Horror draw a 'good omen' for Precision

The prospects of classy five-year-old Precision scoring a second international win for Hong Kong at Sha Tin on Sunday look decidedly more ominous after owner Wu Wai-sing drew gate 12 at yesterday morning's celebrity barrier draw for the $14 million Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

What would normally fall into the category of a horror draw was instead welcomed by the David Oughton stable, as Precision had come from the same gate to upset German raider Paolini in the Group One Hong Kong Cup on December 15. The QE II looks like setting up very similarly to the Hong Kong Cup, with two notable exceptions - reigning champion Douglas Whyte will replace Cup-winning jockey Michael Kinane, and there does looks to be a significantly stronger pace element to this race. 'Everybody expects a good result and we hope all our horses run very well, and that Hong Kong can prove its international ascendancy,' Wu said.

Oughton was even more to the point. 'Drawing the same barrier certainly seems like a good omen, and it's actually perfect because he's the sort of horse that prefers a bit of room,' he said. 'I've been really pleased with the horse since he ran behind Electronic Unicorn [in the Chairman's Trophy on May 23]. He's in very good form - in fact, he's every bit as good as before the international Cup.'

Stephen Jell, assistant trainer to Geoff Woodruff, said South African visitor Eventuail was well suited in barrier five.

'We reckon he's got a really good chance,' Jell said. 'He's travelled well and done really well since his run in Dubai. And I think he's a good bit fitter now as well.'

In contrast to the way history repeated itself with Precision, Hong Kong Cup runner-up Paolini drew widest of all in gate 13 - the polar opposite of his rails draw last December. 'It's a bit disappointing, that number,' said Sascha Wohler, assistant trainer to his brother, Andreas. 'We would have preferred to be somewhere in the low to middle numbers.

'He seems to be coming right at the right time,' he said. 'Coming out of winter, the weather here seems to give him a bit of a kick. We hope he can go as well as he did in December.'