William Haggas has Hong Kong in his sights for Dubai Honour beyond Saturday’s G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick, but any decision about whether the trainer’s globe-trotting star will head to Champions Day at Sha Tin on April 27 is still in the balance.
Haggas told Idol Horse that the scales are tilted more towards bypassing the G1 QEII Cup over 2000m on Champions Day, with the G1 Champions & Chater Cup over 2400m at Sha Tin three weeks later being an appealing option. But the QEII Cup route has not yet been ruled out.
The classic-winning trainer, well-known in recent years for his handling of another three-time Australian Group 1 winner Addeyyb, as well as the brilliant champion Baaeed, has already flagged his thinking to Hong Kong Jockey Club officials.
“I said to Greg Carpenter (head of racing product), at the moment it’s very possible Dubai Honour will come back to England after the race on Saturday and then go to Hong Kong for the Champions & Chater Cup on May 25, so that might be the way we go, we’ll see,” Haggas told Idol Horse by phone from his Newmarket base.
“I think it will depend on how he copes with coming back to 2000 metres this Saturday. If he shows that he can handle it alright, he might well go straight to Hong Kong (for the QEII), but I think he’s better at 2400 metres now.”
Dubai Honour won the G1 Tancred Stakes over 2400m at Rosehill 10 days ago, taking the lead in the final half-furlong under Tom Marquand to win by three quarters of a length. The British raider is seeking a fourth Australian Group 1 victory this weekend: he landed his first European Group 1 success last June in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud over 2400m.
The Mohamed Obaida-owned seven-year-old is no stranger to a relatively quick back-up Down Under. The gelding completed an autumn double in Sydney two years ago, winning the G1 Ranvet Stakes and G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes 21 days apart, after which he placed third behind Romantic Warrior in the QEII Cup at Sha Tin. But the turnaround between the Queen Elizabeth and the QEII was then 22 days: this time it is 15 days.
Dubai Honour has raced four times in Hong Kong, most recently when second behind Giavellotto in the G1 Hong Kong Vase over 2400m last December ∎
