Defending Champ Gladatorian Draws Well In Champions Cup Again

Gladatorian storms home in last year’s Gr 1 HKJC Champions Cup (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Sean Veale is back aboard the Stuart Ferrie-trained Gladatorian, the six-year-old Vercingetorix gelding who will be out to defend his Gr 1 wfa HKJC Champions Cup crown on World Pool Gold Cup day.

Last year Gladatorian jumped from draw two out of seven in the Champions Cup and at long last in a big Gr 1 race his well known late burst did not come too late and he got up to beat The Real Prince by 0,40 lengths.

Gladatorian is drawn two again, although there are eight runners this year.

The Real Prince was drawn in pole position last year and is drawn in pole again this year.

Gladatorian was ridden by Muzi Yeni in his last start in the July, but the man who knows him best, Sean Veale, is now back aboard.

Veale is contracted to Hollywood Racing and so had to ride Isivivane in the July, finishing a decent 3,20 length fifth.

Gladatorian, interestingly, ran five lengths back in last year’s July carrying joint topweight and this year he finished exactly five lengths back again carrying half-a-kilogram less than topweight.

Stuart Ferrie said, “He was in a good position but the big weight told.”

Gladatorian disproved the theory that horses who run in the July are at a disadvantage in the Champions Cup, because they are supposedly jaded and up against the fresh horses who avoided the July. He will be out to disprove that theory again.

The race is stronger this year though as it also includes last season’s Equus Horse Of The Year Eight On Eighteen, who is drawn four with Richard Fourie up.

See It Again was in third place last year from draw five and is drawn in three this year and interestingly Keagan de Melo takes over the ride.

Dave The King, who was the Equus Horse Of The Year the season before last, won this race two years ago and was fifth last year. He is involved again and jumps from draw seven.

Legal Counsel, runner up in both the Gr 1 wfa WSB Met and Gr 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, is drawn six and his presence also strengthens the field. He comes off an unplaced run in the July in which he set the pace with a welter topweight burden of 62kg.

Main Defender was top class in his day, but needs to bounce back.

Malmesbury Missile will need to improve and as the third of the Justin Snaith runners he might be there ensure a good pace.

There might only be eight runners, but it is going to be one of the races of the season.

The final field is shown below: