Twelve months on and the Hong Kong Jockey Club is again targeting Japanese champion Just A Way, now the world's top-rated horse, as one of the headline acts for the HK$83 million Longines Hong Kong International Races on December 14.
The club released the first stage entries for HKIR on Thursday - nearly a year since Just A Way thrashed the autumn Tenno-Sho field in Tokyo to announce himself beyond his borders - and Just A Way is top of its wish list.
There was talk last year that he would come to Sha Tin for the Hong Kong Cup as the major events at the end of the year at home, the Japan Cup and Arima Kinen, are both 2,400m and out of his ideal distance range. Connections took a different direction and targeted Dubai, where Just A Way went to the top of the world rankings by blowing away the Duty Free field.
More recently, Just A Way was comfortably held in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when he was tried at 2,400m in Paris.
"We always love to see the top Japanese horses here and we're mindful that they have many options, but we're hopeful the Hong Kong Mile, the world's richest turf mile, or the Cup, now the second-richest 2,000m turf race in the world and such an easy journey from Tokyo, will be attractive options for Just A Way," said Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. Carrying record stake money this year, total entries are down from 267 in 2012 and 241 last year to 207 this year, but the tally of 70 Group One winners from 14 countries is up.
But it is the new world powerhouse, Japan, which dominates the visitors' numbers with 59 nominations, more than double the Japanese entries in 2013 and not far behind the 74 Hong Kong-based horses who make up the foundation of the nominations.
Likely visitors are still being determined but connections of French stalwart Cirrus Des Aigles, once the highest-rated horse in the world, have already indicated he is likely to make his sixth trip to Hong Kong, although numbers overall from France are down from 25 last year to 18 this year.
Also mentioned as possible visitors for the Cup are recent Champion Stakes runner-up Al Kazeem and Australian Derby winner Criterion while Epiphaneia, a visitor for the QE II Cup in April, may throw down his credentials for the race when he runs in Sunday's Tenno-Sho.
Vase nominees include Arc runner-up Flintshire; Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti; evergreen 2012 Vase winner Red Cadeaux; and recent Canadian International winner Hillstar.
The 62 nominees for the Hong Kong Sprint feature a solid local team waiting for visitors of the calibre of Sole Power, Gordon Lord Byron and ultra-consistent Australian sprinter Buffering. Australian-based entries, a disappointing 11 last year, are up almost four-fold at 40 but few may actually make the trip.
"It's great to once again see such a depth of quality to this year's Longines Hong Kong International Races nominations," said executive director of racing Bill Nader.
"The horses nominated at this stage give a clear indication that this year's turf world championships, with its phenomenal prize money and great hospitality, will more than live up to its billing."
