Caulfield Cup runner-up Trip To Paris is one of three European horses officially withdrawn from the Hong Kong International Vase featuring Australian Preferment.
Trip To Paris, Erupt and Ito were all unplaced in Sunday’s Japan Cup and will not go to the Vase (2400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday week.
The Chris Waller-trained Preferment left Australia on Monday along with Hong Kong Cup contenders Criterion and Lucia Valentina.
Among Preferment’s rivals will be the Mikel Delzangles-trained Ming Dynasty.
Delzangles won the 2011 Vase with Dunaden after the horse won that year’s Melbourne Cup.
Ming Dynasty goes to Hong Kong after a last-start win in the Group Two Prix du Conseil de Paris (2400m) on October 18 at Chantilly.
Ming Dynasty notched up a hat-trick earlier this year, culminating in the Listed Grand Prix de Clairefontaine (2400m) at Clairefontaine in August, after which the Wildenstein Family sold a stake in the horse to Qatar Racing Limited.
He tasted defeat for the first time in the Group Two Prix Niel at Longchamp on September 13 when a well-beaten sixth behind New Bay.
“Ming Dynasty has been very good since Chantilly. He has been training well and seems to be improving,” Delzangles told the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
“I was very disappointed with his run at Longchamp. He was in a bad state that day and was very nervous and upset before the race.
“That was not the case at Chantilly. Since then, he has been much calmer and more mature at home.”
Preferment won the 2014 Victoria Derby and earlier this spring added the Turnbull Stakes to his record.
He was one of several Melbourne Cup runners hampered in the home straight and finished unplaced.
Waller took Preferment to Rosehill on Saturday to give him a work-out before his trip and was pleased with his condition.
