There's little to separate HK Mile favourites
European bookmakers cannot split outstanding American racer Kip Deville and reigning Horse of the Year Good Ba Ba in the lead-up to Sunday's HK$16 million Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile.
In a race where the sobriquet 'turf world championship' rings true, Good Ba Ba (Christophe Soumillon) and Kip Deville (Garrett Gomez) are equal favourites at 9-2 in a market sourced from the top prices available from 12 top European bookmakers.
However, this is no two-horse race with the John Size-trained Armada (Douglas Whyte) and Japan's excellent miler Super Hornet (Yasuke Fujioka) sharing the second line of favouritism at 6-1.
Good Ba Ba is the defending title-holder of the Mile, while handsome grey Kip Deville won the Breeders' Cup Mile at Monmouth Park in 2007 and backed it up with a valiant second to the champion French filly Goldikova in this year's BC Mile at Santa Anita in California.
Twelve months ago, the Jockey Club had committed to betting fixed odds on the international races in 2008 but the technology platform could not be prepared in time. So Hong Kong punters must wait yet another 12 months to be able to take the early prices about the global racing stars - legally at least.