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Amber Sky will have to defy convention if he is to wrest victory from the established brigade in Sunday’s HKG1 Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Ricky Yiu’s exciting rising star is aiming to become the first three-year-old in over a decade to win Hong Kong’s ultimate speed test.
King Of Danes, successful in 2001, currently stands alone as the only three-year-old to have prevailed in the straight 1000m charge.
Amber Sky faces a top quality field of 14 that features noted stars Lucky Nine, Joy And Fun and last year’s returning victor, the Manfred Man-trained Eagle Regiment.
“No three-year-old has won this race in the past 10 years, so this is a big task for Amber Sky, even though he’s won four out of six races,” said Yiu.
“The others are giving 7lbs weight-for-age but still this is the biggest test he’s faced.
"In that regard, the previous runs don’t count – this is the big one.
"He’ll run well but I have to have some doubts against such good Group 1 horses.”
Amber Sky was found to have had blood in his trachea following his recent defeat when fourth to the re-opposing Go Baby Go, so the trainer was pleased after the Exceed And Excel gelding galloped on Monday and was passed clear to race after clocking a sound 50.5s for 800m.
“He had to pass the official veterinary exam and his work was good, as usual; we scoped him afterwards and he was perfectly clean,” revealed Yiu.
“He’s been improving through the season and he’s growing in the right direction, putting on weight and strengthening, which is a good sign for a youngster.”
Another rising star with pretensions to join Hong Kong’s sprinting elite is the John Moore-trained Frederick Engels.
The four-year-old arrived in Hong Kong last season with a big reputation after winning over 1000m at Royal Ascot and notching a 1200m G2 juvenile race in Britain.
After a gelding operation in the summer, he has come good with wins in each of his latest three outings.
“Frederick Engels is my leading chance in the race, along with Captain Sweet, and everything is right on song, so I’m hoping one of them can win,” said Moore, who is also set to saddle Time After Time, Admiration and Able Speed.
“Since we bought Frederick Engels, I’ve had it in my mind that I wanted him to be the stable’s number one sprinter but it took a while for him to settle into the Hong Kong lifestyle.
"He’s now acclimatised, and with the help of gelding, he’s won his last three, so he’s progressing in the right way and I know he’s got lots of ability. He’s in great form and would be a winning chance.”
Captain Sweet was a fine third to Lord Kanaloa in December’s G1 Hong Kong Sprint, a race that featured several of Sunday’s runners.
Among those, Cerise Cherry was second, his Derek Cruz-trained stable mate Joy And Fun was fourth and Lucky Nine from the Caspar Fownes stable failed to defend his crown in fifth.
“We’re sticking the blinkers on Captain Sweet just to fire him up a bit more, but his run in the Hong Kong Sprint was very good, it just showed that I’d got him back to his true form,” said Moore of his charge, who since ran a below-par ninth in the 1400m HKG3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup on 1 January.
The Dennis Yip-trained Go Baby Go was in receipt of 3lbs from Amber Sky when holding that rival by two lengths on 6 January and is bidding to make it six wins from seven starts over the course and distance, while Arrived Ahead, Best Eleven and Vital Flyer complete what is a strong field for the first of three races in the Hong Kong Speed Series.
The Hong Kong Speed Series continues on 17 February with the HKG1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), and concludes on 17 March with the HKG1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m).