Off to Asia for the Flat fans.....

Lovely passage for Vodka and Lemaire just did enough when he was in front to get the job done. Very nice.
 
Cracking card from Sha Tin on Sunday morning I thought.

In the Vase, god knows who's backing the perennial tw@t that is Youmzain at 3/1 in this affair. There's been rain about in Hong Kong this week and I think Spanish Moon is worth another chance at 7/1 in this, he's put in some blinding performances this season and I thought the race was run to suit his stablemate more than him at Santa Anita and he could improve in this event.

California Flag looks vastly overpriced at 9/1 in the sprint, he demolished the turf sprint at the BC in a decent time clocking a more than average Beyer figure. I thought the Asian and US sprinters were a bit below recent standards with All Silent looking the biggest danger. Total Gallery might sneak a place and I can see him being a huge price on the PMU for it.

How on earth Sweet Hearth is 33/1 for the Mile is beyond me. I thought there was no fluke about her second in the Foret ahead of Goldikova and she seems to be improving all the time. She has a setback which put her out of the BC to overcome but 33/1 for a horse who finished infront of Goldikova seems crazy, what price would she be in this event? 1/2? I don't rate the HK milers at all and there has to be doubts about Happy Zero staying despite how impressive he was last time out.

I'm moving more and more towards Vision D'Etat in the feature Cup. I like Presvis but I think he's short enough given his prep and running style and likely trouble. I don't like the horse at all, I think he's quirky but he's not a 5/1 shot against Collection who would have been demolished in some of the races Vision has won or ran well in. Ashalanda is a danger but probably needs further.

Anyone have thoughts or getting up for it?
 
Fancy the outsider One World to be a big danger in the Sprint - was very unlucky to be checked twice at key stages in the main trial for this and seems to be improving all the time he's overpriced at 50/1. Interesting stat in the Sprint is that all the winners thus far (first run in 1999) have been Australian bred's and that European horses have a poor record in the race.
 
Still think he's a better horse at 12 compared to 10 Betsmate. Ashalanda and in particular Collection in his own back yard would both beat him for mine. Ashalanda has always been overlooked by both connections and the punters - her first group win came 2 weeks after she'd moved stables and even that was as a pacemaker under what was IMO the best ride of the season.
 
I like the locals and the Australian horses. Every single winner of the event has the abbreviation AUS, and for some reason in 2009, I cannot seem to find that changing again. All Silent would be the pick of the Australians, am not a huge fan of him here in Australia, but his win in the Patinack Farm Classic back in early November, stamped him truly as one of the classiest sprinters in the world. Ironically this horse was originally purchased to race in Hong Kong, and I believe he still carries the branding for the region on his shoulder. Apache Cat goes into the race much better prepared, and having trialled brilliantly. Like All Silent, he was also to have raced in Hong Kong, but fortunately due to Chinese superstition, never made it to the British Colony due to his 4 white stockings, and baldy white face. Then there is Scenic Blast, an excellent horse on his day, but admittedly am not convinced he can or will run a place. I think his best days were back in the autumn, and he has been up too long for mine.

My pick of the locals is Inspiration.
 
Anyone know where we can watch this online?

ATR doesn't work on Virgin Media in the morning and it has a five minute delay too!
 
Well I'm planning on getting up at 6 for the first, going back to bed, back up at 6.35 for the second, back to bed for an hour, up for the third, stay up for the fourth then go to work!
 
To bet on the Tote though Betfair

1. Transfer funds to AUS wallet
2. Navigate to Horse Racing > AUS > Tote > Sha Tin Gallops
3. Select Race and Tote Market
4. Select the Tote button
 
Great stuff with Vision D'Etat. If only the Sprint were 50 yards long One World would have landed me a nice few quid at 50's.

Daryakana looked very good today IMO - was well out the back early and always been underated - check out her PMU return from Arc weekend for evidence of that. The Aga Khan looks to have a very strong group of fillies for 2010.
 
How Vision D'Etat went off 15/2 I'll never know, his form was so far clear of his opponents. I ended up topping up on the Tote.
 
Gamla Stan said:
How Vision D'Etat went off 15/2 I'll never know, his form was so far clear of his opponents. I ended up topping up on the Tote.
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Not the first time this meeting has helped pay for Christmas! :D Probably his most impressive looking win so far. 4 from 4 in Group 1s short of 12f now.
 
Gareth Flynn said:
Not the first time this meeting has helped pay for Christmas! :D Probably his most impressive looking win so far. 4 from 4 in Group 1s short of 12f now.
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Indeed, I still ended up down by about £20 on the meeting as I backed him on the PMU. As I say, I don't like the animal but his record at this level at 1m2f is there to see, he was streets ahead of the opposition on form. Peslier gave him an absolute corker too.

Gal, I agree that Kasbah would get battered in Europe but he was flattered today and it speaks more of the European trainers ducking these middle distance races in the Far-East more than the standard of racing. Conduit was beat fair and square in the Japan Cup yet he has top top middle distance form in Europe, I don't think the difference in quality is ever as black and white as you make out.
 
Of course there are top class horses outside of Europe, but I cast a doubtful eye on them rather than taking them at face value straight away as many do e.g Dubai form.

Conduit I think, like the likes of Montjeu before him, can be forgiven for running below par in the Japan Cup after a season that involved the Eclipse, King George, Arc and the Breeders Cup meeting - I suspect that is as much a reason why so many European trainers "duck" this meeting as much as anything else particularly with Dubai just around the corner.
 
Atrocious ride by Fallon on Youmzain ( far too close to the pace and then rode the horse up a blind alley twice )and Presvis was little better .

Vision D Etat another boost to the brilliance of Sea The Stars - who went past him in the Arc as if he were a plater.
 
Looks like Vision d'Etat heads to Meydan in the Spring. Presumably they'll finally have a proper mile course for the Duty Free, so the World Cup itself would be the obvious race for him.
 
Not the Sheema Classic ? I suppose the evidence does tend to suggest he is better over 10f than 12 .
 
I suspect they might give him a prep on the synthetic surface before making a final decision.
 
The latest on the Australian runners:

* Apache Cat has joint problems, and doubtful we will see him for another 6 to 12 months.
* Scenic Blast has bled from both nostrils, and will be out of action for at least 6 months.
 
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