Sacred Kingdom runs on Sunday.

Next step on comeback trail for Sacred Kingdom


Preview: Hong Kong, Sunday (GMT 8.35am)

Sha Tin: Chairman's Sprint Prize (Group 1) 6f, turf

WHETHER Sacred Kingdom is back to the form that ranked him the world's leading turf sprinter for two years will become more apparent in the Chairman's Sprint Prize on Sunday.

The second leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series pits the Ricky Yiu-trained star against Green Birdie, Enthused and Sunny Power, who finished runner-up, fourth and fifth respectively behind Inspiration in the Hong Kong Sprint.

Yiu says he is "more than happy" with the five-year-old's progress since his comeback race in the first leg of the speed series, when he finished fourth despite being disadvantaged by racing on the far side of the 5f chute.

"I thought his comeback was acceptable,"said the trainer. "He was on the wrong part of the track that day.

"It was the plan to follow Enthused and Douglas Whyte but we didn't expect they would stay over on the far side.

"He got a bit of a squeeze closer to the line as well, but I wasn't too disappointed with the run overall."

Asked whether he felt he could collect this HK$4.5million (£400,000) race for a second season, the trainer replied: "Yes, I think that's most likely - as long as he gets clear running I think he can win."

Olivier Doleuze takes the reins for the first time on Sacred Kingdom and will find himself exiting the inside barrier from the 6f start.

Green Birdie should prove a worthy opponent as he drops back in trip having raced a little too prominently for trainer Caspar Fownes' liking over 1m in the Stewards' Cup under Doleuze and Christophe Soumillon will get the leg-up on the day his stint as a club jockey expires.

The ever-consistent Enthused, meanwhile, can also be expected to deliver another big run, even if jockey Douglas Whyte bemoaned his inability to draw a suitable barrier.

"This is the third Group 1 in a row he has got a bad alley," said the eight-time champ.

"He got 13 in the international sprint, gate oneon the wrong side of the track last time out and now he has eight of ten.

"He's capable of winning a Group 1 but he'll need luck from out there.

RACE 8(413)
Hong Kong Group One - 1200 Metres
THE CHAIRMAN'S SPRINT PRIZE
HK$ 4,500,000.00
56k Broadband

Going : Good
Course : Turf - "A+3" Course
Race Time : (24.42) (47.33) (1.09.49)
Sectional Time : 24.42 22.91 22.16

Placing

Horse No.

Horse

Jockey

Actual Wt.

Draw

Length
Behind
Winner

Finishing
Time
1 10 DIM SUM(H226) J Winks 126 4 - 1.09.49
2 2 ENTHUSED(H303) D Whyte 126 8 HD 1.09.52
3 1 SACRED KINGDOM(G268) O Doleuze 126 1 N 1.09.55
4 4 SUNNY POWER(G203) B Prebble 126 6 1/2 1.09.57
5 5 SUNNY KING(H105) G Mosse 126 7 1 1.09.65
6 3 GREEN BIRDIE(H245) C Soumillon 126 2 2-3/4 1.09.94
7 8 YELLOW DIAMOND(D246) C K Tong 126 3 3 1.09.97
8 9 KILDARE(J198) W C Marwing 126 9 5-1/4 1.10.34
9 7 SANZIRO(E208) Z Purton 126 10 7 1.10.59
10 6 RIVER JORDAN(G194) D Beadman 126 5 7 1.10.60

Red-letter days all round as Dim Sum wins at 50-1


Report: Hong Kong, Sunday

Sha Tin: Chairman's Sprint Prize (Grade 1) (turf)

DIM SUM not only made it a red-letter day for John Moore when completing a Grade 1 double for the trainer with a shock success in the Chairman's Sprint Prize following Viva Pataca's Hong Kong Gold Cup win half an hour earlier, but also for his jockey James Winks.

The Australian will never forget his success on board the 50-1 shot in the second leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series as it was only his third win since making his local debut a month ago.

In a pulsating finish, Winks galvanized Dim Sum, seemingly Moore's third string in the race, to a head margin from the ever-consistent Enthused, with favourite Sacred Kingdom a head further back in third. Sunny Power ran a close fourth.

Moore has made a habit of taking out major sprints this season after Inspiration won the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint and the Centenary Sprint Cup. He said the application of blinkers for the first time had made the difference with Dim Sum.

"They have done the trick; they made him more focused. James gave him a great ride, he had him settled in third or fourth and then Dim Sum showed great heart, but I think the blinkers are the main reason for taking him up to Grade 1 status."

"I'm absolutely over the moon to win a second Grade 1 on the day, and I'm also delighted for James to get a Grade 1 winner so early in his Hong Kong career."

Winks, still on Cloud Nine in the aftermath, added: "It's every jockey's dream to ride a Grade 1 winner in Hong Kong and I've done that now, so I hope it can continue. Just to be able to come and ridehere was great for me - so to add a Grade 1 winner on an outsider is a huge boost."