HK JAN 31 - SACRED KINGDOM JUST TOO GOOD

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The world’s top rated sprinter Sacred Kingdom proved too classy in the Group 1, Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup over 1000m, the first leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series at Sha Tin racecourse on Sunday.

It was the six-year-old’s fourteenth win from twenty-one starts. This was Sacred Kingdom’s first run since taking out the Group 1, Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint in December. Adding to the stable achievement was the fact that Ricky Yiu trained both the winner and the second placed Ultra Fantasy.

Yiu confirmed that Sacred Kingdom would now target the Chairman’s Sprint Prize on February 21. The trainer was happy to keep his options open until after that run indicating feature events in Singapore, Dubai and Japan could all fall under consideration.

Understandably Sacred Kingdom was a short-priced favourite (1-4) in the Centenary Sprint Cup. He jumped well enough and took up a handy position, although he was inclined to get his head on one side and not be fully focussed in the early part.

Craig’s Dragon landed in the lead, but he soon gave way to Ultra Fantasy, the stable-mate of Sacred Kingdom. Sacred Kingdom settled in third alongside One World, who was the only runner other than Sacred Kingdom at odds of less than 14-1. One World’s price was 3.90.

As Craig’s Diamond felt the pinch, the leader Ultra Fantasy continued to charge forward in full cry. One World, urged on by Darren Beadman, was the first to try and make some inroads into Ultra Fantasy’s lead.

One World’s forward move initially posed not only a challenge to the leader, but it momentarily appeared that it might threaten the fortunes of Sacred Kingdom as the split between Ultra Fantasy and One World was Sacred Kingdom’s ticket home. If Beadman got One World sufficiently clear of Sacred Kingdom and moved across alongside Ultra Fantasy, it would have meant jockey Brett Prebble would have to take hold of the champion and go around the two leaders.

But that possibility evaporated in an instant as Ultra Fantasy continued to find more to peg back One World’s ambition and One World himself began to feel the pressure of his task.

So Sacred Kingdom got the split.

Once Prebble got serious on his mount, the serious racehorse came to the fore. Ultra Fantasy continued to stride out superbly to give his more famous stable companion something to chase but, in the end Sacred Kingdom’s superior class told when it mattered most and Prebble’s appreciation of his horse’s effort was released in a worthy celebration in the saddle after Sacred Kingdom had crossed the line.

Ultra Fantasy finished 0,75 lengths behind Sacred Kingdom. One World stayed on for third finishing a further length behind the Ultra Fantasy.

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