Mr Stunning on track for Hong Kong Sprint title after easy win
MR STUNNING is clearly the horse to beat in next month’s Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint after easily handling its opposition in the Group 2 Jockey Club Sprint on Sunday.
It was a complete domination for the John Size stable, training four of the first five home and despite Mr Stunning looking like the clear top pick after recording a 1.5-length win, Size isn’t conceding defeat with his other sprinters.
“They’ve all run very pleasingly,” Size said. “Mr Stunning seemed to dominate today, but it all depends on the way the race is run in three weeks. That race could be run at a different tempo, which could give us a different result. Mr Stunning still has to produce it again in three weeks, but if he pulls up well, he should be able to repeat the run.”
The Australian-bred five-year-old made it consecutive wins this season after winning The Premier Bowl in October. Size, who has yet to win a Hong Kong Sprint, is pleased with his leading charge.
“This preparation, though, he has done everything perfectly. He’s obviously a nice horse to train, he’s relatively straightforward and similarly, on raceday, he’s pretty good for the jockeys too,” he added.
Now a $3.25 chance at Sportsbet to win the Hong Kong Sprint, Mr Stunning is still a value tip for punters and winning jockey Nash Rawiller couldn’t have been more complementary.
“He’s an absolute star, he’s so push-button,” Rawiller said. “Today, he jumped first out of the gates and I dropped my hands on his neck and he just came straight back under me. He was a dream to ride throughout the run. Even when the pace slowed up dramatically, it probably put the whole race out of whack, but he’s nimble on his feet and he was able to capitalise on that.
“I was able to roll forward into the race and he put it beyond doubt at the 300m, he was travelling very comfortably and it was just a matter of letting him go to win the race.”
Rawiller is confident John Size can turn around his poor record in the Hong Kong International races with Mr Stunning, despite running the slowest Jockey Club Sprint time since the distance change in 2006.
“Mr Size is a master at dealing with these types of horses,” Rawiller said. “There are going to be horses around him that will improve, just as he will, but I think he’s going to be the one to beat, that’s for sure.”
Running in second was Amazing Kids ridden by Brett Prebble, who said he was lucky to hold on to that spot.
“He ran super,” Prebble said. “He gave me a good kick, but the winner is just too good. He held on for a nice second, but he was probably lucky to run second – the third horse should have beaten him home.”
D B Pin was the third placegetter and it looks a Hong Kong Sprint contender after producing its career-best performance.
“It was the first time I had the chance to sit on him,” Doleuze said. “I’m very pleased with his performance. I think that if he can produce a similar run in the internationals, he will be in the finish.”
Bookmakers were forced to alter the odds for Lucky Bubbles, but it never got a crack at them after being held up for the entire straight. Jockey Zac Purton put it bluntly.
“Disaster,” he said.
Lucky Bubbles remains on the second line of betting at $5 with bookmakers.