In-form gelding El Vencedor will get his chance to test his talent in one of the most competitive racing jurisdictions in the world when he heads to Hong Kong in April to contest the Group 1 QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin.
Following the six-year-old gelding’s impressive run of form, culminating in victory in last Saturday’s Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa, trainer Stephen Marsh received an invitation from the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and he and owner-breeders Mark Freeman and David Price jumped at the opportunity.
“We received an email from Hong Kong (Jockey Club) who asked if we would potentially be interested and we said ‘if we’re invited we would certainly be interested’, so they said ‘here’s your invite’,” Marsh said.
“It will be a great trip and he looks like the right sort of horse to do it. He will cop the travel and it will be a great experience.”
While racing in Asia is nothing new to Marsh, with his father Bruce having trained in Singapore, the Cambridge horseman has never been to Hong Kong and he is excited about the opportunity.
“I have never been to Hong Kong, but I am looking forward to it,” Marsh said.
“It will all be pretty straight forward. They (Hong Kong Jockey Club) look after you well and I will do a lot of homework on it before I go.”
While the Queen Elizabeth is a welcome addition to El Vencedor’s preparation, Marsh said it won’t change his immediate targets back at home.
“He runs next Saturday at Ellerslie in the Otaki mile (Group 1, 1600m) and then he will go to the Bonecrusher (Group 1, 2000m), and then six weeks into the QE II Cup,” Marsh said.
“We will work out when flights are and how long he will be up there for and what we will do with him beforehand, but nothing is going to change between now and the Bonecrusher.”
Marsh said both Freeman and Price are over the moon to get the opportunity to compete in Hong Kong with El Vencedor, who is giving the pair the ride of a lifetime.
“They are thrilled,” Marsh said.
“It is a once in a lifetime experience and this is what racing is all about.”
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