He will add to the strong Kiwi flavour at the meeting with Mr Brightside landing in Hong Kong on Tuesday to contest the Champions Mile, while Ka Ying Rising, who started his career here, will be red hot in the Chairman’s Sprint.
For all of the influence the New Zealand breeding and sales industries have in Hong Kong it remains rare for New Zealand-trained horses to compete there and Marsh can’t wait to be part of it.
“It is a huge honour and caps what has been a great season for our business, owners and staff,” said Marsh.
El Vencedor earned his trip after three Group 1 wins in 28 days, ending with the Bonecrusher NZ Stakes at Ellerslie on March 8. While he usually thrives on hard racing, Marsh is confident a recent trial and race day gallop have the burly boy ready.
“He trialled at Ellerslie on April 3 and was good and galloped between races at Te Rapa on Sunday.
“I got Nabba [Michael McNab] to ride him in the exhibition gallop and he liked what he felt.
“That and with the trip up there, which will trim him up, I think we are where we need to be.”
The QEII Cup over 2000m will be a step up from anything El Vencedor has contested before, albeit thankfully for him with local hero Romantic Warrior not involved.
But the HK$28 million ($6.1m) race will still host the likes of Liberty Island, Prognosis, Goliath and last-start Hong Kong Derby winner Cap Ferrat.
“We know it is going to be a huge challenge but one thing I don’t have to worry about is knowing our rivals and their form,” said Marsh. “We are lucky we have Zac [Purton] because not only is he the best rider up there, or one of the best anywhere for that matter, but he knows the form of every horse.
“We get his skill but also his knowledge and that is a huge, huge help.
“It means we can concentrate on getting our horse right.”
Marsh hopes to be able to get Purton to partner El Vencedor in some serious work next week, with local jockeys allowed to ride track work on the international horses even though they are kept separate from the local horse population.
While Marsh flies to Hong Kong on Saturday, he has some equine firepower on show at Ellerslie, headlined by his 3-year-olds.
He is hoping to sneak Tardelli into the $150,000 Manco Easter, with the 3-year-old 19th and only one outside a guaranteed start at nomination time yesterday.
“If he gets in we think he has a real chance,” said Marsh.
“We also have Bourbon Proof and Kiwi Skyhawk in the Trelawney Stud Stakes and while they can both win, I think Kiwi Skyhawk is just slightly the better chance.
“It will be their last runs for the season. We had thought about Queensland for them but they will head to the paddock after Saturday.”
Marsh, who continued his stable expansion by buying four yearlings at the super strong Sydney sale last week, has potentially three fillies in the $100,000 Star Way Stakes on Saturday and opts for Little Black Dress as his best chance in the listed event.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
