Dubai Honour will not run in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on April 27 and will instead return from Australia to England, but he remains on track for next month’s G1 Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) in Hong Kong.
As reported by Idol Horse’s David Morgan last week, trainer William Haggas believes Dubai Honour – who won his second 2400m Group 1 earlier this month in Sydney’s Tancred Stakes – is better suited to a mile and a half at this stage of his career.
A closing second to Via Sistina in Saturday’s G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) confirmed that view for Haggas and the British trainer has informed the Hong Kong Jockey Club of his intention to bypass FWD Champions Day with Dubai Honour.
“William rang me yesterday from England and said that he has been consistent that he is a mile and a half horse now,” Hong Kong Jockey Club head of racing product Greg Carpenter told Idol Horse. “They did confirm that he will come for the Champions & Chater Cup and so he will go home and regroup and then return next month. We are thrilled to have Lake Forest here though for the stable.”
International entries for the Champions & Chater Cup close on April 28 and, after Rebel’s Romance became the first foreign-trained horse to win the race last year, Carpenter says interest has been high in the feature this year.
“We’re still positive that Rebel’s Romance will return to defend his title,” Carpenter said. “Joseph O’Brien is also planning on bringing Al Riffa for the race and there has been plenty of interest from Japan, a couple there have indicated they will enter. So we’re hopeful for three or four overseas horses and it is certainly a race that is now on the radar abroad.”
The build-up to Champions Day ramps up on Monday with the first international horses arriving at Chek Lap Kok.
“At this stage, we believe every international horse that has accepted will be making the trip aside from Dubai Honour,” Carpenter said. “That begins tomorrow with the Japanese pair, Liberty Island and Danon McKinley, arriving from Dubai and Mr Brightside from Australia.
“We had 11 internationals last year in the three races and that was a decade high, if not the most that had ever come for these races. Even without Dubai Honour, we are going to surpass that and the quality is first class from all over the world.” ∎
