Manikato Stakes winner Sea Siren has been installed the early favourite for the Group 1 HK$15m Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday week as she settles in after arriving in Hong Kong in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Sea Siren is the early favourite for the Hong Kong Sprint. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Trainer John O’Sheahas reported that his multiple Group 1 winning mare has arrived safely and bookmakers reacted by installing her the $3.20 favourite ahead of local sprinter Lucky Nine at $4.50.
“She travelled really good. No problems at all,” O’Shea said.
“The staff reported she did everything right and has settled in as good as we could have hoped.”
O’Shea will give Sea Siren a couple of easy days to get over the trip and then start to increase her work leading up to Longines Hong Kong International Race Day.
“She’ll settle in and have a look around for the rest of the week,” O’Shea said.
“We gave her a good hard gallop yesterday before she left.
“She’ll do a bit of faster work next Saturday and then crank things up the following Tuesday.”
Mackinnon Stakes winner Alcopop who will contest the Group 1 HK$22m Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m) has also arrived in good shape after travelling on the same flight as Sea Siren according to Hong Kong Jockey Club spokesman Mark Player.
“The early reports are both horses travelled well,” Player said.
“Alcopop of course is an experienced older horse who’s been used to travelling across on the float very regularly to Melbourne so think he took it all in his stride.”
Sea Siren hit the spotlight as a three year old when she won back to back Group 1s during the Brisbane Winter Carnival with victories in the $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m) and the $650,000 Carlton Mid Doomben 10,000 (1350m) at Doomben.
O’Shea then produced the four year old to score first up in the Group 1 $500,000 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 beating Mental and then the result was reversed in the Group 1 $1m Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 10 with Mental gaining the upper hand.
Veteran jockey Jim Cassidy has ridden Sea Siren to her three Group 1 victories and was aboard when a fighting second to Mental and will again partner the Fastnet Rock four year old in the Hong Kong Sprint.
Top carnival jockey Craig Williams, who finished third on Rulership in last Sunday’s Group 1 US$6.5m Japan Cup (2400m) at Tokyo will ride Alcopop as well as top French stayer Dunaden in the Group 1 HK$15m Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m).
In early markets Alcopop is a $12 chance in the Hong Kong Cup which sees the French trained Cirrus Des Aigles the early favourite at $2.70 ahead of California Memory at $6.50 to win back to back Cups.
