Racing: Consistent interpretation of rules needed

Japanese galloper Jaguar Mail arrives in Hong Kong for the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup. Photo / Supplied by Hong Kong Racing Club

If there was a prize for the best intro - and there should be - Alan "Hats" Aitken wins in a no-contest.

The talented former Australian journalist came up with a ripper when he wrote a story on Japanese superstar Buena Vista being relegated after winning last week's Japan Cup.

Writing for his newspaper, the South China Post, Aitken tore into the decision, which astounded most observers.

Paraphrasing, he wrote: "There will be a black Jewish woman running the Ku Klux Klan before racing rules are harmonised internationally."

He's not wrong.

Racing rules around the world are relatively standardised.

The interpretation of them is not.

The Japanese and the French have tough interpretations of what should happen in cases of interference and the Japan Cup is a classic example.

Buena Vista, Japan's super hero, gave its stablemate Rose Kingdom a sideswipe as it swept past inside the last 300m of the Japan Cup.

He was going so fast and so easily he sauntered to the finish well clear.

But the zealous riding by French jockey Christophe Soumillon saw stewards lodge a protest. The end result is a decision that would not have happened in Australia, nor even New Zealand where we seem to favour relegation more than our transtasman cousins.

That aside, the tip out of the Japan Cup was the fourth placing of Jaguar Mail, who now goes into Sunday's Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Bowl (2400m) as one of the favourites.

Quarantine restrictions were given as one of the reasons why Jaguar Mail was a late withdrawal from this year's Melbourne Cup.

His clash with Melbourne Cup winner Americain in the Bowl on Sunday will be a telling story.

Cats need more than nine lives to survive in Hong Kong.

One used every life when it nearly derailed the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint campaign of Australian sprinter Ortensia during a trackwork session at Sha Tin this week.

The stray cat ran out in front of Ortensia as she went out to work.

The high-class mare threw Jake Noonan, son of Melbourne trainer Tony, from the saddle, bolted off and jumped a running rail.

She took skin off a hind leg and suffered a wound to a knee, but nothing serious.

Tony Noonan was worried the mare might have needed stitches, which would have meant the end to Ortensia's bid for Sunday's 1200m International Sprint. "Miraculously, she's fine," Noonan said. Mike Dillon flew to Hong Kong courtesy of Cathay Pacific