With less than three weeks to the Singapore Turf Club`s big International raceday on 18 May 2008, the fields for the Group 1 $3million Singapore Airlines International Cup over 2000 metres and the $1million KrisFlyer International Sprint over 1200 metres are beginning to take their final shape.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES INTERNATIONAL CUP

Japanese galloper � and 2006 winner � COSMO BULK heads a strong list of International invitees for this year`s running of Singapore`s richest race. While last year`s winner SHADOW GATE is unfortunately not able to come and defend his title, COSMO BULK will be on his third trip to Singapore, having finished second in last year`s edition and will be hoping to make it a hat-trick of victories for Japan.

Europe, who has won the event twice with ENDLESS HALL (2001) and EPALO (2004) will be pinning its hopes on three gallopers � the French pair of MUSICAL WAY (Group 2 Prix Dollar) and multiple Listed winner BALIUS and TRAFFIC GUARD from the Jane Chapple-Hyam yard.

The French gallopers represented their country with distinction last Sunday in the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2000 metres in Hong Kong, producing eye-catching efforts with BALIUS finishing second and MUSICAL WAY a luckless seventh to ARCHIPENKO. TRAFFIC GUARD was a recent second in the Group 3 Sefton Stakes over 1800 metres at Newmarket on 18 April.

Hong Kong holds a strong hand with Group 1 Classic Mile winner FLORAL PEGASUS, who run sixth behind GOOD BA BA in the Champion`s Mile on the weekend while South African mentor Herman Brown looks set to continue his emergence on the global stage with recent US$5 million Dubai Duty Free winner JAY PEG and new recruit MOURILYAN, who ran eighth in the US$5 million Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2400m) when under the care of Irish trainer John Oxx.

SIR SLICK and SPIN AROUND are two well-credentialled gallopers from New Zealand. SIR SLICK is a five-time Group 1 winner, most recent being the New Zealand Stakes on 8 March while SPIN AROUND has won the Group 1 Avondale Gold Cup (2200m) after a successful stint in Hong Kong.

Singapore entries for the SIA will be announced after the weekend where some of the top Singapore gallopers will be competing in a 1600 metre event on Friday.

KRISFLYER INTERNATIONAL SPRINT

The $1 million KrisFlyer International Sprint is making a welcome return to the international racing calendar after a six-year hiatus.

Taking pride of place for the KrisFlyer is none other than Australia`s fairytale horse and international globetrotter TAKEOVER TARGET (Group 1 Lightning Stakes, Group 2 King`s Stand). From the day former taxi driver Joe Janiak parted with A$1250 for the castoff by Celtic Swing, it`s been a whirlwind of feature wins Down Under all the way to Royal Ascot and Japan.

Australia will have a two-pronged back-up. MAGNUS will make his final racetrack appearance before going to stud. The entire is a Group 1 winner of the Galaxy in Sydney and has two Group 1 seconds behind WEEKEND HUSSLER, currently ranked the best three-year-old in the world.

UNIVERSAL RULER is the third Australian representative from the other side of the island continent. The three-year-old Perth galloper has to date won five of his six starts with a career high coming at his last start in the Listed Easter Stakes.

Hong Kong`s crack sprinter ABSOLUTE CHAMPION (2006 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint) is also likely to book his ticket for the 1200m speed dash. He could be joined by SANZIRO, who will be lining-up against SACRED KINGDOM in the Group 2 Gome Sprint on 1 May at Sha Tin.

England`s hopefuls are LOVELACE, a winner of the Group 3 Supreme Stakes and JUDD STREET (Listed Rous Stakes) whose connections will make a final decision after the sprinter contests the Group 3 Palace House Stakes over 1000 metres at Newmarket on 4 May.

The United Arab Emirates will try and snag the KrisFlyer with two of their speediest customers, SALAAM DUBAI and STAR CROWNED.

STAR CROWNED ran a cracking third to BENNY THE BULL in the US$2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m) on dirt, with his jockey Mick Kinane even protesting against second for interference, but without success.

Singapore hopefuls for the KrisFlyer will be announced after the weekend`s racing where a number are down to run over 1200 metres on Sunday.

INTERNATIONAL INVITEES for:-

SINGAPORE AIRLINES INTERNATIONAL CUP

Horse Trainer Country Rating

Jay Peg Herman Brown South Africa 120

Balius Carlos Laffon-Parias France 116

Floral Pegasus Tony Cruz Hong Kong 115

Cosmo Bulk Kazunori Tabe Japan 114

Mourilyan Herman Brown South Africa 114

Sir Slick Graeme Richardson New Zealand 113

Musical Way Philippe Van de Poele France 110

Traffic Guard Jane Chapple-Hyam Great Britain 110

Spin Around Steven Cooper New Zealand 108

KRISFLYER INTERNATIONAL SPRINT

Horse Trainer Country Rating

Absolute Champion David Hall Hong Kong 120

Takeover Target Joe Janiak Australia 118

Magnus Peter Moody Australia 115

Salaam Dubai Aditiyan Selvaratnam UAE 110

Star Crowned Rasheed Bouresly UAE 110

Lovelace Mark Johnston Great Britain 109

Judd Street Eve Johnson Houghton Great Britain 107

Universal Ruler Darren McAuliffe Australia 105

Sanziro Caspar Fownes Hong Kong 103