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Alan Aitken

Vase likely next stop for Cox Plate favourite Makybe Diva

The Cathay Pacific International Races will be on lips on both sides of the globe this weekend, with Australia's World Series leg, the WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in Melbourne tomorrow and the Canadian leg at Woodbine on Sunday.

The world's highest-rated mare, Makybe Diva, dominates discussions on the Cox Plate as a hot favourite to add the race to her two Melbourne Cups and a string of other Group One achievements.

She had a good hold on the race even before it started to rain this week in Melbourne and her grip has only tightened.

Connections have talked about all sorts of options after the Cox Plate with the mare, in her final season, but one is the Hong Kong Vase which would make an intriguing showdown with Arc runner-up, Westerner.

Trainer David Hayes is talking Hong Kong with Confectioner, a rival for Makybe Diva in the Cox along with other Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) nominees Australia's Outback Prince, South Africa's Grey's Inn, New Zealand's Xcellent and Hong Kong's Super Kid.

Meanwhile in Canada, Hong Kong Cup entry Electrocutionist from Italy will line up in the Woodbine International attempting to justify a trip to Asia. A firm track horse, Electrocutionist showed his worth winning the top class Juddmonte International at York in August then sidestepped the Arc in Paris and preferred Canada to the chance of soft ground at Belmont's Breeders' Cup meeting.

Connections have Electrocutionist pencilled in for the Japan Cup and Hong Kong Vase after Sunday.

Good news for HKIR with news that the first three from last weekend's Group One Champion Stakes at Newmarket, England, are all keen for invitations to Sha Tin.

David Junior eclipsed established Group One horses Oratorio (fourth), Alkaased (fifth), Rakti (sixth) and last year's Hong Kong Cup winner Alexander Goldrun (eighth) in the biggest upset in the race for over 30 years.

And the winner, runner-up French mare Pride and Sheik Hamdan al-Maktoum's third-placed Maraahel are all headed for a rematch in the Hong Kong Cup, invitations pending.

Plenty of Hong Kong interest from last Sunday's meeting at San Siro in Rome.

Torsten Mundry won the Group One mile on Anna Monda for German trainer Peter Rau, who is keen to gain an invitation for the Hong Kong Mile.

The filly was bought on the eve of the Rome race by Japan's leading owner-breeder, Teruya Yoshida, who brought Falbrav to win the Hong Kong Cup two years ago.

Finish third in the Hong Kong Sprint at 1,000m then contest the Hong Kong Vase over 2,400m a year later? Say what?

Hong Kong owner, Lam Yin-kee's Natural Blitz was third to Silent Witness in the Sprint last year, and his Australian-based stayer with the same name has been inoculated for travel in hopes of carrying Lam's colours in this year's Vase.

Natural Blitz was fourth in the Caulfield Cup last weekend, giving him the inside running over most of the Australian Vase entries.

Since the other Natural Blitz is not entered for the Sprint, the Jockey Club will probably avoid having two international runners with the same name and colours.



International stars focus on ticket to Hong Kong