HK - THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS 1)THE CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG SPRINT

By Hong Kong Jockey Club | Thursday, November 25, 2010

Sha Tin Racecourse on 12 December will see a convention of the great and the good of Thoroughbred racing as equine stars from around the world meet to decide the destination of HK$64 million (about US$ 8.2 million) for the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races 2010.

Four international G1s with that prize money divided between them will be the high points of the meeting which has earned its additional title of The Turf World Championships.

With 25 individual winners of 47 international G1 races this is an exceptional group of thoroughbreds by any standards, and perhaps the best in depth ever assembled for international racing in Hong Kong.

“We are thrilled that so many of the world’s finest racehorses and their connections have been drawn to Hong Kong for the Cathay Pacific International Races,” said HKJC Executive Director of Racing William A Nader.

“The numbers and the sheer class of the overseas horses will be an exciting challenge for our very strong home contingent to match the success it has enjoyed since this magnificent series began.

“It will be particularly interesting to see whether familiar horses such as Good Ba Ba and Sacred Kingdom, winners of three CXHK Miles and two CXHK Sprints respectively; Viva Pataca, Hong Kong’s prize money king, and Able One, Hong Kong’s reigning Champion Miler, will be able to once again step up on the big stage, and whether some of our rising stars can aid them in the battle to uphold the prestige of Hong Kong racing.

The strength-in-depth of this renewal of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races shows once again why CXHKIR is the pre-eminent sporting occasion in Hong Kong.”

The youngest of the four championships events, the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint has quickly become an essential stop on the itinerary of the world's best sprinters.

The Hong Kong Sprint was added to the Hong Kong International Races roster in 1999 and carried Listed Race status. Even then it was the world’s richest sprint over 1000m. The race was a Gr.3 in 2000, a Gr.2 in 2001 and acquired Gr.1 status in 2002.

What a debut for the race as Fairy King Prawn, one of the most brilliant horses ever trained in Hong Kong, defied odds of 13 -1 to score for trainer Ricky Yiu and jockey Steven King from Crystal Charm, also based in HK.

It is well worth noting the speed influence of Australian-bred horses in this race - every renewal to date have gone to horses raised in that country and Falvelon, trained in Queensland, annexed the Sprint both in 2000 and 2001, both times defeating American speedster Morluc by narrow margins with Damien Oliver in the saddle. Trained by Dan Bougoure, Falvelon pulled off a significant betting plunge when he first won the race.

Then the local stranglehold began. Ridden by Gerald Mosse, All Thrills Too was always holding fellow HK runner Firebolt in the 2002 edition to give David Hayes his first and only success in an international race as a HK trainer.

Silent Witness' reign at the world's leading turf sprinter kicked off with victory from the very highly regarded South African champion, National Currency, in 2003. Long before they lined up, the race had been billed as a two-horse race but it was Silent Witness, starting at odds of 1.3 favourite, who proved a length too strong.

Victory came a lot easier in 2004 as Silent Witness won in a canter with quality opposition burnt off over 200m out with Cape Of Good Hope trailing in second for HK – the third home-based quinella in six renewals.

It was this performance, a 13th straight win, that made a global star of the Hong Kong champion. Shortly afterwards Time Magazine listed him as one of the 'People Who Mattered' in 2004 with an introduction that read: "Yes, he's a horse. But don't hold that against him…."

In 2005, the first five past the post were representatives of Hong Kong and local trainer Derek Cruz snared the first Gr.1 win of his career by sending out Natural Blitz to defy odds of over 27/1.

Absolute Champion maintained the Hong Kong dominance a year later as the race upped in distance to 1200m for the first time. If anything, this was the most emphatic result the race has seen with the David Hall-trained star destroying the field by over four lengths in track record time.

In 2007, for the sixth consecutive year, Hong Kong kept the prize at home as new sprint star Sacred Kingdom well and truly thrashed an excellent field by over two lengths. Absolute Champion ran second and again HK filled the first five placings.

Inspiration won in 2008 and in 2009, Sacred Kingdom upheld local dominance by regaining the title he won so impressively two years previously. The first four past the post that year were trained in Hong Kong and it was the eighth straight season for the winner to be based at Sha Tin.

Horses invited to this years Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint are:

CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG SPRINT
G1 - 1200m - HK$14 million (US$1.797 million)

Hong Kong sprinters have established themselves as the dominant force in world 1200m racing with four international victories in the last two seasons. For the last eight years their supremacy on home turf has been unshakeable. Led by South African champion JJ The Jet Plane and redoubtable Singaporean champion Rocket Man, a formidable array of raiders opposes the home team in 2010.

SACRED KINGDOM:
World top-rated or joint top-rated sprinter for last three years. Winner of this race in 2007 and 2009. Sidelined through injury in 2008.

J J THE JET PLANE:
Unsuited by British conditions during 2009 UK campaign, but back in native South Africa has re-established himself as his country’s leading sprinter with two more G1s to bring career total to four.

ROCKET MAN:
Singaporean sprinter who has been beaten just two necks and a half length in three international G1s, the only defeats in an otherwise unblemished career. Conceding 5 lbs when dead heated for first with One World in G2 CX Jockey Club Sprint, his first start in Hong Kong.

GREEN BIRDIE:
Beat Rocket Man in 2010 G1 KrisFlyer International Sprint and looked unlucky in both Japanese races since: the G2 Centaur Stakes at Hanshin and the G1 Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama.

JOY AND FUN:
Third member of Hong Kong’s triumphant overseas sprinting quartet, winning G3 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night at Meydan. Fractured leg when attempting to follow up in G1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. This will be his first run since.

DALGHAR:
Consistent French trained sprinter/miler. Has won or placed in 11 of his 13 starts, all the recent ones at Group level.

KINGSGATE NATIVE:
Very fast British sprinter. Winner as two-year-old of G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York and in 2008 of G1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. This year won G2 Temple Stakes at Haydock.

ULTRA FANTASY:
All-the-way winner of G1 Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama, a huge international victory which completed his late career transformation from handicapper to world class sprinter.

ONE WORLD:
Third in G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan Dubai World Cup meeting in March. Multiple placed runs at HK Group level as well as international G1. Dead heated for first place with Rocket Man in G2 CX Jockey Club Sprint 21 November.

LITTLE BRIDGE:
Outstanding novice who only made Hong Kong debut on 23 May but then ran up sequence of five straight wins before close third to dead heaters Rocket Man and One Word when leaping in class to G2 CX Jockey Club Sprint.

LUCKY NINE:
A rising star of Hong Kong racing who showed real brilliance in winning HKG3 National Day Cup. Sixth from wide draw in G2 CX Jockey Club Sprint 21 November.

DIM SUM:
Good Hong Kong sprinter who excels on rain-affected turf and won HKG3 Sha Tin Vase from Sweet Sanette and One World (1200m good to yielding) in May. Fourth in G2 CX Jockey Club Sprint 21 November.

LET ME FIGHT:
Improving three-year-old giving weight when beaten a short head by Little Bridge first time this year before fair seventh in G2 CX Jockey Club Sprint 21 November.

ORTENSIA:
Australian sprinter, third last time to world joint-top-rated sprinter Black Caviar in G1 Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington in November.

Winners of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint
Year Horse Name Represented Country
1999 Fairy King Prawn (AUS) HK
2000 Falvelon (AUS) AUS
2001 Falvelon (AUS) AUS
2002 All Thrills Too (AUS) HK
2003 Silent Witness (AUS) HK
2004 Silent Witness (AUS) HK
2005 Natural Blitz (AUS) HK
2006 Absolute Champion (AUS) HK
2007 Sacred Kingdom (AUS) HK
2008 Inspiration (AUS) HK
2009 Sacred Kingdom (AUS) HK

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