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Alan Aitken

Draws prove unkind but Cup fancy Viva Pataca has main danger in his sights
The hometown grip on the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint was loosened a little more at the barrier draw for Sunday's international meeting, but a showdown in the Hong Kong Cup between Viva Pataca and Eagle Mountain remains on track.
High fives were virtually the response of Australian sprinter Apache Cat's connections after owner Paul Radford revealed the two gate for the baldy-faced sprinter, while Europe's best, Marchand D'Or, drew gate four.
The news was not so good for Hong Kong's sprinters, already considered more vulnerable than in the past seven years, with the John Size-trained Enthused coming up with the outside of the 13-horse field and Sunny Power immediately inside him.
Caspar Fownes, the trainer of Green Birdie, was the only one with a smile. He said: 'We prayed for gate five and got it. Ollie [Doleuze] can bury him and bring him with that great sprint he's got.'
Francis Lui Kin-wai said the barrier for Sunny Power 'is probably not that important because he is not a leader and he needs room'.
Size was thrilled with draws for Armada in the Mile and Sight Winner in the Cup, but admitted gate 13 for Enthused 'looks a disaster on paper'.
'But racing is not always like that - horses do win from wide gates,' he said.
'Armada in four looks good - he should be able to follow the leaders from there.'
Eagle Mountain's trainer, Mike de Kock, also got his wish of barrier 'three to five' in the Cup: 'Five is great. We'll have all the options from there.'
And John Moore was just as upbeat about Viva Pataca drawing next to his rival in six: 'Darren Beadman won't have to make too much use of him and the gate is about the best I could have hoped for.'
Only Lush Lashes (10) of the favoured Cup runners was on the wrong side of Lady Luck.
In the Mile, defending champion Good Ba Ba will start from the seven stall. 'That will suit very well. I wanted the middle and got it,' said trainer Andreas Schutz. 'Last year he was in six and I think having a similar draw is a good omen, and some of our main dangers have drawn out.'
America's top miler, Kip Deville, came out with gate 12 in the field of 14, while Pressing (11) and top French gallopers Natagora (10) and Spirito del Vento (nine) also drew the outside half of the field.
Likely leader Egyptian Ra's gate 13 didn't faze trainer Tony Cruz: 'We were planning to go forward anyway and that barrier just removes any doubt.'
The other defending champion on the day is Doctor Dino in the Vase, and trainer Richard Gibson was not cheering about gate 12, as opposed to last year's barrier four. 'It's not the draw I would have picked for myself. My biggest concern is that this will be a very tactical race and that gives us fewer options,' he said.
The Danny O'Brien-trained Douro Valley is one place wider in 13, but the Australian was satisfied: 'He doesn't muster speed quickly at the start so being out there should allow him to get forward at his own pace and not have to be bustled.'
Several other fancied visitors, Muhannak (four), Purple Moon (six) and Jaguar Mail (two) have drawn in close, and trainer Peter Ho Leung and jockey Douglas Whyte were happy with seven for the best of the locals in Packing Winner. 'The draw's OK. He's versatile and if no-one else seriously wants to take it up, I'd be happy to go forward,' Whyte said.



HK's hold on Sprint in jeopardy