Almond Eye develops fever, won't ship for Hong Kong Cup

Almond Eye won’t race in the Hong Kong Cup on Dec. 8 at Sha Tin, her connections revealed Saturday.

The standout Japanese filly was set to be the star of the Hong Kong International Races, but her trip was scrapped after she developed a fever and was removed from the quarantine protocol in advance of travel this weekend. The defection is a heavy blow to the HKIR, which now will lean on the Japanese mare Deirdre and a pair of Aidan O’Brien-trained runners from Ireland, Anthony Van Dyck and Magic Wand, to carry the international banner.

Almond Eye’s one previous trip outside Japan yielded a win this past March in the Group 1, $6 million Dubai Turf. Her connections passed the Nov. 24 Japan Cup, a race Almond Eye had won in 2018, to target the Hong Kong Cup, but now plans are uncertain for the star filly, among the best horses in the world.