After overcoming an injury scare earlier in the week, fortune has turned in favour of Kiwi flyer El Vencedor, drawing barrier one for Sunday’s HK$28 million Gr.1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin.
The four-time Group One winner was treated for lameness in the left hind leg after arriving in Hong Kong and was restricted to light work until Tuesday morning, where he was passed suitable to complete trackwork at Sha Tin.
In the hands of champion hoop Zac Purton, El Vencedor completed his final serious piece of work on Thursday morning, albeit after having a decent look at the vast surroundings at Sha Tin.
“All happy, it was good to have Zac on today to get a feel for him,” trainer Stephen Marsh said.
“He’s got a massive grandstand to look at here and it took him a little while to get going. Once he got going, he’s still not fully concentrating, but having that underway now, it should bring him on beautifully.
“It’s a pretty daunting experience, you’ve got big screens here, bigger than most houses, and the grandstands are nearly over the track. It’s good he’s had a look now and he’ll be all the better for it.”
When questioned on preference for barrier draws, Marsh indicated anywhere between one and five would be ideal for his charge and that became a reality as co-owner and co-breeder David Price selected the ace barrier later in the day.
“It’s pretty unreal, three country boys coming to the big lights,” Price said. “It’s been fantastic, Hong Kong Jockey Club have been amazing hosts.”
The son of Shocking will be up against a number of serious international stars in the QEII Cup, with the likes of Cap Ferratt, Prognosis and Goliath. While Price is unsure of where his form stacks up against those horses, El Vencedor’s versatility is his strength.
“He’s a strong horse, he can lead, he can trail and he’s got a high cruising speed. Tactically, that makes him relatively easy to ride,” he said.
“It’s hard to line it up (New Zealand form), we were ranked number 10 in the world in the LONGINES ratings, so we just don’t know. We haven’t raced against these horses, but he’s coming here on the top of his game, and we just hope that’s good enough.
“Win, lose or draw, it’s going to be fantastic.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
