Hong Kong: Aidan O'Brien's Luxembourg bids to sign off his career with victory as big names gather for star-studded card

Luxembourg is set for his last hurrah on the track and Aidan O'Brien is confident the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (6.10) is the most appropriate race for him after his gallant second to Romantic Warrior in the Hong Kong Cup last year.

A Group 1 winner at two, three, four and five, Luxembourg's best moment this season came at Epsom in May when he bossed the Coronation Cup. He has finished sixth on three outings since in the King George, Irish Champion Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Turf.

O'Brien has landed this race three times and Continuous is also a big player under Wayne Lordan now he is returned to quicker ground. 

O'Brien said: "We thought Luxembourg ran a great race last year and maybe we ran him in the wrong race. He’s a very high-class horse. Last year he was coming home very well and he was just beaten on the line. It looked as if it would have suited him if we’d run him over a mile and a half.

"He ran a very good race in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, much better than you’d think. He’s off to stud after this. He’s been a great horse, strong and consistent.

Luxembourg (second from left): set to make his final start in the Hong Kong VaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

“Continuous is probably more forward than he’s been all year. Things haven’t really worked for him yet this year but he's in good form, I'm very happy with his work. A mile and a half and nice ground should be fine for him."

Giavellotto, who is still on the hunt for his first Group 1 for Marco Botti, and the globetrotting Dubai Honour make up the British challenge. 

Giavellotto was a taking winner of the Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket in July over this trip before another classy effort in the Irish St Leger, when he was beaten three lengths into third by Kyprios.

Botti revealed Giavellotto's rider Oisin Murphy played a big part in his decision to come to Hong Kong.

"Things didn’t quite go to plan in Ireland, it was quite a slowly run race and it didn’t suit him," said Botti. "Oisin Murphy was adamant we should go to Hong Kong because the race will suit him and they tend to go quicker and he wants fast ground. 

Giavellotto: will be partnered by Oisin Murphy in the Hong Kong VaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

"We dropped him back to a mile and a half at Newmarket this year and he travelled strongly through the race and he won nicely. Sha Tin is a different track but that’s where the idea came from."

Rising star to steal show elsewhere?

Rossa Ryan will bid to repeat his Del Mar heroics on board Starlust in the Hong Kong Sprint (6.50), but he has the enormous task of fending off Ka Ying Rising, who has set pulses racing in Hong Kong. 

Despite this being his first effort in a Group 1, Ka Ying Rising is set to go off at prohibitive odds given his outrageously impressive success over course and distance last month which eclipsed a 17-year track record.

James Ferguson and Harry Eustace are responsible for Ramadan and Docklands respectively in the Hong Kong Mile (8.00), with the former a particularly interesting runner given he cost €1.5 million after landing a Group 2 in Longchamp in October for Christopher Head and is being geared up for a career in Hong Kong.

History could be made in the Longines Hong Kong Cup (8.40), the final Group 1 on the card, as the Danny Shum-trained Romantic Warrior aims for his third successive victory in the race.

However, it's a deep renewal with plenty of European interest. Dual Bahrain Trophy winner Spirit Dancer and The Foxes represent Richard Fahey and Andrew Balding respectively, while O'Brien runs fillies Wingspan and Content.

Spirit Dancer: Richard Fahey's Hong Kong Cup contenderCredit: Edward Whitaker

"We had the choice of the races for Wingspan and we think the mile and a quarter will be fine for her," said O'Brien. "She’ll go forward, she’s very straightforward and progressive. 

"Content can be keen and we think the pace of the race will suit her. The pace wasn’t really fast enough for her in the US last time. We thought going back in trip will suit and get her relaxed."

Read these next:

Globetrotting Spirit Dancer 'the best he's ever been' as he bids to provide Sir Alex Ferguson with more big-race glory in the Hong Kong Cup 

Can 'the perfect racehorse' make Hong Kong history on Sunday? 

Starlust 'has been put in the market like he's never won before' says Rossa Ryan as confidence grows for Hong Kong Group 1 

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