HONG KONG BACK ON THE AGENDA FOR TOP AUSSIE SPRINTERS

Bert & Gai Vieira on the Royal Ascot tour with Frankel

December’s Hong Kong International Race Day may have its strongest Australian representation for several years.
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Changed quarantine regulations following the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s new training centre in China has meant the Hong Kong fixture was not as popular for Australian horses as they now have to spend 180 days in a third country before returning to Australia.

However, that hasn’t stopped connections of two of Australia’s best sprinters pencilling in December’s $20 million HK Group One Longines Sprint over 1200 metres.

Newcastle trainer Ben Smith today announced that his classy mare In Her Time has been inoculated in readiness for travelling to Hong Kong for the big sprint.

Smith said In Her Time would run in The Everest at Randwick on October 13 and after that would have a light spring campaign in order to run in Hong Kong on December 9.

And Gerald Ryan trainer of another Everest runner Trapeze Artist has indicated that the horse’s owner and Ontrack Racing client Bert Vieira is keen to take on the Hong Kong race.

Vieira said the $13 million The Everest would be the first target before potentially taking on the world with trips to Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.

“His main aim in the spring is The Everest and, depending on quarantine issues, maybe he’ll go to Hong Kong in December," Vieira said.

“The aim would then be to take him to Royal Ascot next year, but it’s entirely up to the horse."
Ontrack Racing will be heading to the Hong Kong International carnival again in 2018 with our tour departing on December 4.