African Story's work-out impresses Bin Surour

Dubai: Godolphin's Champions Mile (G1) hopeful African Story yesterday delivered a sharp six-furlong work-out ahead of his shot at Sunday's showpiece race at Hong Kong.

A rousing winner of the Godolphin Mile (G2) at Meydan on March 31, the five-year-old clocked 1min 14.3secs on the all-weather track at Sha Tin Racecourse under exercise rider Garry Mitchell.

With long-serving Godolphin handler Saeed Bin Surour watching, African Story worked by himself and covered the final two furlongs in 22.7secs, according to the Hong Kong Jockey Club official time-keeper.

Bin Surour was pleased with what he saw and said: "African Story worked well this morning and I was very happy with him.

"He looks very well physically and seems happy. There have been no problems with the journey over and he seems to be in good form," he said on the Godolphin website.

"This was his final blow-out before Sunday's race and he had been preparing for this contest before he travelled over from Dubai."

Enormity of the task

However, the Emirati handler was under no illusions about the enormity of the task the son of Pivotal faces in the Champions Mile which is the third leg of the four-race Asian Mile Challenge series.

"A mile is his best trip but it looks like it will be a very tough race with some very good horses running," he said.

"I think that good going will be fine for him. He has shown good form on softer ground in France but he should be fine with good, safe ground."

Godolphin's newly recruited Brazilian jockey Silvestre de Sousa takes the ride at the picturesque racecourse which also houses the famous Penfold Park.

African Story is Bin Surour's first runner in the race since 2009 when Alexandros finished seventh to the Brett Prebble-trained Slight Winner.

Among the horses that African Story will face are Dubai Duty Free (G1) winner Cityscape and sixth placed finisher Musir, who is trained by South African handler Mike de Kock for Dubai's Shaikh Mohammad Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.

Ambitious Dragon, who was eighth behind Cityscape at Meydan, will lead the home defence together with Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) third Lucky Nine, and Dubai Duty Free fifth Xtension, defending champion of the Mile.

Leading Australia trainer Peter Moody will saddle his first runner in Hong Kong in King's Rose.

"This will be a new experience, although I've had runners before in the UK, Singapore and New Zealand," Moody said in the Herald Sun.