‘We aren’t afraid to travel’: Hong Kong invite for Manikato Stakes winner Southport Tycoon with Japan trip unlikely
Tricky timing means a trip to Japan is unlikely for Manikato Stakes winner Southport Tycoon, who has been invited to Hong Kong which fits his spring schedule perfectly.
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A trip to Japan is increasingly unlikely for Southport Tycoon following his explosive Manikato Stakes win on Friday night, however his performance has piqued the interest of Hong Kong officials for their headline day in December.
Connections have nominated the two-time Group 1 winner for the Mile Championship at Kyoto on November 17, however he would need to have injections to travel abroad by October 13, creating a tight timeline for a potential Everest campaign, should he gain a slot in the $20m race.
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Managing owner Nathan Bennett said he will this week talk to Everest slot-holders, however maintained the $10m Golden Eagle was his ultimate goal on November 2.
He raised the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (December 8) as a legitimate option as it would give trainer Ciaron Maher several extra weeks to prepare for.
“After winning it will probably be a hard sell to the owners that he will need to get an injection that he could react to go to Japan,” Bennett said.
“The percentages are that he doesn’t react, but on the off chance he does, it could ruin the whole prep.
“You have to do it before October 13, if he gets an Everest slot he would be running on the 19th, if he doesn’t get one, he’s running in the Silver Eagle or something, so it’d be tough.
“If it was a month later, you’d think about it a lot.
“Hong Kong have invited us, I will chat to (Hong Kong Jockey Club head of racing) Greg Carpenter about that.”
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It could be a two-pronged attack for Bennett, with Fawkner Park also on the invite list for Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong works in a bit better timing wise, they have spoken to us about both horses and we are keen to consider it, we certainly aren’t afraid to travel our horses,” Bennett said.
Many pegged Southport Tycoon as a miler following Australian Guineas victory earlier this year, however Bennett is keen to campaign him as a sprinter, revealing Maher once considered a bold Newmarket Handicap tilt with him.
“I asked Mark Zahra what his best trip is on Friday night and he said ‘I’d say he’s a pretty good sprinter off that, mate’,” Bennett laughed.
“We know he is a good miler, it is funny in the lead up to the Guineas, I had a chat to Ciaron on the Tuesday leading up to it, he said he had a bit of a dilemma.
“I was confused, then he said he didn’t know whether to run him in the Newmarket or the Guineas, he said ‘this horse is flying’.
“It was a good problem to have, hence why we went to the Manikato this time around, Ciaron always said he thought he could win a 1200m Group 1.
“Craig Williams told me when he ran in the Australia Stakes that you could run him in the Cox Plate, it’s something we might look at next year and it could be his swan song as he heads off to stud.”
Originally published as ‘We aren’t afraid to travel’: Hong Kong invite for Manikato Stakes winner Southport Tycoon with Japan trip unlikely
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