A local horse has the honour of heading the invitations for Hong Kong's richest race for the first time in five years, with Military Attack's brilliant win in Singapore in May earning him the place atop the ratings for the HK$22 million Group One Longines Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) next month, reports the HK Racing Post.
Not since Viva Pataca shared top billing with Eagle Mountain in 2008 has a local invitee been the highest-rated selection, although eventual winner California Memory did go to post as the top rater last year when French-trained Cirrus Des Aigles was withdrawn with injury two days prior.
Cirrus Des Aigles has headed the nominations for the past two years and, while his European form is arguably down from its peak, the rising eight-year-old star is scheduled to make his fifth consecutive trip to Sha Tin as the second-highest rated invitee.
He ran a cracking race without luck at Sha Tin in the Vase as a three-year-old and while his best has otherwise not been seen in his subsequent visits to Hong Kong, he comes off a last-start second to Farhh in the Champions Stakes at Ascot which was not too far off his very best form.
The Dale Romans-trained Little Mike will fly the flag for the United States, looking to become the first Hong Kong International winner from there since Val's Prince in the 1997 Cup and only the second ever. Little Mike is a four-time Group One winner and 2012 Breeders' Cup Turf hero who took the Joe Hirsch Classic over 2,400m at Belmont in September, before flopping in the Breeders' Cup Turf last time when plenty of use was made of him early.
Andrew Balding has had success at Sha Tin with Phoenix Reach in the 2004 Vase and brings Side Glance, a recent winner of the Mackinnon Stakes during the Melbourne carnival, a path which earned Alcopop a placing last year in this race.
Peter Schiergen, the champion German handler who guided the career of Danedream in recent years, is another who has been to Hong Kong previously but is yet to taste success. He brings Group One winner Neatico, who is in the form of his life at home with four wins from his last five starts, albeit in lesser company. (www.racing.scmp.com)