Sha Tin: Presvis will cut back for Champions Mile

Six international Group 1 winners have been selected by the Hong Kong Jockey Club to join two local Hong Kong Group 1 winners in the $1.5 million Champions Mile at Sha Tin on April 25. They are headed by recent Dubai Duty Free winner Presvis, who has been supplemented by owner Leonidas Marinopoulos. The 7-year-old Luca Cumani-trained son of Sakhee won the 1 1/4-mile Queen Elizabeth II Cup two years ago at Sha Tin but will cut back from the Duty Free’s nine furlongs to run in the Champions Mile.

Among the 14 selected horses for the race are two-time Australian Group 1 winner Melito and South African Group 1 winner Musir, last year’s UAE Derby winner who disappointed when seventh in the Dubai World Cup. Leading Hong Kong miler Beauty Flash, Able One, and Sight Winner are the other international Group 1 winners tabbed for the race.

Local Group 1 winners Lucky Nine and Thumbs Up are expected to join two European Group 2 winners – Royal Bench, fourth in the Dubai Duty Free and second to Beauty Flash in the Hong Kong Mile in December; and Red Jazz, winner of Newmarket’s Challenge Stakes and third in the Godolphin Mile.

Meanwhile, Dubai World Cup winner Victoire Pisa arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday for his May 1 date in the $1.8 million Queen Elizabeth II Cup. In becoming the first World Cup winner to try the QEII Cup, the Katsuhiko Sumii-trained son of Neo Universe will be seeking his fourth victory in a row, having previously taken the Grade 1 Arima Kinen and the Grade 2 Nakayama Kinen.