Trainer John O’Shea is confident that Sea Siren can fly the Australian flag when she lines up on the international stage in the Group 1 HK$15m Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on December 9.
Sea Siren will line up in the Hong Kong Sprint. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia.
Australia hasn’t provided the winner of the Hong Kong Sprint since the Danny Bougoure trained Falvelon won back to back Sprints in 2000 – 2001 even though Australian trained sprinters have performed highly in Dubai and England in the period since with the Group 1 winners Choisir, Ortensia and Black Caviar leading the charge.
O’Shea has given a glowing report for his Group 1 winning mare as she prepares to fly out to Hong Kong on Monday night with Mackinnon Stakes winner Alcopop, who is to contest the Group 1 HK$22m Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m) along with top class French stayer Dunaden.
“She worked beautifully and is at the top of her game,” O’Shea said after Sea Siren completed her work at Moonee Valley on Saturday morning.
“She has improved if anything. She’s done really well and had a lovely gallop at the Valley on Saturday morning without doing too much.
“She goes to Hong Kong in really good order.”
“She has had a great preparation and is fit and ready. Obviously the next two weeks will be crucial but I think she is the right sort of horse to take to Hong Kong.
“She eats well and cops everything we throw at her. She is a tough mare and I couldn’t be happier.”
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.
The top Randwick trainer can’t wait to get to Sha Tin to give Sea Siren her final work out leading up to the International race day Sunday week.
“We won’t need to do a lot with her there – maybe one serious gallop and she’ll be ready to go,” O’Shea said.
Veteran jockey Jim Cassidy will again be aboard Sea Siren after riding the mare for the majority of her races at last three campaigns while top carnival jockey Craig Williams will ride Alcopop as well as top French stayer Dunaden in the Group 1 HK$15m Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m).
Williams is heading to Hong Kong after finishing third on the Japanese trained Rulership in the Group 1 US$6.5m Japan Cup (2400m) at Tokyo on November 25 and will be reunited with Alcopop and Dunaden after riding both horses to Group 1 victories over the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Williams is looking to win back to back Hong Kong Vases on Dunaden after the pair combined to take out the Group 1 $2.5m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 20 while he will be teaming up with Alcopop again after winning the Group 1 $1m Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Derby Day.
