Needle Gun spiked by Partipral

The French-trained Partipral won the 12-furlong Hong Kong International Vase at Sha Tin yesterday, depriving Clive Brittain's Needle Gun of first prize by a neck. The other English-trained runner, Richard Hannon's Commoner, finished sixth after a disrupted preparation.

Britain, and Brittain, fared less well in the seven-furlong Hong Kong Bowl, where the Newmarket trainer's Cool Jazz came home last of 14. Mark Johnston's Branston Abby never showed in 10th and Simon Dow's Young Ern, the favourite, finished only 12th. Australia's Monopolize took the race by a head from the Irish raider, Desert Style.

The richest of the three invitation races, the Hong Kong International Cup over nine furlongs, went to the Japanese runner, Fujiyama Kenzan. The French pair, Volochine and Shaanxi, were fifth and eighth.