Matamata trainer Gary Hennessy will be looking to add further international success to his CV when he lines up last-start Group Two winner Ocean Emperor in the S$1,5 million Invitational Kranji Mile (1600m) in Singapore on Saturday.
Hennessy campaigned
Waikato Stud resident stallion and multiple Group One winner Ocean Park in both
Australia and Dubai five years ago and said his experience in Singapore to date
has been comparable.
"It is very similar, it is like déjà vu really," Hennessy said. "Both horses are very similar in nature and both being colts of course.
"They have lovely facilities over here, a nice StrathAyr track and a polytrack too to work on.
"He's just been using the 1000m straight polytrack and there is an inside one as well which is about 1500m around."
Ocean Emperor arrived in Singapore last Thursday with Hennessy and track rider Tui Miles and has impressed his trainer with his progress.
"He travelled over well, we are really happy with him," Hennessy said. "He lost a little bit of weight on his trip over but pretty much put it all back on within 48 hours.
"We have just been ticking him over quietly and he had a little bit of a breeze on the polytrack this (Wednesday) morning. He is looking bright and we couldn't be happier."
Ocean Emperor will be one of three international acceptors in Saturday's race after the withdrawal of the English-trained Here He Comes through injury. The Zabeel six-year-old will be joined by Hong Kong raiders Southern Legend and Horse of Fortune.
"Caspar Fownes horse (Southern Legend) ran third in a Group One in his last start a month ago, so that would start the favourite I guess," Hennessy said. "We know Volkstok'n'barrell, but I don't know too much about the other horses."
The Kranji Mile has undertaken a makeover this year in preparation for next year's reintroduction of two international races to Singapore and Hennessy has welcomed the change, particularly as his connections look to a potential stallion career for their $450,000 2013 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale purchase.
"It is a lovely race to have the opportunity to run in and if he was successful it would only help his CV and future stallion prospects," he said. "He is a very well-bred horse, by Zabeel out of Tootsie, and is a magnificent looking horse and he was an expensive yearling.
"(A stallion career) has always been in the back of our mind. He's a horse with a pedigree and he deserves an opportunity at stud at some date."
Hennessy said he will take it easy with his charge before Saturday and is not too concerned with where he draws in the feature.
"He'll just have a trot and canter, he is pretty much spot on. He's recovered really well and has been into his feed, so he's in a happy place and we couldn't do any more.
"The horse has got very good gate speed, so tends to put himself into the race. He's got that tactical speed that can normally help at the start no matter where he draws."
Ocean Emperor will be ridden by expat kiwi jockey Jason Collett, whose sister Alysha has recently commenced a six-month riding contract in Singapore.
"I wanted a jockey with international experience and who rides in the big races regularly," Hennessy said.
"Jason rides for Chris Waller and to me, he is in the same calibre as James McDonald except that he doesn't get the same ability of horses as James does.
"I also know his uncle Jimmy well as he used to ride for me. I actually know the whole Collett family and I hope Jason can bring me luck on Saturday."
Meanwhile, Ocean Emperor's spring targets remain uncertain with quarantine after Saturday's race ruling him out of the first leg of the Hawke's Bay Spring Carnival.
"He'll have to do three weeks here (in quarantine) and another two weeks in New Zealand," Hennessy said. "That probably means we won't be able to run him in the Tarzino Trophy.
"We'll just have to see and we'll maybe look at Australia, or if he did happen to win I am sure my partners would like to take him up to Hong Kong for the international in December." – NZ Racing Desk.
