Moonlight Cloud heads a stellar list of overseas possibles for the Hong Kong international races after the publication of selected horses for the four flagship races at Sha Tin on December 8.
Moonlight Cloud seeks a seventh top-level victory of her career in the Hong Kong Mile.
Australia’s only representative at the international meeting, the Stradbroke Handicap winner Linton, will also contest the Hong Kong Mile.
Damien Oliver will ride Linton after Hong Kong-based Joao Moreira was suspended.
Moonlight Cloud, who gave Black Caviar a huge fright at Royal Ascot last year, could be joined as European entries in the Mile by the Richard Hannon-trained multiple Group One winner Sky Lantern and Tom Hogan’s consistent performer Gordon Lord Byron.
Last year’s winner Red Cadeaux is set to defend his crown in the Hong Kong Vase.
Ed Dunlop’s globe-trotter was second in the Melbourne Cup on his latest start and those that finished directly behind him – Luca Cumani’s Mount Athos (third), the Willie Mullins-trained Simenon (fourth) and Marco Botti’s Dandino (fifth) – are among the possibles.
Other interesting ones are John Gosden’s admirable mare The Fugue, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last month, and the triple Classic-placed three-year-old Galileo Rock.
The latter, trained by David Wachman, was last seen finishing third in the St Leger at Doncaster.
“It’s a possibility. He’s training well at the moment and we’re happy with him. That’s a target at the minute and we’ve just been waiting for the right race,” said Wachman.
Eddie Lynam has had an amazing year with his speedsters and could end it on a high with Slade Power, winner of the British Champions Sprint, and King’s Stand hero Sole Power given invitations for the Hong Kong Sprint. Jwala, winner of the Nunthorpe Stakes at York for Robert Cowell, is the sole British-trained runner.
Corine Barande-Barbe’s ageing superstar Cirrus Des Aigles and Hong Kong horse-of-the- year Military Attack are the stand-out entries in the Hong Kong Cup.
Jeremy Noseda’s Grandeur and Andrew Balding’s Side Glance, winner of the Group One Mackinnon Stakes in Australia, are the two British possibles.
