In a pulsating finish Lucky Nine and Brett Prebble won the US$1.8 million Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin on Sunday to make it nine wins for locally trained sprinters in the last 11 years.
Photo by HKJC
It was also the third win in the HK Sprint for Prebble.
The race was set up by the Pas De Trois using barrier one well to come out and lead with Bated Breath outside with Rocket Man coming out quickly from barrier 13 and settling three wide.
Prebble was eighth on Lucky Nine racing one out. There they stayed until Prebble judged it was time to move with 500m to run as they came off the turn.
He avoided all trouble by going to the outside of the field to make his run.
Up front Pas De Trios, Bated Breath and Rocket Man came off the turn three abreast but with 400m to run they started to feel their early pace.
The race changed complexion with Entrapment and Douglas Whyte emerging on the rails to take over, secondly Joy And Fun and Brent Doyle coming after them, and thirdly Prebble and Lucky Nine joining them with 200m to run.
These three then came together in an enthralling battle with the different riding styles of the South African, English and Australian jockeys all on vigorous display.
It was not until the final strides that Prebble was able to push Lucky Nine forward over the inside pair who were locked together.
Prebble knew he had the win crossing the line and stood in the irons in triumph and saluted with his whip high above him.
It had been an engrossing race and with all eyes focused on the leading trio.
While it was quickly signalled that Lucky Nine was the winner, and Little Bridge and Gerald Mosse fourth, it took some time for the judges to decide on the second and third places.
In the end they could not declaring a deadheat between Entrapment and Joy And Fun.
The margins were a head and 1 3/4L to Little Bridge with the time 1.08.98 on the good to firm track.
Rocket Man faded to 12th while the Japanese G1 Sprinter Stakes winner Curren Chan finished fifth, Rich Unicorn sixth and Admiration seventh.
“There was always going to be speed with Rocket Man drawn wide. He missed the kick slightly and I was on the back foot from the start,” said Prebble.
“Joy And Fun took me a bit wide on the turn but this horse is all heart and 100% credit to Caspar, he couldn't have had him any better - it's a big factor.
“He has the stamina to go further but this horse never shirks a challenge.”
Sacred Kingdom, twice the winner in 2007 and 2009 with Prebble in the saddle, finished 10th under Zac Purton
“Just too hard for him from that gate, when he quickened he just didn't go through with it like he used to at his best,” commented Purton.
Lucky Nine is a four-year-old gelding by Dubawi out of the Green Desert mare Birjand and he is trained by Casper Fownes for Dr Chang Fuk To and Maria Chang Lee Ming Shum.
He is a horse of considerable versatility having won the Group 1 Classic Mile over 1600m at Sha Tin in January and since then he has raced exclusively in either Group 1 and Group 2 company, and not finished further back than fifth in the Sprinters Stakes over 1200m at Nakayama on October 2nd.
This was his eighth win overall from 20 races and with nine placings he has won stakes of $HK15,390,750.
