Hong Kong raider Rich Tapestry to make Breeders' Cup history

Rich Tapestry is set to make history Saturday as Hong Kong's first Breeders' Cup runner and trainer Michael Chang Chun-wai says the gelding has settled in nicely at Santa Anita.
Chang, has given Rich Tapestry plenty of time, shipping the Irish-bred son of Holy Roman Emperor in September to Southern California where he won the October 4 Grade One Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes.
He beat a field that included reigning Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Secret Circle, a performance that contributed to his status as the early 5-1 second choice behind lukewarm 9-2 favorite Secret Circle in Saturday's $1.5 million, six-furlong race.
"Honestly, I do expect he still has a little room for improvement on his last race," Chang said Thursday, adding that Santa Anita's dirt track suits Rich Tapestry perfectly.
"I'm always confident when he runs on the dirt surface," he said. "He never misses."
Rich Tapestry will break from the sixth stall under Olivier Doleuze, a French-born jockey who is among the top riders in Hong Kong.
Although Chang says Rich Tapestry has the flexibility to adapt no matter how the race unfolds, he does have a preferred scenario.
"I would like to ask the jockey to sit behind the pace and try and catch them before the line," he said.
Chang, who has trained six-year-old Rich Tapestry for 23 of his 27 lifetime starts, likes to be heavily involved with the horse's activities, even down to hot-walking him personally.
“I like to be with my horse,” he says. "I can tell when he's happy and feeling good, and those things make me happy and feel good.
"This is an easy horse to train," Chang added. "His temperament is good and he's smart."
Los Angeles, with its reliance on automobile transportation, has long been known for its air pollution.
But Chang believes the air quality at picturesque Santa Anita, nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains northeast of LA, is an improvement on Hong Kong and that's a benefit for Rich Tapestry.
- Ready to run -
Because of the horse's history of exercise-induced pulmonary bleeding, much has been made of the fact that Chang won't take advantage of the fact that the Breeders' Cup allows the use of the anti-bleeding medication Lasix.
"Honestly I never used Lasix before," Chang said of the medication that is banned in almost every racing jurisdiction outside the United States.
As part of its bid to attract European and other international runners, the Breeders' Cup had announced plans to gradually phase out Lasix, but for now the ban applies only to the races for two-year-olds -- in itself a controversial decision among potential overseas participants.
On Thursday Chang opted for a traditional horseman's method to "open up his wind" sending Rich Tapestry out for a 400 meter blow-out.
"He came back, everything OK, he's ready," Chang said. "I think he will run a really good race on Saturday."
Source: AFP