Artiste Royal to revisit Sha Tin

Artiste Royal will return to Hong Kong for the $1.8 million Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin on April 26.

His trainer, Neil Drysdale, and owners David and Jill Heerensperger have accepted an invitation from the Hong Kong Jockey Club to run in the 1 1/4-mile Group 1 contest, in which he will meet defending title-holder and Arlington Million runner-up Archipenko, recent Dubai Duty Free runner-up Presvis, and the locally trained, six-time Group 1 winner Viva Pataca.

Artiste Royal, an 8-year-old son of Danehill, is no stranger to Sha Tin, having finished 10th behind Eagle Mountain there in the 1 1/4-mile Hong Kong Cup on Dec. 14, after which he returned to Santa Anita and promptly won the 1 1/4-mile San Marcos Handicap on Jan. 19. Most recently he finished third in the 1 1/2-mile San Luis Rey Handicap.