Brown Confident He's On The Best Horse

The Sunday Age

Sunday December 14, 2008

By JOHN SCHELL, HONG KONG

CHAMPION Melbourne sprinter Apache Cat is poised to join the likes of former star Falvelon as a winner of the $2.35million Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin today.

The Greg Eurell-trained speedster has racked up six group1s, including five on the trot last season, and international glory awaits.

"The more I go through the form, the more I am warming to Apache Cat's chances of winning," his Sydney jockey Corey Brown said yesterday.

"He is a proven big-time performer, and when you look at the field for the Hong Kong Sprint, then it is quite clear he is the best horse in the race. All he has to do is rock up with his A-grade form and he will be winning."

Apache Cat isn't the only Australian in action at Sha Tin today as jockeys Darren Beadman and Zac Purton are also in line for success.

Purton has several winning chances on the 10-race card, while Beadman takes the ride on the Danny O'Brien-trained Australian group1 winner Douro Valley in the $2.5million Hong Kong Vase and on pre-post favourite Viva Pataca for trainer John Moore in the feature event, the $3.2million Hong Kong Cup.

Viva Pataca clashes with the Mike De Kock-prepared Eagle Mountain, who will be ridden by South African Kevin Shea.

"Eagle Mountain is a serious horse and he is going to be very hard to beat," Shea said at Happy Valley last week where he was watching the international jockeys' challenge, which was won for a record third time by local star Douglas Whyte.

"Viva Pataca is a quality horse but Eagle Mountain is world class and I expect him to be very hard to hold out."

Viva Pataca has won two from two since resuming from a break and Beadman predicted the stayer will peak today. "He surprised us a bit when he won first-up over a mile, we didn't really expect him to sprint that well fresh," he said.

"Then he won very impressively and with ease in the Cup Trial. That is the race he won last year before he didn't have much luck when beaten into second in the cup."

The other international event today is the Hong Kong Mile in which Armada, trained by Australian John Size, is favoured with punters.

© 2008 The Sunday Age

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