Packing Llaregyb will step into the unknown when he takes his place alongside some of the world’s best in Sunday’s HK$20 million Group 1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin.
Andreas Schutz’s smart five-year-old has never before ventured into the top grade to compete at level weights, nor has his stamina been put to the test at the 2000m trip. But Schutz is not concerned.
The German handler, who saddled the great Good Ba Ba to win two G1 Hong Kong Miles and a G1 Champions Mile, has every faith in the Dylan Thomas gelding, whose biggest success to date came in the HKG3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse (Handicap) back in November. That race was staged over 1800m, the longest distance at which Packing Llaregyb has raced.
“I’m less concerned about the class, because I think he has it up his sleeve to be competitive,” said Schutz. “He has beaten a lot of the field already, under handicap conditions, and as long as we’re not giving away the weight I think he can measure up with that. The step up in distance is a query though because he is always quite a strong traveller throughout his races. We certainly want a decent enough gallop and some cover.”
Packing Llaregyb was third under bottom-weight of 113lb in the HKG3 Premier Plate (Handicap) last time, with the higher-weighted and re-opposing Blazing Speed, California Memory and Helene Super Star behind. That leaves him with something to find at the revised weights, as does his short-head second to Designs On Rome in February’s HKG3 Premier Plate (Handicap) over 1800m when the latter carried 18lb more. Schutz, however, is confident that his charge, who has thrice this season shouldered top-weight of 133lb in Class 2 company, will do himself justice.
“I feel that those handicaps here are very difficult to win, especially when you have to give away weight,” he said. “It takes a serious horse to be able to do that. You see the Derby winner, Luger, and how impressive he was in the Derby, and what kind of handicaps he has been winning under top-top-weight, so the step up from the best handicaps to the Group class here is not awfully big.
“I didn’t want to sacrifice his energy keeping him in handicaps, so I felt this was the right time to give it a go in the top class. If we find out he is not as good as we hope he is he will automatically come back to handicap class. But every horse has only a certain amount of mileage in him, and certainly through his career in lower class races he will get the same wear and tear, and we wanted to give him a chance while he is still fresh and healthy rather than waiting too long. I think he has got it up his sleeve, really, he will be competitive. That doesn’t mean he’s a certainty to win but I can see him running a really big race, and, as regards his preparation, I couldn’t be happier.”
Packing Llaregyb, who has won five of his 14 Hong Kong starts and has risen this season to a rating of 108 from 89, galloped Monday morning under Alex Lai. The talented Irish-bred went 1200m on the turf in company with Admiral Lord and clocked 1m 19.4s (28.0s, 28.5s, 22.9s).
“I worked him yesterday and he went very well,” said Schutz. “Everything is going according to plan – the order was to go quicker than they eventually did but it looked a good gallop and both riders were very happy. He picked up in the straight and he came through very well.
“He will do another piece this week. Whether it’s Thursday or Friday will depend on the weather and how the track is going to be. Monday was his main gallop and he has come through that with a good show, so Thursday or Friday will just be a blow, to make sure his weight doesn’t shoot up – he’s a very good eater and you have to do a certain amount of work with him.”
Olivier Peslier will fly in from France to ride the outsider. The Frenchman has an enviable record at Sha Tin, with seven wins at December’s Hong Kong International Races.
“Peslier will come to ride him,” confirmed the handler. “He was my choice – I have a bit of a long and good relationship with him. He’s one of those jockeys who, whenever in the past I’ve told him we have a serious chance regardless of what the odds might be, he has listened and given it a go. He has ridden a couple 40/1 and 50/1 horses, he’s won two Derbys for us, he’s won a couple of Group 1s for us and he has got plenty of decent placings in Group 1 races on horses which, on paper, looked to have very little hope. He will trust me and give it a go. And his record shows that he can make a difference. He has won top-class races all over the world, including here.”
The field for the 2015 APQEII Cup also features a quartet of top-class overseas runners. Australia’s Criterion held the British star Red Cadeaux to win the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick last start, while Staphanos is an exciting contender from Japan and France’s G2 winner Smoking Sun is a first Hong Kong runner for the Niarchos Family.
