Ireland's champion jockey Pat Smullen flies the flag in Hong Kong on Wednesday when taking on some of the world's other top riders in an international competition at the Happy Valley track.
Ahead of Sunday's International Carnival at Sha Tin, a dozen jockeys will ride in a four-race series at Hong Kong's other racecourse.
They include Ryan Moore and the local stars Joao Moreira and Zac Purton while South Africa's Gavin Lerena will aim to successfully defend the title he won a year ago.
Smullen has competed in the competition before and reckons his book of rides could be better this time although he added: “At least on paper, that is. I’ve got two last-time winners with Happy Valley form so that’s a good start.”
Irish hopes in Sunday’s big International Carnival races will rest on Cougar Mountain in the Mile and especially Highland Reel who is a hot favourite to successfully defend the Vase crown he won a year ago.
Aidan O'Brien's travelling head man Pat Keating has issued an upbeat bulletin on Highland Reel.
“I can tell you that when he arrived here at Sha Tin his head came up, he looked about him and he knew exactly where he was. He’s well and I’ve no worries about him.”
Dundalk's winter campaign continues on Wednesday night where an otherwise nondescript opening maiden could prove very significant for the Jim Bolger-trained Landikusic.
As a sister to the increasingly influential stallion Zoffany, a winning bracket could prove very valuable to the three year old who has run with sufficient promise in two efforts in November to suggest she can win a race of this standard.
The Bolger-Kevin Manning combination may enjoy a good evening as both Cresendo and Heavy Weight in the concluding handicap also look to hold decent claims.
