Dominant has tried and failed to win the HK$10 million Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup in each of the last three seasons.
However trainer John Moore believes the talented stayer is in the right form to make his presence felt in the newly-promoted international Group 1 feature at Sha Tin on Sunday, 31 May.
The seven-year-old British import finished third in his first raid on the then local G1 2400m contest back in 2012 when, as a four-year-old, he had Liberator and Ambitious Dragon ahead of him. He was third again in 2013 as California Memory and Willie Cazals ran on by. Twelve months ago he was a lacklustre seventh to Blazing Speed.
Dominant, whose biggest career success came in the 2013 G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase at the course and distance, has been on his travels this spring and Moore believes that that trip to Australia and back could prove to have benefited the Cacique entire.
“That trip away has really done him the world of good, being based out at Canterbury, the best track in Sydney,” said Moore, who saddled Dominant to two unplaced runs in the G1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and G1 Sydney Cup (3200m).
“The fact that he was out to grass and was able to have a pick, and that he travelled so well; I think that break, the freshen up, means that he’s going into the Champions & Chater in much better condition and frame of mind than last year. I think he’s in there with a real chance.”
Dominant galloped this morning, Tuesday, 26 May, under work rider Thomas Yeung, a former apprentice jockey in Hong Kong.
“He worked the place down this morning on the turf with Thomas on board,” said Moore after the British import had worked over 1200m in company with Grand Harbour and clocked 1m 19.7s (27.3, 28.9, 23.5).
Dominant looks set to face eight rivals in the final G1 race of Hong Kong’s 2014/2015 season, including last year’s winner Blazing Speed who heads into the mile and a half showpiece off the back of a brilliant triumph against overseas opponents in last month’s G1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup (2000m). But another of his main rivals is one of his own stable mates, the emerging four-year-old Helene Happy Star.
Another British import, the Zamindar gelding sluiced through a wet track to win the HKG3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (Handicap) at the course and distance on 9 May, a race that Dominant won in both 2012 and 2013.
“Helene Happy Star has done everything right - all he’s doing is getting better and better and better,” said Moore. “I’m hoping for a good gate again, I don’t want an outside gate I’d rather draw a gate from where he can get right in behind the speed. There was no pace in the race last time so we sent him on, as he did in Europe when he got the soft lead. He’ll enjoy any cut in the ground.”
Helene Happy Star worked 800m on the turf under Joao Moreira yesterday (Monday) morning, covering the distance in 56.9s (30.1, 26.8).
The field also features the Moore-trained Same World and Harbour Master, as well as the talented John Size-trained pair of Khaya and Thunder Fantasy. Along with Blazing Speed, Tony Cruz is set to saddle Helene Super Star whose best effort this term produced a runner-up finish behind Designs On Rome in the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) back in March. The Tony Millard-trained Mr Gnocchi completes the line-up.
