Dubai: A strong field of 10 runners led by defending champion Werther are set to contest the 2017 running of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup, which is the jewel among Hong Kong’s three spring features, on Sunday.
With a purse of HK$20 million (Dh9.4m) the 2000m contest traditionally attracts a high-class field, which explains the small field of eight horses who will line-up at Sha Tin, at 6pm UAE time.
Three of them look to have serious claims — the Japanese favourite Neorealism and locally trained Pakistan Star and Werther.
Neorealism was ninth in the Hong Kong Mile on his previous start, but his form looks solid.
The Tony Cruz-trained Pakistan Star is a progressive sort and a repeat performance of his last-start second in the Hong Kong Derby will see him go very close.
Werther’s preparation has been marred by injury. However, he has still performed resolutely with a win in the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup two starts back. .
Sponsored by Audemars Piguet, the first Queen Elizabeth Cup was run on the Happy Valley sand track over 1575m in 1975 and had many different guises and forms until it was opened up to international competition as a 2200m turf contest at Sha Tin in 1995. In 1997, it switched to the 2000m distance familiar today.
In 2016, Hong Kong was promoted to Part I jurisdiction status by the International Cataloguing Standards and International Statistics Book, commonly known as the “Blue Book,” and all 31 races at pattern level are now open for overseas entries.
Alongside 11 established Group 1 contests, Hong Kong will now stage eight Group 2 and 12 Group 3 races. Prize money for Group 1 races ranges from HK$10 million to HK$25 million. Group 2 races offer HK$4 million and Group 3 races offer HK$3 million.
