Evergreen Cirrus primed for fourth attempt at Hong Kong Cup

Corine Barande-Barbe believes her stable star Cirrus Des Aigles to be as good as ever as he prepares for a fourth attempt at the Longines Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday week.

His third to Akeed Mofeed 12 months ago is his best performance to date, having finished fifth in 2011 and seventh in 2010, and this will be the fifth time he has run at the meeting as he was fifth in the 2009 renewal of the Hong Kong Vase.

He should have run in the Hong Kong Cup in 2012 but was injured on the eve of the meeting which resulted in a lengthy spell on the sidelines until the following June.