Eagle Regiment will bid to soar where even the greats have not when he heads to post for the HKG1 Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin racecourse on Sunday, 26 January.
The Manfred Man-trained six-year-old notched back-to-back wins in the 1000m speed test in 2012 and 2013, making him the fifth horse to achieve that feat. Should he complete the hat-trick this weekend, the straight track specialist would become the first three-time winner, outdoing even the great Silent Witness and Sacred Kingdom, both of whom retired with two wins in the race.
Last year, Eagle Regiment went into the Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup without a previous start that season and stormed to a length and a half verdict over Frederick Engels. This term, the El Moxie gelding has raced three times without a win but his last two starts have been over his less favoured distance of 1200m. After a fine third in the G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Sprint at that trip in November, Man’s stable star was most recently a below-par 12th in December’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint.
“Everything is fine with the horse and his form has improved since his last run,” said the trainer of his seven-time course and distance winner, who closed off for third in a 1000m turf barrier trial on 7 January, in a time of 58.61s.
“I think coming back to 1000m is better for him; the 1200m is not his best distance; he’s looking for this straight 1000m. I’m confident that he will run a very good race on Sunday but whether he can win or not win depends on luck – a lot will depend on the draw.”
Following Eagle Regiment’s victory 12 months ago Man plotted a Dubai campaign and was rewarded with a fine third in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1000m) at Meydan’s Dubai World Cup meeting. That race is the aim once again.
“He is entered for Dubai, so now it depends on how he runs in this race and if Dubai invites him,” said Man.
The John Moore-trained Frederick Engels is also among the 10 entries and is looking to bounce back after four reversals this season, most recently when a running-on third in the Hong Kong Sprint. Moore has also engaged Jockey Club Sprint victor Charles The Great and Straight Gold.
Cerise Cherry was fourth to the brilliant Lord Kanaloa in the Hong Kong Sprint and is slated to represent trainer Derek Cruz, while Dennis Yip is set to rely on Go Baby Go whose seven career wins have come at the course and distance, including the HKG3 Sha Tin Sprint Trophy (Handicap) in October.
Amber Sky held the strong-closing Go Baby Go in a 1050m all-weather barrier trial recently and heads into the race off a sixth in the 1200m Jockey Club Sprint. The four-year-old’s five career wins have all been achieved down the 1000m straight at Sha Tin and Ricky Yiu’s charge blazed to a five and a half-length win there on his only other start this season.
The Michael Chang-trained Vital Flyer won the HKG3 Sha Tin Sprint Trophy (Handicap) in 2012 and was a solid third to the re-opposing Bear Hero, trained by David Ferraris, in a Class 2 handicap over the course and distance on 5 January. The Tony-Cruz-trained Best Eleven is the remaining entrant.
The Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup is the first leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series, which continues with the HKG1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) on Sunday, 16 February and concludes with the HKG1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) on Sunday, 16 March.
This season’s Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup is worth a record HK$6 million in total prize money, a rise of HK$1.5 million on last season. The Chairman’s Sprint Prize has undergone the same rise to HK$6 million, while the Club has raised the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup purse by HK$2 million to a new high of HK$8 million.
------------------------
