The Queen’s Hardwicke Stakes winner Dartmouth on course for £1.75million Hong Kong prize next month

THE Queen is aiming at a big-race bullseye with Dartmouth.

Her Majesty's middle-distance ace is set for a trip to Hong Kong for the £1.75 million Hong Kong Vase on December 11.

Royal Ascot winner Dartmouth has yet to score at Group 1 level. The colt followed up his Hardwicke Stakes win with a third to Highland Reel in the King George back at Ascot. He finished second in the Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine a fortnight ago.

John Warren, the Queen's racing manager, said: "We haven't discounted the idea of the Hong Kong Vase for Dartmouth. He has been very well since his second in the Canadian International and we will see how he is nearer the time."

He added:"The horse has been tremendously consistent all year and it is absolutely the plan that he will stay in training next year."

Dartmouth's trainer Sir Michael Stoute has two wins at the big Hong Kong International meeting, with Soviet Line in 1994 and Daliapour in 2000.

Another Royal Ascot hero, King's Stand Stakes winner Profitable, also looks set for a trip to the Far East.

He is in line for a run in the Hong Kong Sprint, a race that has never been won by a British challenger. Profitable was last seen finishing a close seventh behind Marsha in the Prix de l'Abbaye on Arc day.

The horse would be a first HK runner for trainer Clive Cox, who said: "There is a fair gap between the Abbaye and Hong Kong, so we are going to let the horse take the lead and we will see how he is nearer the race.

"He is pretty versatile as regards to ground and, if we went to Hong Kong, it would be his first run around a turn.

"We would be hopeful that six furlongs around a turn would be more suitable than the straight six furlongs at Newmarket."