Racing: Danes in pursuit of fairytale victory in Hong Kong Cup

It is most appropriate that the greatest possible piece of romantic fiction on Hong Kong's greatest ever race day at Sha Tin this weekend may be provided by a horse from the land of Hans Christian Andersen.

If Dano-Mast manages to win the Hong Kong Cup on Sunday then perhaps we will have to start believing there was once was an ugly duckling and that the emperor did in bygone times waltz around naked apparently wearing his new clothes.

Denmark has a model village of a thoroughbred industry with only 120 foals bred there in 2002. There are, in all, 500 horses in training and only 21 professional trainers, flogging around the one Flat track, Copenhagen racecourse, and three trotting circuits.

Flemming Poulsen, the trainer, became the first Dane to saddle a Group winner in France when Dano-Mast landed the Prix Jean de Chaudenay last year. "This is like a fairytale," he said yesterday. "I have never had a horse travel outside Europe, it is the first time I have shipped a horse and he is the first Danish horse to race in Hong Kong."

Dano-Mast has won his last two starts and he worked well yesterday morning under his new jockey, Gerald Mosse, who later reported: "It is the first time I have touched him but I am happy. He is a very good-looking horse, a nice gentleman. I felt I could do anything with him."

The early maneouvres on the former colony have, however, been dominated just as much as by horses who will not be participating as those who will fight it out on Hong Kong's most valuable and prestigious card. France's Domedriver, who achieved the seemingly near impossible when conquering Rock Of Gibraltar in the Breeders' Cup Mile in October, has been withdrawn from the Hong Kong Mile after failing to recover from an abscess in his hoof.

In addition, Paul Webber's Ulundi is an absentee from the Cup after arriving with a high temperature and a nasal discharge, both consistent with travel sickness.

The day's pick-me-up was provided by Frankie Dettori, who is routinely in good spirits at this meeting as it represents the end of a long season and his birthday, which, this year, is on big race day itself, his 32nd.

After the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes winner Grandera had worked under regular morning partner John Phelan, Dettori said: "It's pretty obvious that Grandera has the ability to win this race [the Cup] if he runs to his best form. He loves travelling and enjoys the change of scenery, it seems to help keep him focused. With him, its just a question of his mood on the day."

With Grandera officially running for the United Arab Emirates and Ulundi off games, Indian Creek will now provide the sole British challenge for the Cup.

The David Elsworth-trained challenger enjoyed a light canter yesterday. Among the other British challengers for the international races to join him in work at Sha Tin yesterday were Dupont, Gateman and Tillerman, part of a strong Anglo raiding party for the Hong Kong Mile, the world's richest eight-furlong turf race.

Nayyir, the fourth arm of the British Mile squad, did not join his compatriots after trainer Gerard Butler decided to give the impressive Challenge Stakes winner an easy day. The decision came amid reports that the gelding had not travelled well to Hong Kong and had been subsequently off his food.

Douglas Whyte became the first Hong Kong-based rider to win the International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley yesterday. Whyte gained a total of 19 points, way ahead of the Irishman Michael Kinane on six points and Frankie Dettori on two points. Kieren Fallon failed to score.