Hong Kong horses again drew blanks on foreign shores with a disappointing duo failing to fire in yesterday's Yasuda Kinen, as Japanese comeback horse Strong Return emerged as contender for December's Hong Kong Mile with a bullocking victory.
The Caspar Fownes-trained Lucky Nine faded to 11th after being placed perfectly in the run by Brett Prebble, while John Size's Glorious Days seemed overwhelmed by his first overseas Group One and finished 14th.
Lucky Nine's long season started with a trip to Japan and it ended in the same country with a tired effort, his Horse of the Year claims left in limbo.
'He just wasn't the same horse today, he's had a long season and he has just come to the end of it,' said Prebble, who had his mount one off the fence and handy at first, and dropping back to better than midfield as the leaders maintained a debilitating pace.
'He gave me a lovely feel, approaching the turn I came out on the better part of the track ... I felt he was going to give me a nice kick to the line, he gave me a short burst, but it died quickly.'
Fownes said Lucky Nine had shown all of the right physical indications pre-race, but had clearly reached the end of his tether.
'You couldn't have faulted him during the week, he was scoping clean, he was eating up well, he looked great in the coat - but you just don't know until they are put under those conditions - you don't know until race time that they've gone a bit over the top,' he said.
