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HONG Kong hero Indigenous will cross swords with brilliant Arc winner Montjeu and America's best in the Japan Cup on November 27.

 A delighted Ivan Allan watched the Horse of the Year finish just over four lengths off impressive Best Of The Best (5-2 favourite) in the National Panasonic Cup at Sha Tin yesterday.

 The race was over the unsuitable short sprint straight course and Indigenous, who did not have a trouble-free run, stormed home under regular rider Douglas Whyte.

 It was the first run for Indigenous since his efforts in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot in July and Allan could not have been more pleased.

 'This is the first time in a year that he has come back and could not have blown a candle out. He is very clean-winded and he has come through this race extremely well.

 'We are definitely on course for the Japan Cup, it is all systems go.'  International plans are now complete for Best Of The Best whose one-length victory over Fairy King Prawn (9-2) had trainer Wong Tang-ping looking ahead to December 12.

 Best Of The Best is simply too good down the straight course and Fairy King Prawn was the logical threat.

 'It's a relief. There is always pressure when you have a good horse and I am glad this is over. Now he will run in the Hong Kong Sprint,' said Wong.

 David Harrison was keeping the plate warm for suspended Eric Legrix, who was one of the first to congratulate the Welsh jockey after a solid winning effort. It was the second leg of a running double for Harrison, who had scored with Darley (8-1) in the fourth event.

 Harrison, who saw plenty of action in the Melbourne Cup last week and the inside of the Flemington inquiry room, was also involved in a protracted inquiry into an incident in the sixth race where New Trumps finished a half-length second to outsider Winning Boy (20-1).

 No action was taken and Harrison was able to celebrate one of the more exciting seven days in his racing life last night.

 'Best Of The Best is a very genuine horse and it was a pleasure to ride him. He obviously likes the straight course and it was just a great ride to have. I hope he runs really well in the big race next month,' said Harrison.

 Oriental Express ran home for a solid third and also has an International Races date next month.

 Said Allan: 'He was about 80 per cent today and I will have him 100 per cent by the International Races. He's in the Cup and the Mile but I am going to leave the choice to [owner] Larry Yung.'  Harrison gave a heady performance on Darley in the Classes Four and Five, 2,000-metre event where he grabbed the initiative in the first 300 metres by getting the horse out and over to be right up on the pace as they left the straight.

 It was all but a re-run of a race last year which Darley won for trainer Geoff Lane although yesterday the gutsy Sea Pearl kept the winner very honest. There was only a neck in it at the line.

 Lane chalked up a welcome winning double when leading rider Robbie Fradd landed French Fry (9-2), the handy winner of the eighth event. French Fry had run up six minor placings in 13 starts and was finally breaking through here.

 He won from High Spirits (9-2) and topweight Rajput (20-1).

 Whyte landed Handover (5-1) in the opener for Bruce Hutchison and completed a winning double with long odds-on shot Trillion Win (7-5 favourite), who duly won the seventh event.

 There was three-parts of a length to Many Happy Returns (70-1) at the finish of the Class Two, 1,600-metre event but this tends to be misleading.

 Trillion Win, unbeaten now in three starts, jumped from the extreme outside barrier of 14 and had to work quite a bit to get over. He had gone up 17 pounds for his last winning effort and Allan said: 'The handicapper nearly got it wrong. But he has won it quite well and he is only a young horse.

 'I will be picking his races carefully. This is not his year. The big races will come for him next year.'  Trillion Win was never going to be beaten even if there were a few heart murmurs in the straight when Many Happy Returns and New Asians (14-1) closed on him.

 In the manner of a very good horse, Trillion Win found enough under Whyte to handily stave off the challenges. He wasn't whacked around by the South African to do it, either.

Robin Parke 



Indigenous set for Japan