Sacred Kingdom, Rocket Man clash again in HK Sprint

Sacred Kingdom, formerly the world's top-rated sprinter and Hong Kong Horse

of the Year, and Rocket Man, the Singapore star gone global, serve up the

primary story lines for Sunday's $1.8 million Hong Kong Sprint. Can the

eight-year-old Sacred Kingdom roll back the years, become the first three-time

winner of this race, and equal the mighty Silent Witness's record for career

wins by a Hong Kong runner? Can Rocket Man, who finally ended his international Group 1

drought this season, gain the Hong Kong prize that just slipped through his

grasp last year?

Rocket Man and Sacred Kingdom weren't separated by much when they were a

close second and third, respectively, to the now-sidelined J J the Jet Plane in

the 2010 Sprint. The warriors will start next to each other Sunday, but from

the worst positions. The two were dealt a blow by the draw, with Rocket Man in

post 13 and Sacred Kingdom in 14 for the about six-furlong dash around the turn

at Sha Tin.

Sacred Kingdom might not be as formidable as in his glory days, when he

captured two Hong Kong Sprints (2007 and 2009) and edged Rocket Man on his home

turf in the Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint (2009). But he still packs a

punch as Hong Kong's reigning four-time champion sprinter.

Trainer Ricky Yiu has

noted that he does better with more time between starts at this stage of his

career. Accordingly, Sacred Kingdom has had only one prep, a rallying second

under 133 pounds in the Group 3 Sha Tin Sprint Trophy on October 1. He was

spotting the victorious comebacker Entrapment 12 pounds, and promises to thrive

back at level weights here.

If Zac Purton can drop the veteran back and avoid too much ground loss,

Sacred Kingdom might have one big prize left in him. Whenever that victory

comes, he would tie Silent Witness, and the less memorable Super Win from the

1970s, with his 18th win. But should number 18 come in this spot, Sacred Kingdom

would be eclipsing Silent Witness in a different category, by winning an elusive

third Hong Kong Sprint.

Rocket Man had endured agonizing losses in two runnings of the KrisFlyer, and

in the 2010 Dubai Golden Shaheen, before winning both with a vengeance this

campaign. The Hong Kong Sprint would be the third piece of the same puzzle. But

it's become a matter of debate whether the Patrick Shaw charge is in the same rip-roaring form.

Shipped to Japan for the Grade 1 Sprinters Stakes October 2, Rocket Man found

himself in the midst of a typhoon that blew a monkey-wrench into his training

plans. The race itself was a maelstrom of its own. He met with traffic in

running and wound up fourth, the first time he'd ever finished out of the top

two.

Rocket Man then rebounded promptly in a Polytrack allowance at his home track of

Kranji, but not in as dominating a fashion. His trackwork at Sha Tin hasn't

impressed all observers. Shaw has risen to Rocket Man's defense, but now the

problematic draw poses an obstacle. Jockey Barend Vorster, who is six-for-six

aboard Rocket Man in Singapore, hopes to work the same magic in his first overseas engagement on the champion.

Hong Kong representatives have owned the Sprint, winning nine of 12 runnings,

and the home team once again has plenty of strength in depth. Local fortunes are

by no means dependent on Sacred Kingdom alone.

The respective top five finishers from the Group 2 Jockey Club Sprint, the

course-and-distance prep staged on November 20, are renewing rivalry -- Little

Bridge, Entrapment, Admiration, Rich Unicorn and Joy and Fun.

Little Bridge, who won his first five career starts, lost his perfect status

when third in last year's Jockey Club Sprint, beaten only a half-length by

dead-heat winner Rocket Man. Things didn't pan out for him next time out in the

Hong Kong Sprint, but the Danny Shum trainee is more seasoned for his second

crack at the prize. The gelding impressed jockey Gerald Mosse in his Jockey Club

Sprint victory, their first partnership. Not only did Mosse believe that he did

it easily, but his rider averred that Little Bridge should move forward.

Entrapment has been one of the most compelling stories in Hong Kong.

Beginning his racing career in 2010, the John Size pupil streaked to seven wins

without a loss, setting a record for most wins in a single season (later tied by

Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon). Then the undefeated gelding came down with

a rare neurological problem that sidelined him for 15 months.

Amazingly, in his first start off the bench, Entrapment thwarted Sacred

Kingdom in the aforementioned Sha Tin Sprint Trophy to remain unbeaten. He has

since lost twice, but in honorable circumstances. Entrapment was a close third

to stablemate Rich Unicorn and Little Bridge when lugging 129 pounds in the

Group 2 Premier Bowl, spotting both significant weight. In the Jockey Club

Sprint, Entrapment rallied for second after Little Bridge got the jump on him.

Size's other hopeful, Rich Unicorn, benefited from the weight concession in

the Premier Bowl, but shouldn't be dismissed. The progressive gelding closed for

fourth in the Jockey Club Sprint, hinting that he's not far off the top

contenders even at levels. Not originally given a berth in the Sprint, Rich

Unicorn was added to the field upon the early withdrawal of Breeders' Cup Turf

Sprint hero Regally Ready, to Size's delight.

Trainer John Moore has made no secret of his high regard for Admiration, who

adds blinkers Sunday. The up-and-coming four-year-old might have lost his

concentration when third in the Jockey Club Sprint, and the headgear could

sharpen his attention for his Group 1 debut. Conversely, the Derek Cruz-trained

Joy and Fun is a grizzled eight-year-old veteran of international racing. Third

to Sacred Kingdom in the 2009 Sprint, the multiple Group 3-winning Joy and Fun

has turned in three solid efforts this season, including a win over Little

Bridge in their mutual reappearance.

The Caspar Fownes duo of Lucky Nine and Green Birdie return from a luckless

stint in Japan. Lucky Nine had a terrific first half of 2011 when competing in

Groups 1s over slightly longer. Aside from trading decisions with the top-class

Xtension in two premier mile contests, Lucky Nine finished second to Ambitious

Dragon and a close third to champion Beauty Flash. Reappearing in the Grade 2

Centaur in his Japanese bow, he missed by a head under top weight of 130 pounds.

Lucky Nine didn't live up to his name next time in the Sprinters, where he was

hampered en route to finishing fifth. His luck might be taking a turn for the

better: unlike the big guns, he's got a good draw in post 6, and is entitled to

make his presence felt.

Green Birdie had an even worse go of it in Japan. The eight-year-old crossed

the wire fourth in the Centaur, only to be controversially disqualified to 14th

for an arcane infraction on the turn. Marooned in post 16 in the Sprinters

Stakes, he did the best he could with a wide-trip eighth, just about three

lengths behind the victorious Curren Chan. Green Birdie has no shortage of back

class: a near-miss second in the 2008 Hong Kong Sprint, he famously upended

Rocket Man in the 2010 KrisFlyer.

Sprinters Stakes heroine Curren Chan brings a five-race winning streak into

Sha Tin, where she aims to defy two negative trends. No female has won in the

Sprint's 12-year history, and none has even placed since Crystal Charm in the

inaugural international running in 1999. Moreover, Japanese horses have been

totally shut out in this race, with all 11 failing to hit the board. The latter

statistic also bears down on her comrade Pas de Trois, the Sprinters runner-up,

who arguably benefited from the rough trips endured by the visitors that day.

Europeans likewise have a dismal record in this race, but Great Britain's

Bated Breath gives them a better than usual chance. The Roger Charlton trainee

has been narrowly defeated a trio of Group 1 sprints this season. In both the

July Cup and the Haydock Sprint Cup, he was nipped by champion Dream Ahead, who went on to beat Goldikova.

Bated Breath subsequently invaded Woodbine for the Nearctic and failed by a

scant neck to Regally Ready. The Juddmonte Farms homebred drew wide on that

occasion, and he wasn't helped by landing in post 12 at Sha Tin.

Fellow Brit Society Rock has gone the wrong way since upsetting the Group 1

Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot. Ireland's Sole Power is a five-furlong

specialist, as suggested by his shocking the Group 1 Nunthorpe in 2010, his

Group 2 Temple victory this year, and his close third in the Group 1 Prix de

l'Abbaye de Longchamp last time out. The prospect of a fast early pace, on the

other hand, should suit the confirmed closer.