Bits & Pieces

WE SAW IT

Just when it seemed emerging Hong Kong star Happy Zero would be the horse Australia’s sprinters Scenic Blast, All Silent and Apache Cat would have to beat in the Group 1 Cathay Pacific International Sprint (1200m)  next month, connections have indicated they might chase a bigger purse on the same day.

Happy Zero beat another Australian-bred sprinter, Hong Kong’s short-course champ Sacred Kingdom, in yesterday’s Group 2 Sprint Trial (1200m) to establish himself as one of the favourites for the $HK12 million (about $A1.8 million) race on December 13. And trainer John Moore told the Hong Kong Jockey Club website that Happy Zero (Br g 5, Danzero-Have Love, by Canny Lad) would take plenty of beating in the sprint, which is shaping as the definitive sprint championship of the year. “He’s a very fit horse at the moment and I believe we’re a big chance of winning next month,” Moore said. “I think he’s the new kid on the block and I don’t want to take anything away from Sacred Kingdom, a world champion, but some times you have to give way to the next generation and I believe this is the one.”

Later, however, Moore told the South China Morning Post that Happy Zero would be a late entry for the $HK16 million (about $A2.3 million) International Mile. “Darren Beadman’s been telling me for weeks that this horse is a miler, not a sprinter. We will keep our options open, but we might go for the longer race with him instead.”

Beadman, Moore’s retained rider, told hkjc.com that he was held up in the straight yesterday as Sacred Kingdom made his run, but “once you have this horse wound up he goes through the gears pretty quick. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a horse with as long a stride, and that includes (former Australian champion) Saintly, who was a much bigger and longer horse. This guy covers an enormous amount of ground. He’s very exciting.”

Sacred Kingdom  (B g 6, Encosta De Lago-Courtroom Sweetie, by Zeditave) will be improved by the run and will meet Happy Zero 2kg better if he goes around over 1200m again. His Australian jockey, Brett Prebble, was not disappointed with the run, the top-rated sprinter’s first since June.

Although beaten by fellow Aussie Beadman, Prebble had another treble to continue his incredible form. In the past four meetings he has had four, three, three and three wins, and he is 15 clear on the jockeys’ premiership with 26 wins. Moore leads the trainers’ list with 17, one ahead of last year’s champion Caspar Fownes.

Zac Purton made it another big day for the Australians riding in Hong Kong with his first Group 2 win there, taking the Mile Trial on Fellowship from Sight Winner and the fast-finishing defending international champion, Good Ba Ba.

“He (Fellowship) has been a very honest performer and he has competed at the top level for a season and a half now, but he has often found one or two too good for him on the big day,” New Zealand trainer Paul O’Sullivan told hkjc.com. “Today, though, he got a nice run under Zac, the pace was good and he deserved a big win.”

Good Ba Ba, the International Mile winner for the past two years, had the  fastest final sectional time, prompting trainer Derek Cruz to say the horse was on course for a third win.

Fields for the Sprint, Mile and the other international Group 1s, the $HK20 million Cup (2000m) and the $HK14 million Vase (2400m), will be announced on Wednesday.

Scenic Blast has been in Hong Kong since October 17 after racing in Japan. He was scratched from the Sprint Trial because of a sore foot, but connections hope he will be ready for the main race. American sprinter Cannonball, who ran at Royal Ascot mid-year, arrived in Hong Kong at the weekend. All Silent and Apache Cat are due to fly from Australian next week.

Australia’s Racing To Win might also go, for either the Mile or Cup, but Gold Salute’s flop in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot in Perth, after which he pulled up sore, ended his connections’ hopes.

THEY SAID IT

“I love this horse. He never stops trying and, even though he hasn’t won for over two years, this win makes the wait worth it,” said NSW trainer Tracey Bartley about Sniper’s Bullet, winner of the Railway at $17 – he ran second last year and was consistent in the Melbourne spring, but had not won since June 2007, when he was first home in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm. Sniper’s Bullet (B g 6, Bite The Bullet (USA)-Yallah Terrace, by Yallah Prince) has earned more than $2 million and his win tally now stands at seven from 33 starts.

“I am mindful taking on the older horses next week with the weight (because) he is not a three-year-old yet. He is a chance of starting in the Winterbottom – we will monitor him this week,” said Perth trainer Perth Frank Maynard of Kid Choisir, strong winner of the $75,000 Listed Placid Ark Stakes (1200m) at Ascot on Saturday, carrying 59kg.

Kid Choisir (Ch c 3, Choisir-Friendly Seas, by Mister C. (USA)) has won five of eight – and most runs have been well spaced – but would face a tough task to beat the older locals, perhaps Ortensia (who didn’t get the 1600m in the Railway on Saturday) and another Victorian Lucky Secret, the recent Sandown winner, who is to be flown over on Friday. (Trainer Tony Vasil then intends to take the Rubiton 6YO to New Zealand for two big sprints in January.)

There will be an even more important visitor for the $500,000 Group 2 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) – retired champ Takeover Target, who won the race last year after a thrilling duel with Apache Cat, will lead the field out. The “traveller” (he had four trips to England and also went to Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore) is doing a farewell tour of sorts after successful surgery, the result of an injury in his final race, the Group 1 July Cup (1200m) at Newmarket in England.

“Jason has a great strike rate for me. He has only had a handful of rides and won at least three or four,” said trainer Lee Freedman of apprentice Jason Maskiell. Despite riding only rarely in the city over the Melbourne spring carnival, Maskiell reminded us at Sandown that he is a young jockey of considerable talent. The Caulfield-based Tasmanian claimed the first two races, on Umanugget for Peter Moody and Tariks for Freedman.

WE ALSO SAW

Among our television travels, Bits & Pieces “dropped in” at 2am Sunday on the best race of the weekend, the Grade 1 Betfair Chase (4800m) at Haydock in England. The race underlined how important longevity is in building horse heroes, when jumping favourite – that’s the people’s, as well as the punters’ (at 4/6) – Kauto Star slugged it out over the final four fences with Imperial Commander (9/1). To the eye, Kauto appeared beaten; but the photo gave him a win by a whisker.

Kauto Star (B g 2000, Village Star (FR)-Kauto Relka (FR), by Port Etienne (FR)), has won 19 of 32 jumps starts (15-22 over the bigger fences) since March 2003. The reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup champion fell in the Betfair last year, but won the previous two. He is quoted at a shade of odds-on for his next start, the King George at Kempton in December.

Imperial Commander (B g 2001, Flemensfirth (USA)-Ballinlovane (GB), by Le Moss (GB)) has won 6-14 and is shaping as a Cheltenham Gold Cup contender against Kauto Star in March.

WE’LL WATCH IT

Ascot on Saturday has the Winterbottom and two Listed races, the Jungle Dawn Classic (1400m) and Aquanita Stakes (1800m). Eagle Farm has two Listed races, the Carlton Draught Classic (1200m) and Tattersall’s Recognition Stakes (1600m). They also race at Moonee Valley, Randwick and Morphettville.