Designs On Rome Ready For Surgery

Reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Designs On Rome will undergo surgery on Tuesday to remove a bone chip from his fetlock.

Designs On Rome was a significant absence from the Champions & Chater entries. Trainer John Moore has confirmed the champion middle distance galloper was done for the season, but would be back.

"I'm not concerned longer term - he had a little bit of filling in a joint and we had that examined and X-rayed and he has a small bone chip there that has to be removed," Moore said.

"Designs On Rome will have that operation on Tuesday and then rest until next season. I'm very confident that he will be back as good as ever."

Moore has provided four of the 11 entries - Same World, Queen Mother Memorial Cup winner Helene Happy Star, Harbour Master and Dominant returning from his Sydney sojourn - in the final Group One of the season.

Moore remains non-committal about whether Singapore International Cup winner Dan Excel will visit England or Australia this year but owner David Boehm seems definite he wonl;t be travelling.

"That would make it a very hard campaign, to go to England or Australia, then to come back here. It wouldn't be ideal but we will make a decision in the next few weeks," Boehm said.

"I suspect we are going to keep it local. Dan Excel is a rising eight-year-old and it is a lot to ask to undertake those big trips and expect everything to go right.

"Our first aim would be for International Day and the Hong Kong Cup in December and then come back to Singapore."

Dan Excel has shown a special affinity with Kranji and Singapore, winning the past two SIA Cups and finishing second to Military Attack in 2013.

Krisflyer Sprint winner Aerovelocity is also set to stay in Hong Kong.

"No chance he'll go to England, we'll keep him in Asia," said trainer Paul O'Sullivan.

"We'll probably focus on the Hong Kong Sprint in December.”