Four-time New Zealand Group 1 winner El Vencedor is ready to take on the world’s best in Sunday’s (27 April) HK$28 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) after overcoming a minor issue since arriving in Hong Kong.

He had treatment for a burst abscess on his left-hind hoof and monitored by veterinary staff who have given the gelding the all clear to take his place in the 11-horse field.

Kiwi trainer Stephen Marsh was happy with the gelding’s gallop on the course proper on Thursday (24 April) with Zac Purton in the saddle and hopes he will repeat the form that has netted him Group 1 victories in all of his last three starts in New Zealand. Two have been at 2000m and the other at 1600m.

“He has had just one little minor setback with an abscess in his hind foot and we have been getting him 100 per cent sound and he is fine,” Marsh said.

“He is fit and when we got him over here we  knew it would be basically maintenance work only and we are happy with that. He has tightened up with the trip and he is a big, robust horse.”

Purton said El Vencedor was obviously in form with victories in his past four races which started with a Listed 1500m win at Ellerslie on 1 February.

“He has been racing very consistently at a higher level and can go left or right-handed, can handle different types of ground, so he is versatile,” he said.

Purton said it appears that Sunday’s race might be a step-up in class for El Vencedor with the Japanese horses always strong and a little but underrated with their international ratings not quite matching their abilities.

“They don’t always get the recognition that they probably deserve,” he said. “And with Goliath coming, he is an interesting horse as well and he has obviously got exceptional form and looks a standout if he brings his best form.

“He is probably better suited to a mile and half (2400m) than a mile and quarter (2000m), so it will give us a bit of a chance anyway.”

Purton said he was happy to take the ride on El Vencedor and to give him a chance.

El Vencedor was flighty on his first day going onto the all-weather track when he was star gazing at the big screen and again when he was looking at the massive Sha Tin stands when Purton strode him off the turf track.

“Because he having a good look around, he wasn’t striding out as you would expect him to be and I was trying to keep his mind on it in the straight,” Purton said.

“What I did like was the way he pulled up.  He pulled up very clean in his wind and recovered very quick when he came back.

“He is in as good as form as he could be and whether he is good enough we’ll find out. But he has drawn barrier one which gives him a chance.

“The main dangers have drawn out so they have to make a decision, do they go forward, do they go back? And we can just go straight into the bridle, roll into the first corner and sees what happens.”

Purton said he would be surprised if El Vencedor didn’t lead.

El Vencedor is by 2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking and out of unraced O’Reilly mare Strictly Maternal, who has had eight foals to race, including four in Hong Kong - Sky Darci, Well Fit, Golden Darci and Short Squeeze.

Owner-breeders David Price and Mark Freeman also had El Vencedor provisionally sold to Hong Kong but he failed a veterinary examination because a minor x-ray issue.

“We had him sold for a million bucks (New Zealand dollars) at two but he failed the vet because of a very superficial thing on the x-ray,” he said.

“Our vet said you can race him and it won’t affect him or you can take it off (spur) and try again but we decided to race him. And we didn’t do anything to it and it hasn’t affected him at all.”

“It was certainly now a bit of a blessing in disguise and he has won NZ$2.5 million (approx. HK$11.5 million).

Price said El Vencedor won a race at Ellerslie on Melbourne Cup Day last year which took his winners to NZ$670,000 to around NZ$740,000.

El Vencedor was recently named 10th joint best galloper in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.