Farraaj tunes up at Sha Tin for Hong Kong Cup

Andrea Atzeni piloted Farraaj in a solid work-out at Sha Tin on Tuesday

morning and reported the gelding to be in fine order ahead of a tilt at the

Group 1 Hong Kong Cup at the track on December 14.

The Italian was happy with the way the British raider stretched out in his

first serious work since he touched down in Hong Kong a week ago. Farraaj

quickened with purpose down the Sha Tin turf and clearly relished the surface as

he went 1200 meters in 1:18.20, winding up through 400-meter splits of :27.50,

:26.90 and :23.80.

"He felt very good, he looks good for the time of year and he did a very nice

bit of work," said Atzeni, who is three weeks into a three-month riding contract

in Hong Kong.

"He just stretched his legs a little bit. He hasn't done a lot since his race

in Australia and he needed a good bit - he might do something more again next

week. He was having a nice blow at the end so I think that's done him good. He

traveled really well there -- as soon as I turned in I picked him up all the way

to the end and he just kept stretching out. He feels good, he moved well and he

loves that quickish ground."

Farraaj heads into theHong Kong International Races off the back of a career

best run to finish third in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington, Australia, on

November 1. The Roger Varian-trained five-year-old, third also in the Breeders'

Cup Juvenile Turf back in 2011, had dropped into handicap grade to regain the

winning thread in England this summer. He has since thrived.

"On his day he's very good," Atzeni said. "He was carrying top-weights in

handicaps in the summer and he won around Epsom and at York -- it was great that

we could still run him in handicaps because the John Smith's Cup was nearly 100

grand (pounds) to the winner. That's massive -- you almost have to win a Group 1

to get that money.

"He loves traveling and ran very well in Australia," he continued. "He was

probably a bit unlucky not to win the race at Flemington -- he was drawn 14 of

14 and was kept three wide all the way."

Atzeni has already seen enough of racing around Sha Tin to recognize that a

good gate draw can be the key to success.

"The horse is very well, he's quick out of the gate and if he gets a good

draw, which is very important here, he'll run a big race," he said. "They say

the draw is important at Happy Valley but it can be just as important at Sha

Tin, even over 10 furlongs.

"With a better draw he might have won in Australia and the Cup is looking

like a very open race this year. He loves the fast ground, that's what he needs,

and he's one of those horses -- he's won at Epsom, he's won at York, when he was

in Australia he was galloping well on a smaller track; going round here won't be

any problem.

"The quicker they go the better for him. I know there might not be a lot of

pace in the race but if we get a good draw and just get in behind the pace then

I think we'll be fine."

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com