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The French-trained Junko, winner of the G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern at Munich in Germany earlier this month, has been confirmed for the G1 Hong Kong Vase over twelve furlongs (2400m) as part of the Hong Kong International Races on Sunday 10 December.
Trained by Andre Fabre, Junko is one of three French horses nominated for the race - however, it has been announced Simca Mille will not be making the trip and Horizon Dore may opt for the G1 Hong Kong Cup over the shorter ten furlongs (2000m).
Pierre-Yves Bureau, Racing Manger for the Wertheimer Brothers and owners of Junko, told French publication Jour-de-Galop: "He is doing well, and the goal is to go to Hong Kong. Obviously, he won't find it there the same field conditions nor the same opponents, even if there were good horses facing him in Germany. He has found his distance, and we will see if he will continue to progress. He will still have to go up a notch in the Hong Kong Vase."
Since it's inauguration in 1994, France has won the race on nine occasions including Flintshire in 2014. The André Fabre-trained runner secured victory with Maxime Guyon aboard, who is the retained rider for the Wertheimer Brothers, and followed up with a second in the 2015 renewal.
Junko is a consistent and progressive four-year-old gelding by Intello with six victories and five placings from thirteen starts.
Another André Fabre entry for the Hong Kong International meeting is Tribalist in the G1 Hong Kong Mile. He defied a weight penalty in very heavy ground at Saint-Cloud on Friday, putting in a strong performance to win the mile Listed Prix Tantième, which took the four-year-old gelding's record to six wins from sixteen starts including a Group Two victory in May and a third in the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Guineas) last season.