Star Kiwi trainer Andrew Forsman is taking a realistic attitude to the Herculean challenge that awaits Aegon in the HK$20 million Champions Mile in Hong Kong tonight.
Forsman will have his first starter in Hong Kong at Sha Tin; the first New Zealand-trained horse to compete there since Enzo’s Lad in 2019.
Aegon takes on top local horses California Spangle and Golden Sixty, who is a Karaka Ready To Run sales graduate, in the Mile and Forsman understands even finishing third to that pair would be a huge result in the race set for 8pm.
“To travel all this way and expect to beat local horses of that quality might be asking too much,” says the Cambridge trainer. “But it is a great opportunity for the horse, the owners and myself and a wonderful experience.
“After his last-start ninth in the All-Star Mile, we were looking at the Doncaster in Sydney, but that would have meant taking on 19 rivals with a horse who likes to find his feet early, whereas the field was always going to be a lot smaller here.”