIADO, GOOD FEEL, MEXICAN ROSE, NOBLE MANOR and WAIKATO, fourth in the past two runnings. Don Baertschiger’s CAPABLANCA has been entered for a third time after finishing fifth and sixth in the past two years along with TUXEDO MOON while Michael Freedman has CHEYENNE DANCER, NTINI and TUMBULGUM among the entries.
FANTASTIC OWNERS and LAMBORGHINI FLAME are single nominations for Brian Dean and Leslie Khoo while ABDICATE and LOCUS STANDI have been nominated by Desmond Koh.
Japan has the same number of entries as the local brigade – 15 – headlined by LAUREL GUERREIRO from Mitsugu Kon’s yard. B B GULDAN and CAPTAIN THULE also create plenty of interest from an outstanding line-up.
David Hayes is never one to miss out for Australia – which in total has nine nominations - with his three entries headed by NICCONI and EAGLE FALLS while Chris Waller has DANLEIGH among nominations along with the Anthony Cummings-trained Group 1 winner TURFFONTEIN.
Great Britain is well armed with eight nominations including the highly touted REGAL PARADE for David Nicholls along with the Stan Moore-trained TOTAL GALLERY. WAR ARTIST also is included for James Eustace.
Besides last year’s winner SACRED KINGDOM, trainer Ricky Yiu also has ULTRA FANTASY nominated for Hong Kong while other class sprinters HAPPY ZERO, JOY AND FUN, ONE WORLD and SUNNY KING have also been included.
Dhruba Selvaratnam has four gallopers listed among the nominations for the UAE including LAA RAYB while Saeed Bin Suroor has just one entry for Godolphin in the shape of DESERT PARTY.
Rocket Man’s older half-brother OUR GIANT, trained by Mike De Kock, joins the South African nomination of three which includes stablemate FROSTY SECRET while Herman Brown has entered LUI REI.
Breeder’s Cup Turf Sprint victor CALIFORNIA FLAG for Brian Koriner is one of two USA entries while Richard Collet has MARIOL and SALUT L’AFRICAIN nominated for France along with the Carlos Laffon-Parias-trained LUMOS.
India has just the one entry, the mare OASIS STAR
while Ireland hasn’t been left out either with the David Marnane-trained SANTO PADRE.
New Zealand has three nominations – ATAPI, COUP ALIGN and MUFHASA - as does Saudi Arabia while SANJUAN rounds out the nomination list for Lim Boon Thong from Malaysia.
* * *
On Mexican Rose...
http://www.thoroughbrednews.com.au/s....aspx?id=45667