Exultant, still improving at 5, has big shot to repeat in Hong Kong Vase

HONG KONG – Sprinters and milers have historically ruled Hong Kong racing, and it’s mainly been European shippers winning the 1 1/2-mile Hong Kong Vase, to be run Sunday on the Hong Kong International Races program at Sha Tin.

Only twice since 2000 has a Hong Kong-based horse won the Vase, but one of those occasions came when Exultant won in 2018, and Exultant probably is a better horse now than then.

“Exultant is on the up,” trainer Tony Cruz said. “He’s rising, still improving, and this is his prime. I’ve never seen him so well.”

Exultant won the 2018 Vase by a neck over the Japanese mare Lys Gracieux and faces a formidable rival in Anthony Van Dyck in Sunday’s Group 1, $2.55 million contest. Anthony Van Dyck won the Derby in England this year, and last month had a cramped homestretch run finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Trainer Aidan O’Brien starts Anthony Van Dyck in blinkers for the first time Sunday.

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The Japanese mare Deirdre races at the tail of a long, demanding campaign but has the quality to challenge Exultant. Prince of Arran, a tough-trip eighth in the 2018 Vase, can at least threaten at a price.

Five-year-old Exultant had a productive 2017-18 Hong Kong season but hit a higher level during his 2018-19 campaign, which included three Group 1 wins. Exultant began his current campaign by finishing third while knocking off rust in a Nov. 3 Group 3 stakes and won the Group 2 Jockey Club Cup two weeks later over a 2,000-meter distance short of his best.

“At 2,000, he needs the speed in front of him, whereas at 2,400 he’s got enough time to get the job done,” said regular rider Zac Purton. “He doesn’t really have a turn of foot. He’s a grinder.”

Exultant does have a tricky draw in post 14, but Purton has the length of the homestretch to work into position before hitting the first of two turns. His greater concern might be regression following Exultant’s strong Jockey Club Cup.

“Whenever they’ve had a gut-busting run, you worry they might be a little bit flat,” he said.

Highland Reel won the 2017 Vase for O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore when the horse was a 5-year-old. Anthony Van Dyck comes here at an earlier stage of his career, and the equipment change shows he’s still a work in progress.

“Anthony is a very handy colt,” said Moore, who rides him Sunday. “He didn’t get a clear shot in the straight at Santa Anita. He needs a mile and a half and he needs fast ground. I think Sha Tin will suit him.”

Anthony Van Dyck also drew wide in post 12.

Deirdre finished second to loose leader Glorious Forever in the 2018 Hong Kong Cup and has little experience at 1 1/2 miles. Trained in Japan and based there most of her career, she spent the summer stabled at Newmarket in England and won the Group 1 Nassau Stakes over 1 1/4 miles there while running competitively in Irish Champion Stakes and in the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October. Deirdre shipped to Hong Kong directly from England after a long, hard season and has been handled more gently during morning training this week than any of the other internationals.

Prince of Arran, by contrast, has looked happy doing plenty of vigorous morning exercise, and an eighth-place finish in the 2018 Vase owed much to a poor draw, post 14, and a slow pace up front. Prince of Arran, trained in England by Charlie Fellowes, was beaten only a head finishing third of 24 last out in the Melbourne Cup, and while that race’s two-mile distance might better suit him than Sunday’s distance, Prince of Arran could crash this party at a price.