Godolphin runner captures Emirates crown in final race of series

Fantastic Light scored a 1 3/4-length victory in the $1,794,870 Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1), the crowning jewel of the Hong Kong International Races day, before a crowd of 79,522 at Sha Tin Racecourse on December 17.

"I got good position at the start, attacked, and made them chase me," said Frankie Dettori, Fantastic Light's jockey. "My horse put in a great effort."

In doing so, Fantastic Light wrestled the 2000 Emirates World Series Racing Championship title away from Giant's Causeway. Fantastic Light earned 12 points for winning the Hong Kong Cup to finish with 24 points, six better than Giant's Causeway, who was retired after finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and did not run at Sha Tin.

The Maktoum family owns Emirates Airlines, which sponsors the World Series. Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum's Gainsborough Farm bred Fantastic Light. Sheikh Maktoum and his brother, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, campaign the four-year-old Rahy colt under their nom de course, Godolphin Racing. Godolphin also campaigned the inaugural World Series winner in 1999, Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) winner Daylami (Ire).

"Fantastic Light deserves to be the 2000 Emirates champion," said Simon Crisford, racing manager for Godolphin.

Greek Dance, representing the United Kingdom for his owner, Lord Weinstock, and trained by Sir Michael Stoute, was second. Greek Dance finished a short head in front of defending champion Jim and Tonic (Fr), who always runs well in Hong Kong and is immensely popular at Sha Tin.

Jim and Tonic, in fact, drew a huge roar from the crowd as he made his move in the stretch. But Fantastic Light was not about to give way. Sent off the favorite in the field of 13, he exited smartly from the ten post under Dettori, who had celebrated his 30th birthday two days earlier, and was able to stalk the early pacesetters. Fantastic Light's winning time was 2:02.2 for 1 1/4 miles with a closing quarter in :22.50.

Saeed bin Suroor, Fantastic Light's trainer, stated afterward that the firm ground suited him, as did the distance and the trip he received.

"He's very tough under these conditions," Suroor said. "And today he was quick, both at the start and at the end."

Fantastic Light has run on five continents this year, and has either won or placed in major stakes on all of them. He started his 2000 campaign with a three-length triumph in the Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G3), then ran three times in England, finishing second in the Coronation Cup (Eng-G1) and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Eng-G1) at Ascot.

Godolphin then shipped him to the United States, where he won the Man o' War Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on September 9. Two starts later he was fifth in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs, then followed that effort with a solid third in the Japan Cup (Jpn-G1) at Tokyo Race Course. Now he has added a Hong Kong Cup win to his portfolio.

Aga Khan alum wins Vase

The $1,282,050 Hong Kong Vase (HK-G2) at 1 1/2 miles, was captured this year by Daliapour, who formerly campaigned for the Aga Khan but was sold during Hong Kong Cup week for a reported $800,000 to Singapore-based businessman Robert Ng. Under jockey Johnny Murtagh, Daliapour drew off in the stretch to win by 13Ú4 lengths over Ela Athena in 2:28.2. German invader Caitano (Ger) finished third, a head behind Ela Athena.

The victory capped a remarkable year for Murtagh, who captured 11 Group or Grade 1 stakes this year, five for the Aga Khan.

"I had a perfect trip. Everything went right," said Murtagh, the regular rider for dual Derby winner and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) winner Sinndar and Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) winner Kalanisi. "I took it up two (furlongs) out and he stayed on really well."

Plans are for Daliapour to run in Dubai on the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) card next March. But he will have a new trainer, as Stoute hands the four-year-old Sadler's Wells colt over to Hong Kong-based Ivan Allan.

"We're delighted with this little horse," Stoute said. "We'll miss him, but we've got to be realistic. The Aga Khan has a lot of horses and he can't keep all of them."

Australians all let us rejoice

The day started off in spectacular fashion for Australia, which won the first two International races, the one-mile Hong Kong Mile (HK-G2) with Australian Horse of the Year Sunline and the five-furlong Hong Kong Sprint with Falvelon.

Sunline's connections were especially eager for the Desert Sun (GB) mare to run well after finishing a disappointing seventh in last year's Cup. To win the Mile, she had to engage in a stretch duel with Fairy King Prawn, who is based at Sha Tin and was a surprise winner of the 1999 Hong Kong Sprint. Approaching the furlong grounds, Sunline led by daylight, but Fairy King Prawn was rolling up on the outside. Another two jumps and Fairy King Prawn would have gotten there, but Sunline held on by a short head under Greg Childs. Running time was 1:34.2.

Her trainer, Trevor McKee, promptly pronounced Sunline to be "the world's greatest racemare." There is no denying that she is one splendid competitor, chalking up her 23rd career victory from 31 starts and 19th stakes win in the Mile, including consecutive runnings of the Cox Plate (Aus-G1).

Falvelon's victory in the Sprint came after a testing duel in the final furlong with American challenger Morluc. The four-year-old son of Alannon, a multiple Group 2 winner in Australia, was a touch better than Morluc, winning by a head in :56.7 under Damien Oliver.

"I was not sure we had won, but I watched Damien lean down and give him a kiss and a cuddle, so I thought we had it," said winning trainer Dan Bougoure. Morluc's finish was the best for the American contingent in this year's races; Big Jag, the more fancied of the U.S. Sprint runners, finished seventh.

Morluc, a stakes winner at Kentucky Downs and Keeneland this fall, put forth a career best effort in the Sprint but just fell short under Shane Sellers.

"This is tough-we come 12,000 miles and lose by this much," said Morluc's trainer, Randy Morse, holding his hands about one foot apart.

Wagering on the nine-race Hong Kong Cup card exceeded $158-million, in part because there are roughly 800,000 telephone-account subscribers within the city of Hong Kong (population 6.7-million).