American shippers land in Hong Kong; Kip Deville practices turning right
American shippers land in Hong Kong; Kip Deville practices
turning right
The American-based triumvirate of ARTISTE ROYAL (Ire) (Danehill), OUT OF CONTROL (Brz) (Vettori) and AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again) jetted into Hong Kong late Friday night, local time, in advance of their engagements on the December 14 Hong Kong International Races program. Meanwhile, fellow flagbearer KIP DEVILLE (Kipling), who was an early arrival on November 25, is literally on a learning curve as he comes to terms with going right-handed. Artiste Royal and Out of Control are both targeting the about 1 1/4-mile Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1), while Awesome Gem will join Kip Deville in the Hong Kong Mile (HK-G1). There are no American representatives in the Hong Kong Sprint (HK-G1) or Hong Kong Vase (HK-G1).
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Trained by Neil Drysdale, Artiste Royal's biggest career victories -- the
2007 Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship S. (G1) and the Charles
Whittingham H. (G1) in June -- have come
at the 10-furlong trip. The seven-year-old was
sidelined until November 21, when he returned with a rallying runner-up effort
in a Golden Gate allowance. Internationally renowned jockey Frankie Dettori has
been booked to ride.
Multiple Grade 2 hero Out of Control has come agonizingly close in a pair of top-level contests at 10 furlongs this season. The Bobby Frankel charge missed by a whisker in the Manhattan H. (G1) and by the same margin in record time in the Clement Hirsch. Fifth in his 1 1/2-mile debut in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) last out, Out of Control will once again team up with Garrett Gomez. Fellow Cup candidate LOUP BRETON (Anabaa), a French Group 2 victor, also arrived in Hong Kong Friday night, while Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up EAGLE MOUNTAIN (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]), well-traveled multiple Group 1 winner LINNGARI (Indian Ridge), and recent Premio Roma (Ity-G1) shocker ESTEJO (Johan Cruyff) came in Saturday morning.
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Among the Mile aspirants, the Craig Dollase-trained Awesome Gem is better
known for his exploits on dirt and synthetic. The Grade 2 victor was a close
second in the 2007 Pacific Classic (G1) and Goodwood S. (G1) before finishing
third in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Monmouth. Awesome Gem is winless from
five starts on turf, but he has checked in a close second three times, including
to Kip Deville in the 2006 Sir Beaufort S. (G3) and this summer's Wickerr H.
Gomez picks up the mount on the chestnut, who is coming off a sixth in the
Breeders' Cup Mile (G1).
Two other Mile contenders touched down -- One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) heroine NATAGORA (Divine Light), last seen finishing second versus males in the Prix de la Foret (Fr-G1), landed Friday night, and Italian Group 1 scorer PRESSING (Ire) (Soviet Star), who has captured the Topkapi Trophy in Istanbul and the Premio Ribot (Ity-G2) at Rome in his last two, was among the Saturday morning crowd. Kip Deville brings strong form into this event, as the star of the 2007 Breeders' Cup Mile and a respectable second to Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) when trying to defend his title most recently. According to a report by Murray Bell in the South China Morning Post, however, the Richard Dutrow trainee "clearly had some challenges" when adapting to the right-handed turn in his first turf gallop on Thursday. With assistant trainer Michelle Nevin aboard, the gray worked six furlongs in 1:17.9. Bell noted that Kip Deville "tried several times to get onto his wrong leg" on the turn at Sha Tin, "looking awkward in the process." He finished well, as Bell reported that he negotiated his final quarter in :23.4, with a last furlong in :11.7. Regular rider Cornelio Velasquez will guide Kip Deville in the Mile.
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