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| Staff Writer |
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Zhang Yuesheng is mounting a serious challenge at next month's LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), having recently secured two promising contenders through significant purchases at the Arqana Arc Sale in Paris.
His latest acquisitions, Ramadan and Zarir, bought for US$1.6 million and US$1.4 million respectively, are being aimed at the US$4.6 million Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile and US$5.1 million Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.
Ryan Moore has been booked to partner Ramadan in the Mile, while Christophe Soumillon takes the reins on Zarir in the Cup. Both horses will carry Zhang's distinctive dark green and white checked silks at Sha Tin on December 8.
The Mile has previously been claimed by international stars including Good Ba Ba and Beauty Generation, while the Cup has seen victories from the likes of Viva Pataca and California Memory.
Under his Yulong Investments banner, Zhang has been making significant strides in global racing, with Via Sistina providing a recent landmark victory in the Gr.1 W. S. Cox Plate. However, his racing manager Vin Cox confirms their focus remains firmly on the upcoming Hong Kong challenge.
"Mr Zhang is very active across the board," Cox explains. "He enjoys being in the winner's circle on big race days, and he likes breeding and racing very good winners. But, also, the commercial arm of his operation is important to him — he wants it to be prolific and high quality."
Ramadan, formerly trained by Christopher Head and now with James Ferguson, brings impressive French form, having won five from ten starts on soft to heavy ground. Post-HKIR, he'll join Mark Newnham's Hong Kong stable.
"Ramadan will be well and truly in contention in the Mile, if he brings his A game to the track," Cox said. "Though I would suggest he's probably going to be running on, flashing home late, hopefully getting the right result."
Zarir, to be saddled by Francis-Henri Graffard, faces a stern test against local hero Romantic Warrior in the Cup, though plans are already in place for his future. "There's a longer-range plan for him to end up in Australia with Chris Waller to be trained for the Cups," Cox reveals.
Zhang's connection with racing began after attending the 2013 Melbourne Cup, won by Fiorente. "He saw the magnitude, and the excitement and the colour, and that really got him engaged," Cox said, highlighting the owner's growing passion for the sport that has led to this ambitious Hong Kong venture.
A victory at the prestigious HKIR would mark another significant milestone for Zhang's rapidly expanding racing operation, which recently celebrated homebred success with Treasurethe Moment in the Gr.1 VRC Oaks at Flemington.