09 December 2023 , 09:00
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Aidan O’Brien has never assembled a stronger quartet of horses to compete at the Longines Hong Kong International Races.
The Ballydoyle trainer has three victories to his name, each of them gained in the Hong Kong Vase. This year he has all bases loaded as he tries to complete a sweep of the Vase, Sprint, Mile and Cup.
Often an afterthought at the end of a long season, the prestigious Sha Tin race meeting has been long mapped out for the horses chosen to represent the master trainer. Group 1 winners Luxembourg and Warm Heart head the team while there are aspirations Aesop’s Fables and Cairo can reach a similar level.
Ryan Moore, recognised around the world as the number one jockey, will ride all four horses.
“I think there is no doubt that it is the strongest team I have brought to Kong,” said O’Brien. “It’s very difficult to win races here and you don’t come with second-raters.”
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The races will be shown live on Sky Sports Racing early on Sunday morning.
Here is the O’Brien team with latest William Hill odds:
WARM HEART - 6.10 Hong Kong Vase (9-4)
Ryan Moore gets down to his lowest wide to ride the filly in her first start against males. That gives her a significant weight advantage against her opponents and she has been in top class form. She won the Yorkshire Oaks and Prix Vermeille before narrowly beaten by Inspiral in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. That race was at 1m2f so a return to 1m4f at Sha Tin should be more suitable. She could get the team off to a flyer.
AESOP’S FABLES - 6.50 Hong Kong Sprint (16-1)
Improved considerably in his last two starts to finish third in the Prix de l’Abbaye and third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita where he was staying on strongly at the finish. Both races were over 5f and he has yet to show the same level over 6f. It could be a tall order for a three-year-old in race no European challenger has ever won.
CAIRO - 8.00 Hong Kong Mile (33-1)
The locals will not hear of defeat for the Hong Kong superstar Golden Sixty and if there were a shock it is unlikely that Cairo will be the horse who is responsible for it. - even though the hot favourite has a wide draw to overcome. Cairo’s future is still ahead of him having had only one start since he finished second behind stablemate Paddington in the Irish 2,000 Guineas. Sure to be suited by fast ground, he could at least give O’Brien an idea of his potential for the top mile prizes next year.
LUXEMBOURG - 8.40 Hong Kong Cup (8.40)
The triple Group 1 winner was rerouted here after a minor setback ruled him out of the Champion Stakes at Ascot. His limitations were exposed in the summer when he behind Mostahdaf and Hukum in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and King George at Ascot but ran his best race of the year when second to stablemate Auguste Rodin in the Irish Champion Stakes. He boasts some of the best form at 1m2f from Europe and looks the main danger to Romantic Warrior, another Hong Kong favourite who won Australia ’s Cox Plate in October.
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