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Bidding to win the HK$13 million G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) for the first time in 21 years, John Size is confident Ensued and Bundle Award are poised to perform strongly in Hong Kong’s final Group 1 race of the season at Sha Tin on Sunday (25 May).
Ensued, who ran fourth behind Giavellotto, Dubai Honour and Stellenbosch in the HK$24 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) on 8 December before finishing fourth behind Tastiera in the HK$28 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) on 27 April, will be ridden by seven-time Hong Kong champion jockey Zac Purton this weekend.
"Ensued is going alright. It was a good run that day in the (LONGINES Hong Kong) Vase, the winner was too good for him. He ran as well as anything else in the race and he's gone on with that. He's raced well since and he's had a pretty good season," Size said.
"He ran well in the QEII (Cup) and he's done well after it. He looks good. He should run a good race."
A four-time winner in Hong Kong up to 2000m, Ensued will attempt to provide Size with his first win in the Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup since Super Kid, who scored under Shane Dye in 2004.
Bundle Award will be ridden by Andrea Atzeni this weekend after teaming with Purton for a slender victory in the HK$4.2 million G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap (2400m) on 4 May.
"Bundle Award has got to go up in class this time. It's not a handicap, so he hasn't got that advantage," Size, the 12-time Hong Kong champion trainer, said.
"But, the distance he's a winner at, so that might help him out. He can perform well at the distance, even if it's a slowly run race."
With three wins as a jockey on Co-Tack (1983 & 1984) and Makarpura Star (1995), Cruz has subsequently dominated the race as a trainer with the wins of California Memory (2013), Blazing Speed (2014 & 2016), Helene Super Star (2015), Pakistan Star (2018) and Exultant (2019-20).
The dual Hong Kong champion trainer will be represented by Five G Patch (Brenton Avdulla), La City Blanche (Matthew Chadwick) and Winning Dragon (Alexis Badel).
"All three of my horses are fit and ready to run a good race. They all love this distance," Cruz said. "I think Winning Dragon will run well again but I believe Five G Patch is the best of my three."
Voyage Bubble and Dubai Honour head Sunday's field along with BMW Hong Kong Derby victor Cap Ferrat, Ensued, Moments In Time, Rubylot, Five G Patch, La City Blanche, Winning Dragon and Bundle Award.
Standard Chartered Day this Sunday (25 May) at Sha Tin features 11 races and starts with the Pakistan Star Plate (1200m) for Griffins at 12.30pm.
