Equine influenza struck Japan, and caused chaos there. It seems one stallion escaped the quarantine net and flew to Australia with the virus (perhaps during the incubation period and therefore free of symptoms) and the bug has flown through the Down Under racing nation, which had never previously experienced EI and had none of its horses immunised against it.

The effect of EI in the industries of both Japan and Australia could have been catastrophic for our Internationals, but ultimately the only real cost has been a horse or two from the Japan Cup, which has provided the Hong Kong Vase winners in two of the past three years from its beaten division.

Japan has been a big supporter of the meeting and went close to wiping the floor with all rival nations in 2001, winning three of the four invitationals. Only the Hong Kong Sprint - won by Australian visitor Falvelon - escaped their dominance. It looked like they'd be forced to miss out altogether this year, but we've ended up hosting two good ones in Kongo Rikishio (Mile) and Shadow Gate (Cup).

Mark Player, the Jockey Club's international racing manager, deserves the highest praise for the way he has handled these setbacks. Instead of having a valid excuse to fall back on, he has worked harder than ever and was the first to sense the opportunity when Japan's bureaucracy looked like black-balling Dylan Thomas.

Call after call, hour after hour, Player crafted the argument to trainer Aidan O'Brien that ultimately held sway with the champion Irish trainer and lured him here.

With the help of the veterinary liaison team under Brian Stewart, they also eventually persuaded the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, making way for what will be a historic highlight on Sunday, when the highest-rated horse in the 29 years of Sha Tin sets foot on to our pristine turf.

Freedman's freakish sprinting mare Miss Andretti, already the Global Sprint Challenge heroine for 2007 and boasting the formidable score line of 19 from 28, will ensure the Sprint is genuinely a world championship.

She'll confront Absolute Champion, brilliant winner of the same race 12 months ago over no less a rival than Silent Witness, and the extraordinary young upstart called Sacred Kingdom, winner of seven from eight and arguably tired on the day he had his colours lowered. Oh, and lest we forget, Europe's best sprinter Benbaun will be there, too.

The Mile looks an outstanding contest, a race where Hong Kong is traditionally strong but not that tough that they deterred outstanding European three-year-olds Excellent Art and Darjina.

And the Cup? Well it might just be a vintage one, with our resident superstars Vengeance Of Rain and Viva Pataca tackling Europe's champion miler and new Godolphin star Ramonti.

While the Melbourne Cup meeting hosted just a handful of European stayers, the Japan Cup attracted just four and the Breeders' Cup meeting was completely dominated by New York horses, here in Hong Kong it is indeed something worthy of the tag 'turf world championships'.

Best in the world

Number of foreign entrants for

the International Races at Sha Tin despite the equine flu problems: 26