The Jockey Club's generous international prizemoney bonuses could keep top line mare Elegant Fashion in Hong Kong despite her graduation to world class competition on Sunday in the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
The David Hayes-trained mare held her own with Japanese raider Eishin Preston despite having to cover extra ground in the race and relegated multiple international Group One placegetter Paolini into third. In doing so, Elegant Fashion earned points in the World Series but Hayes said yesterday there were no plans to chase that prize.
'She will be entered for the Cox Plate in Melbourne, which is a series leg, but when you look at the bonus prizemoney offered by the club for locals in the races here next December, they seem the best option,' Hayes said. 'The 50 per cent bonus on top of the published prizemoney would make a Hong Kong Cup win worth more than $15 million.'
He said any alteration to that plan would depend on the mare herself. 'She wants 2,400m now and if she the won the Champions & Chater very easily then it isn't out of the question we could think about the Japan Cup and then back for the Hong Kong Vase,' he said.
Jockey Club handicapper, Ciaran Kennelly said the QE II Cup had stood up well in spite of the light foreign participation. 'I gave Eishin Preston an international rating of 118, which is the same rating he won the race with last year, and the race overall was up to solid Group One standard,' he said. 'Paolini rated 113, which is a few points below his previous rating, but I think anyone who saw it would agree that he ran a little below his best after over-racing. In particular, it was pleasing to see genuine Group One performances from the runner-up, Elegant Fashion, and the other local horse in the first four, River Dancer.
'I feel Elegant Fashion improved on her previous form and gave her a 110 rating after the allowance for fillies, and River Dancer went from 106 to 112 internationally. River Dancer touched 110 when with Aidan O'Brien last year so it looks like he is certainly going the right way since he came to Hong Kong.'
