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Inside gate advantage again for Talismanic

J A McGrath

Who said lightning doesn't strike twice? Godolphin's Talismanic was in luck again when drawing the inside barrier position for Sunday's G1 Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin.

It is exactly the same gate that he drew when winning the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar, California, on November 4.

Despite the 2,400m distance of the Vase, the draw is vitally important because of the relative tightness of the track. Jockeys tend to jostle for a position and hold on to it in the first 100m of the race.

Maxime Guyon, who takes over from suspended Mickael Barzalona, won the Vase aboard Flintshire for Talismanic's trainer Andre Fabre back in 2014.

Lisa-Jane Graffard, Racing Manager for Godolphin France, said: "The same draw as Talismanic had at Del Mar, and considering his racing style, it should again be an advantage.

"He's an adaptable horse, easy to place in his races, so hopefully he can make the most of it," she added.

The Godolphin royal blue colours were last carried to victory in the Vase by the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Mastery in 2010.