Derby winner leads O’Brien Hong Kong team
Anthony Van Dyck is likely to be Aidan O’Brien’s main challenger for the Hong Kong International races with Magical a probable no-show.
The Epsom Derby winner was most recently third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, suffering an unfortunate passage at a crucial stage in the Santa Anita showpiece.
He is expected to take his chance in the Hong Kong Vase (2200m) at Sha Tin on December 8.
Champion Stakes winner Magical will not be travelling, the PA news agency understands, with the mare still due to meet No Nay Never, despite her name appearing among the possible runners in the Hong Kong Cup.
Along with Anthony Van Dyck, the O’Brien-trained Mount Everest and Magic Wand, a recent Group One winner of the Mackinnon Stakes in Australia, are in the frame to make the journey to Sha Tin.
“We are delighted that the quality of the selected runners for this year’s Longines Hong Kong International Races is in keeping with our long-held commitment to deliver sporting excellence,” HKJC executive director of racing Andrew Harding.
Melbourne Cup runner-up Prince Of Arran, trained by Charlie Fellowes, is another of the big names set to run in the Vase.