Australia’s three runners invited to race during Hong Kong’s International Day have arrived in sound order.
Preferment, Criterion and Lucia Valentina were flown from Sydney on Monday to prepare for Hong Kong’s biggest meeting of the year.
Trainer Kris Lees said Lucia Valentina had coped well during the flight.
“It’s about the same length of time as a float trip from here (Newcastle) to Melbourne, but all the same it’s good to know she is there without any dramas,” Lee said on his website leesracing.com.au.
Lucia Valentina and Criterion will contest the Hong Kong Cup while Preferment will take his place in the Kong Kong Vase.
Caulfield Cup runner-up Trip To Paris is one of three European horses officially withdrawn from the Vase.
Trip To Paris, Erupt and Ito were all unplaced in Sunday’s Japan Cup.
Among Preferment’s rivals will be the Mikel Delzangles-trained Ming Dynasty.
Delzangles won the 2011 Vase with Dunaden after the horse won that year’s Melbourne Cup.
Ming Dynasty goes to Hong Kong after a last-start win in the Group Two Prix du Conseil de Paris (2400m) on October 18 at Chantilly.
Ming Dynasty notched up a hat-trick earlier this year, culminating in the Listed Grand Prix de Clairefontaine (2400m) at Clairefontaine in August, after which the Wildenstein Family sold a stake in the horse to Qatar Racing Limited.
He tasted defeat for the first time in the Group Two Prix Niel at Longchamp on September 13 when a well-beaten sixth behind New Bay.
“Ming Dynasty has been very good since Chantilly. He has been training well and seems to be improving,” Delzangles told the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
