Stimulation looms large in second Hong Kong start

Stimulation beat all but one while making his Hong Kong debut on June 10, and in Sunday’s featured fourth race at Sha Tin, he might well beat them all.

Stimulation is top rated at 91 in a field of eight entered to run 2,000 meters in a Class 2 handicap for horses rated between 80 and 100. Stimulation has Tommy Berry riding for trainer Tony Cruz and carries 129 pounds, conceding only a couple to his primary rivals.

Stimulation is a Japanese-bred 4-year-old by Deep Impact who was called Akihiro before being imported to Hong Kong, but his previous racing experience came in France for trainer Andre Fabre. He was pretty good, too. Stimulation won a listed stakes a little more than a year ago over 1 1/2 miles, and in the Group 3 Prix Greffulhe over the same trip he races Sunday, he finished third behind two nice horses, Recoletos and Waldgeist. The latter has emerged as one of Europe’s best older middle-distance runners this year.

Stimulation is on the smallish side but covers a lot of ground with his stride. He sat near the back of the pack while going 1,800 meters, a trip probably short of his best, in his Hong Kong debut, came with a decent run that was more sustained than brilliant, and just held second in a solid enough showing. With the comeback race behind him, and while being stretched out to a more suitable trip, there’s no reason to expect Stimulation won’t be a factor.

Making just his third Hong Kong start is the Irish-bred 4-year-old Insayshable, who at his best in Ireland last year finished third behind Douglas Macarthur and Yucatan (the latter won a Group 3 last Sunday at The Curragh) going 2,000 meters in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial. Insayshable, trained by John Size, raced over shorter trips at Happy Valley in his two local tries and could better suit Sunday’s circumstances.

Glorious Forever, a 4-year-old English-bred by Archinpenko, had his rating boosted from 75 to 88 after crushing Class 3 handicappers over 1,800 meters on June 16 at Sha Tin. As a handicap horse in England, Glorious Forever appeared to stay 1 1/4 miles, and his front-running style could be effective Sunday.

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