Females in line to dominate Hong Kong International Races

Three years since the last female winner at the $72 million Longines Hong Kong International Races extravaganza, it will be the superstar girls who hold the spotlight for the world turf championships at Sha Tin on December 8.

Twenty seven foreign invitees from France, Japan, Great Britain, the United States, Ireland, Germany and Australia, with dozens of Group One wins to their collective credit, will face off with 28 local runners in next month's four-race showpiece, and champion Japanese sprinter Lord Kanaloa will have to battle for top billing with the female sensations Moonlight Cloud, Sky Lantern and The Fugue.

"The outstanding quality of this year's overseas selections for the Longines Hong Kong International Races emphasises the esteem in which this event is held and its importance in the international calendar," said the Jockey Club's executive director of racing, Bill Nader.

"Moonlight Cloud is one of the sport's true show stoppers. Her presence alongside champions that include European Classic winners, a Breeders Cup winner and two returning heroes from last year's edition of the Turf World Championships, is testament to the event's premier standing among international horsemen."

That female horses have performed well over the years at the meeting has not escaped the attention of foreign trainers, though their success has generally been in the longer events, winning three times in each of the Cup and the Vase in the past decade. This time, the highlight girl power appears in the Mile, where only New Zealand's Sunline has been successful 13 years ago for the fillies and mares.

French mare Moonlight Cloud is a winner 12 times from her 19 starts, with six Group One wins, but she is almost as famous for having run unbeaten Australian legend, Black Caviar, to a photo finish at Royal Ascot last year. The Freddy Head-trained mare is at the peak of her powers now and looking for a perfect five from five for the calendar year when she tackles the Hong Kong Mile.

British-trained Sky Lantern is not far behind her with four Group Ones and connections have elected to switch to the 1,600m distance to take on Moonlight Cloud after earlier flagging a tilt at the longer Hong Kong Cup might be more likely.