Dermot Weld's Free Eagle aims to end his career on a high in the Hong Kong Cup on Sunday.
Dermot Weld's Free Eagle aims to end his career on a high in the Hong Kong Cup on Sunday.
Winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, the four-year-old has been beset by niggles throughout his career.
His problems started when he picked up an injury on his second outing behind subsequent dual Derby winner Australia.
That ruled him out of almost all his three-year-old season but he returned to win a Group Three by seven lengths and go close in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.
His next run was his biggest success and he also ran with credit in the Irish Champion Stakes, where he was given a big nudge by Golden Horn, and in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
The last time Weld was successful in Hong Kong was with Additional Risk, also owned and bred by Moyglare Stud
Fiona Craig, representing Moyglare Stud, said: "He travelled well, but was understandably very tired on arrival. He seems in good form now and has been cantering daily, so we'll see what happens.
"Everyone seems very happy with him. He had a gallop on soft ground at Leopardstown in November that went well, but that is obviously very different to a mile and a half on fast ground at Sha Tin.
"We thought long and hard whether we should run in the Cup or the Vase. I'm not sure how you can judge his run in the Arc and we know he can do it at a mile and a quarter.
"It didn't work out for him at Longchamp and we'll never know what would have happened at Leopardstown after the incident with Golden Horn.
"It's a bit ironic that the horse who could be his biggest threat, Designs On Rome, is a horse we bred and sold as a yearling at Goffs for 10,000 euros. All these years later, we're taking him on a Group One in Hong. It's funny how things work out sometimes.
"It would be great if he can go out on a high."
In the Hong Kong Sprint, Edde Lynam's admirable Sole Power is back for another go over his less-favoured six furlongs.
"It's no secret he's a specialist 1000 metre (five furlongs) horse," said Lynam.
"His five Group One victories are all at 1000 metres, but he was second in this race and he ran a good race in the July Cup mid-season and with a horse like him, he's full of himself and training well, and when you get the opportunity to run in a race like the Hong Kong Sprint, you're always glad to take it.
"He'll enjoy the going and the pace of the race but he'll need a career-best 1200 metre run in order to win it.
"He keeps surprising people. It took him a while to win the Al Quoz Sprint (at Meydan) and it was a Hong Kong horse he beat there.
"This horse keeps turning up and we're delighted to have him here. Age has actually helped this horse. Mentally he was a difficult horse when he was younger, hence we gelded him. He only learned properly how to race as a four-year-old.
"I'd love to tell you it's been some great training by me, but I really think the horse has just got better with age. People sometimes question if he's as good as he was but at the age of eight, he's won a Group One and a Group Two this year so he's still punching at a big rate.
"It's set in stone. If all goes well he'll go to Dubai, have a trial on Super Saturday, where he'll probably get beaten, and hopefully do well in the Al Quoz, then Newmarket for the Palace House, then Ascot for that little race that he's won twice, the King's Stand."
In the Hong Kong Mile, David O'Meara's remarkable Mondialiste is the big hope for the UK. Having started the season finishing second in the Lincoln, he ended it finishing second at the Breeders' Cup, with a win in Canada beforehand.
O'Meara's assistant trainer Fearghal Davis said: " He won at York at nearly a mile and a furlong (Strensall Stakes), so he can get farther I suppose, but he's doing so well at the mile. He has a serious turn of foot. Even the Breeders' Cup, wow, when Danny (Tudhope) had got him out, he was gone.
"The winner (Tepin) was lucky, he got away, got the first run. If our lad had got out, I think our lad would have got him. He had the race won and was coming to get him and our lad was the only one coming up the stretch that was making any influence.
"It (gate 13) really doesn't have a big effect (on us). We're going to be taking our time anyway. From out there with a long run into the turn, we can make our own trip, hopefully."
Richard Hannon runs Toormore but Able Friend is sure to take all the beating, despite his Royal Ascot flop.
His trainer John Moore said: "I'm happy with him. All he needed was a freshen up after his race in the mile a couple of weeks back and he's there now, he's cherry ripe."
Jockey Joao Moreira is unconcerned by his draw in stall 10: "I'm not worried about the draw with Able Friend. He's the type of horse who gets back in any case and I can ride my own race on him from there."