The number of horses nominated to run at the 2024 edition of the Longines Hong Kong International Races has been boosted to 193 after the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced Celestial Legend (Aus) (Dundeel {NZ}) and Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), trained in Australia and Japan, respectively, as supplementary entries on Thursday.
Celestial Legend and Sol Oriens join the all-star cast of nominations revealed on Wednesday ahead of the flagship meeting which takes place at Sha Tin on Sunday, December 8, with elite performers such as Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) also featuring among the 60 Group/Grade 1 winners entered.
Trained by Les Bridge for owners Legend Racing, Celestial Legend registered back-to-back Group 1 wins earlier this year in the Randwick Guineas and Doncaster Mile. Last seen finishing seventh in the G1 King Charles III Stakes, he could seek further riches at the top level in the HK$36-million Longines Hong Kong Mile (1600m).
Meanwhile, Sol Oriens has been entered for both the HK$40-million Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and HK$24-million Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m). Runner-up to Blow The Horn (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen on his most recent outing, he was among the leading three-year-olds in Japan last year when he won the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) and was runner-up in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). Sol Oriens is trained by Takahisa Tezuka, who won the 2022 edition of the Hong Kong Vase with Win Marilyn (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}).
Supplementary entries for the Longines Hong Kong International Races close at 6pm (HKT) on Monday, November 18, with a selection announcement for the four Group 1 features to be made on Wednesday, November 20.
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