Fabre: Sosie ready for Hong Kong Vase mission
Down the years, Andre Fabre has proved himself a master at identifying the right horses to send to the HK$26 million Group 1 Hong Kong Vase (2400m), boasting a remarkable record of three wins and five placed efforts from 15 starters, dating back to a victorious debut at the meeting with Borgia in 1999.
Third in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) on his most recent start, Sosie is arguably a match for any of his predecessors from the stable.
Sosie has enjoyed a fine season, opening with a pair of Group 1 victories at short of his best trip when landing the Group 1 Prix Ganay (2100m) and the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan (1850m) back in the spring.
Returning to 2400m after a midseason break, Sosie ran an eye-catching trial when second to Byzantine Dream in the Group 2 Prix Foy (2400m), form he reversed when third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe itself, leaving his old rival back in fifth, and edging a place on the podium at the expense of fellow Hong Kong Vase contender Giavellotto.
Both horses will be much more at home on the expected fast turf at Sha Tin on Sunday (14 December), and Fabre has been encouraged to head to Hong Kong by the way Sosie has maintained his form post-Arc.
Sosie, the second favourite with betting sites at 3.50, has slipped in the betting with Giavellotto (2.20) the bookies’ elect to win the race.
“He did a good piece of work at Saint-Cloud and since then he has done some canters,” Fabre said. “He looks alright and they are happy with him in Hong Kong.”
Fabre celebrated his 80th birthday earlier this week, and victory for Sosie would make him the most successful trainer in Hong Kong Vase history, edging ahead of Aidan O’Brien should he claim a fourth success.
“Sosie looks a good fit for this race and he might stay in training next year, we’ll see what Sunday brings,” Fabre said.
“The good ground should suit him and the track at Sha Tin is perfect for him. It’s a very fair course and there is usually a strong pace so any horse should be able to show his best form there.”
The difficulty of maintaining form from Longchamp in October until Hong Kong in December is illustrated by the fact that only 25 horses have run both races in the same season since the Hong Kong Vase achieved Group 1 status in 2000, a pool which has produced one winner and six placed horses.
Six horses who finished in the first three in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe have contested the Hong Kong Vase this century – an advert in itself for the depth of this year’s race – with Flintshire in 2014 upgrading his second place at Longchamp to a win at Sha Tin.
Sosie is owned by his breeders, Alain and Gerard Wertheimer – also successful here two years ago with the Fabre-trained Junko – and their racing manager Pierre-Yves Bureau was impressed with the horse’s condition when seeing him at trackwork on Friday morning (12 December).
“He ran a brilliant race in the Arc and we were delighted,” Bureau said. “He’s a beautiful horse who has an awful lot of power under the bonnet.
“His coat remains fantastic, he’s in great shape physically and I think he has a real chance on Sunday.”
Bureau is respectful of a deep field which, in addition to Giavellotto, features four more Group 1 winners in the shape of Al Riffa, Los Angeles, Goliath and Urban Chic.
“I think nearly every horse in the line-up is here because they have produced one or more big performances through the course of the year and any one of them that brings their ‘A’ game could win,” Bureau said.
“I think it’s really important that we are coming here with a horse who’s had a superb year, and we just need things to go right.
“He’s only had one disappointing race all year, and apart from that, he has been superb. He has delighted us each time and I think he will have a big say on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising is the favourite to win the Hong Kong Sprint, with the David Hayes-trained five-year-old chasing a 16th successive victory.
