Only Japanese horses have been able to stop the local talent in the Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) in recent years and the Land of the Rising Sun will launch a three-pronged assault on Sunday’s HK$26 million prize.
Just superstar Lord Kanaloa and Danon Smash have been able to prevent a clean sweep for the home team in the last 12 runnings, and Lugal heads a strong Japanese team this time around.
Lord Kanaloa won the Sprinters Stakes before both of his Sha Tin victories and Lugal will be bidding to tread a similar path after a spectacular win at Nakayama in September.
The breakthrough Group 1 success marked Lugal as the nation’s leading sprinter and was all the more remarkable considering he broke his knee after being sent off favourite for the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) in March.
Reflecting on the horse’s turbulent year, trainer Haruki Sugiyama said: “It was a surprising run in the Sprinters Stakes because that was his first run since his long break. I was a little bit concerned about how he would run, but he ran perfectly.
“He had a knee injury after the Takamatsunomiya Kinen. His rehabilitation was good and his preparation for the Sprinters Stakes was good. He ran very, very well there and he has no problem with his knee now.
“We don’t have another big race over 1,200m in Japan and this is the biggest opportunity for us, so that’s why we’ve chosen to send him here.”
Lugal will be coming up against top opposition from across the world in Sunday’s contest, including Hong Kong’s newest star Ka Ying Rising, the British-trained Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Starlust and Australia’s multiple Group 3 winner Recommendation.
While respectful of the opposition, Sugiyama believes his horse can be competitive on his first overseas venture after drawing barrier nine in the official ceremony on Thursday.
He said: “I don’t think it’s going to be easy to compete against the strong Hong Kong horses, but Lugal has won a Grade 1 race and is a high-class horse, so it’s worth trying to compete.
“On the first day to the second day in Hong Kong he was a little bit tense because this is his first international trip, but now he’s getting used to the new surroundings. He seems to love it here.”
Lugal will also face stern competition from within his home country. Regular rival Toshin Macau pushed him to within a neck in the Sprinters Stakes and showed his quality when landing the G2 Centaur Stakes on his penultimate start.
The flashy five-year-old will break from gate five and has also settled in well to life at Sha Tin, with a key grass gallop on Thursday pleasing stable representative Takashi Komine.
He said: “We decided to send him to Hong Kong after the Sprinters Stakes. He is in as good form as he was in Japan. He launched his bid in the back stretch and showed great momentum. He seems to be a bit tense, but is in good condition.”
The Japanese challenge is completed by rising star Satono Reve, who is drawn next to Toshin Macau in stall four. While Lugal and Toshin Macau will be partnered by Japanese jockeys Atsuya Nishimura and Akira Sugawara, the dual G3 winner will be ridden by former multiple Hong Kong champion jockey Joao Moreira.
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