Arlington International Racecourse may have a rare visitor from Hong Kong for this summer's Arlington Million (gr. IT).
Trainer Richard Gibson told the South China Morning Post this week he has "penciled in" the Million for Akeed Mofeed, a top-level Hong Kong runner who was scratched from the May 25 Audemars Piguet QE II Cup (HK-I) with what proved to be a minor injury.
Akeed Mofeed would be the second horse ever to represent Hong Kong in the Million, following River Verdon, who finished 11th in the 1992 renewal. Gibson has had two previous starters while training in France. Doctor Dino, a two-time winner of the Hong Kong Vase (HK-I) among other international raids, was third in the 2007 Million and Tripat was 10th in the 2003 edition.
A 5-year-old son of Dubawi out of the Tiger Hill mare Wonder Why, Akeed Mofeed was bred in England by Rabbah Bloodstock. He won last December's Longines Hong Kong Cup (HK-I) and most recently was fifth in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) at Meydan.
Gibson said the needed recovery time from his injury precludes running Akeed Mofeed in either the Singapore Airlines International Cup (Sing-I) at Kranji later in May or at Royal Ascot. The Arlington race, he said, involves easy logistics and is "a no-brainer, actually. We've penciled him in for it. He'll resume a rigorous full training program before the end of our season and we'll see how we go."