The Fugue and Cirrus des Aigles out to make amends in Hong Kong

The Fugue wins the Darley Yorkshire Oaks in style. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

The Fugue, who sauntered to victory in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks before adding the Irish Champion Stakes to her tally, came very close to making it three Group 1 victories in a row when she struck the front in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita earlier this month.

Victory looked assured for the John Gosden-trained filly, but Ryan Moore on Magician had other ideas and surged past her well inside the final furlong.

It was a similar outcome for Cirrus des Aigles in the QIPCO Champion Stakes.

Having won it in 2011 and made Frankel work hard for victory when runner-up last year, the French ace looked the one to beat this year, but Christophe Soumillon could not force his mount past Farhh who prevailed by a neck at the line.

The Fugue will contest Hong Kong’s richest race, the Hong Kong Vase over a mile and a half in which she is set to meet fellow British raiders Red Cadeaux, Mount Athos and Dandino, while Ireland may be represented by Simenon – assuming all goes well in Japan this weekend – and Galileo Rock, runner-up in the Investec Derby in June.

Cirrus des Aigles, meanwhile, is set to tackle the Hong Kong Cup over a mile and a quarter in which he could meet British pair Side Glance, who won in Australia last time out, and Grandeur, who won at Goodwood in September, with Little Mike, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, set to fly the flag for the USA.

The Longines-sponsored day promises to be a cracking way to end the season with so many of the stars of the season taking part.