Racing: Dettori aims to usher in Grandera in Hong Kong

Frankie Dettori has been the king of the Orient in recent times, but on the day he tries to continue his blazing in Hong Kong's International races next month it is the Italian who will be receiving the gifts.

Dettori, who recently won the Japan Cup and its all-weather counterpart, the Japan Cup Dirt, will be 32 on the day of the former colony's most prestigious card on 15 December.

Sha Tin will stage four Group One events, including the final leg of the Emirates World Series in the 10-furlong Hong Kong Cup, worth $2.3m (£1.5m). In addition, there is the Hong Kong Mile, at $1.8m (£1.15m) the world's richest mile event, as well as the planet's most valuable 1,000m (five furlong) dash, the Hong Kong Sprint. The Vase, over a mile and a half, is no bagatelle either, with a further $1.8m (£1.15m) to be carved up.

Dettori's Godolphin team like to take in this meeting and take out a substantial element of the cash pool. They look well placed to continue the trend with three representatives including Grandera, who will be crowned World Series Racing champion even if he lies down and plays possum in front of the grandstands for the Hong Kong Cup. The title-confirming points are already in the bag.

Grandera has raced in six countries this season and has been successful in three Group Ones, most recently finishing third to Northerly in the Group One Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in Australia last month.

Godolphin won the Hong Kong Cup with another of their Emirates World Series champions Fantastic Light in 2000 (Daylami won the first title for the Dubai team the previous year), while Tobougg, their representative last year, was beaten only a head by Agnes Digital.

The bonny little thing that is Noverre will contest the Mile, having finished third in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket on his latest start. This will be the four-year-old's seventh race of the campaign and he is due a trace of luck as he has been placed five times without yet managing to record a win.

Godolphin's Ekraar is set to line-up in the Vase for the second consecutive year and does not have to produce much improvement on his display of 12 months ago, when he failed by just a head to repel the challenge of Stay Gold. Grandera is already in situ at Sha Tin, while his stablemates are training in Dubai and are due to leave for Hong Kong in early December.

A total of 37 horses, from 11 different jurisdictions, have been selected for the four major races, including eight from Britain. David Elsworth's Indian Creek and Ulundi, who is trained by Paul Webber, join Grandera in the Hong Kong Cup.

In the Hong Kong Mile, Gerard Butler's Nayyir, the Amanda Perrett-trained Tillerman and Gateman from Mark Johnston's stable, have all received invitations. Mubtaker, trained by Marcus Tregoning, joins Ekraar in the Hong Kong Vase – the five-year-old having missed the Breeders' Cup Turf at Arlington last month because of coughing.

In the Hong Kong Sprint, Continent and Malhub could fly the flag for Britain as this five-furlong race is upgraded to Group One status for the first time. Continent, trained by David Nicholls, has already won twice at the highest level this season – in the July Cup at Newmarket and Longchamp's Prix de l'Abbaye, while John Gosden's Malhub was successful in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.