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Amazing Kids tries Dubai for Size, Shaheen pair on track

23/03/2017

By David Morgan in Dubai

John Size is a remarkable racehorse trainer, his achievements attest to that. In 2001, the Australian arrived in Hong Kong from Sydney and shook the tough circuit to its core, winning the premiership in his debut season - a feat unprecedented in Hong Kong’s ultra-competitive modern era.

His patient, no-nonsense approach has seen him add seven more titles since then, his latest last year, and he currently leads the premiership with 62 wins, 13 clear of his nearest pursuer. In February, he became only the third handler to notch 1000 wins in Hong Kong; he has Group 1s in the bag and he has nurtured local champions; and he has done it his way, more so, perhaps, than any other trainer of recent times. “Mould-breaker” is a term often applied.

“John Size’s training on the track is very different to mine,” fellow multiple champion John Moore said this morning at Meydan. “He showed that you can come to Hong Kong and have your own style and he’s made it work. I’ve been in Hong Kong a long time and I’ll be running horses up 19 and 20 (seconds), and it works, but his are going around in 56! But that’s the way he does it and it is very effective.

“A lot of people have watched and have tried to repeat what he does and have found it very difficult,” Moore added.

But for all of that, Size, 62, has not tasted success away from home. In fact, his only forays away from Hong Kong have been to Tokyo in June for the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m). Seven times Size has made that journey and yet the first attempt remains his best, Armada’s second to the champion mare Vodka in 2008.

Now he is taking aim at a new target. On Saturday, the trainer’s talented five-year-old Amazing Kids will become his first starter in Dubai, in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint. It is an unusual break from normality for Size, who puts a lot of store by things being normal. So, why this first departure westward: why now and why this horse?

“His two runs down the Sha Tin straight, he won them both,” Size offered. “That’s all I’ve got to cling to, really. It’s just his straight track form has been really good and he struggles to win a Group 1 around a bend in Hong Kong. It looks like it’s a futile exercise there. This might be his chance.”

Amazing Kids has won a brace of Group 3 handicaps down Sha Tin’s 1000m straight, and, despite four wins around the track’s turning 1200m, the Falkirk gelding has not been able to snare a big race win at that trip and track. That despite some smart efforts in elite company that ensure he will line up at the top of Meydan’s 1200m turf straight as the joint second-highest rated horse in the 12-runner field, off a mark of 119.

“I think it’s all about whether he’s good at the straight because if he can run well in a straight line, maybe he can run well that way at two distances,” Size continued. “I’m not going to find that out in Hong Kong. I have to come to Dubai to find out. It’s not complicated, it’s that simple. Sadly, we’ve got to take all the risks of travelling to find out, but that’s life!”

Amazing Kids will break from gate one on Saturday night. No horse has won the race from a berth lower than six in the race’s seven editions staged on the World Cup card – one at 1200m (2010) and the remainder at 1000m. The race’s return to 1200m offers some hope this time – that and the fact that Green Mask overcame the one draw when a length third to Sole Power in 2015, splitting none other than Hong’s Peniaphobia and Amber Sky in second and fourth.

“I’ll have a look at the race – there should be plenty of speed in the race – and find a horse to follow. We should be able to do that,” Size said.

The New Zealand-bred is nonetheless hale and hearty heading into his maiden overseas test. This morning (Thursday, 23 March), the big bay appeared to be in good condition as he jogged around a lap of the dirt track at a slow gait under regular rider David Mo.

“Generally, the horse is okay,” Size said. “Performance on the day is an unknown to us at this stage because of so many different factors here. The horse appears to be good enough and his condition appears to be good enough – it’s now just about what happens on race day. Even the draw may be manageable!”

Moore and Berry happy with Not Listenin’
John Moore was on site this morning for the first time this week to observe big-race jockey Tommy Berry ride Not Listenin’tome in a piece of work on the dirt track. Berry was pleased with his mount ahead of Saturday’s G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m), which will be the gelding’s first race on dirt.

“It was quite nice work,” Berry said after dismounting. “He got through the track really well. It’s very deep, you can feel him working on the surface and not just flying over it. But I was very pleased with him, he’s a happy horse and he went through his paces very well.

“He dropped his bit at about the furlong, so I just gave him a slap down the shoulder and put him back on it to make him do his work. He pulled up and had a nice blow, he knew he’d done a bit of work but race day’s going to be different, being put under a bit of pressure on it. He felt good on it there but race day will be more of a test.”

Not Listenin’tome has drawn unfavourably in gate 10 of 14 but Moore is hoping for the best.

“We’ll have to look at the race, see what speed is underneath us to contend with, and see whether he has enough early speed to get across and get up handy, two or three off the fence. We’ll be jumping and going,” Moore said.

“The biggest gamble is whether or not he will handle the surface at racing speed! The rationale behind coming here rather than keeping to the turf was the challenge. I just wanted to see if this pedigree could be one that lends itself to dirt, and I looked deep in there and I think there’s enough. It’s a challenge and I’ve always taken a positive approach to challenges.

“He’s eating really well,” Moore added. “I’ve actually upped his feed, he’s going so well, and he’ll have all his weight back on him by Saturday. All systems are go.”

Four will do Fownes
Casper Fownes was delighted with gate four for his Golden Shaheen contender, Dundonnell, who has placed in two recent warm-up races at the course and distance.
 
“I’m happy, I wanted four, I said that yesterday, and I got it,” Fownes said this morning after watching his charge canter a circuit of the dirt course.

“I’ll leave it up to Christophe (Soumillon), if he can do what he’s done in the past two runs, he’ll be alright. I’ve done my job now, the horse is well.

“He’s obviously just a little bit off them, class-wise, but he’s toughened up and I think if things go right and he gets in a good spot, he’ll make his own luck, he’ll run well,” Fownes continued.

“He’s come here and put in two good runs, which, for a horse that hasn’t been consistent in Hong Kong, is pleasing. He’s becoming more consistent since he’s started racing on this surface, so now we’re looking for Christophe to get him out of the gates and get him in a good spot. If he can do that he’ll run an honest race.”

The three-time Hong Kong champion trainer is hoping for the win but accepts that a top four finish would be a fine achievement.

“There are a lot of talented horses in the race – but we’re in it to win it,” Fownes said. “I want to win the race, of course, but we’d be very happy with first four – you’ve got to be realistic. He’s an outsider for the race but he’s in good form and hopefully he can pick up some prize money.”

Amazing Kids appears to be in good condition as he prepares for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint this Saturday.
Photo 1:
Amazing Kids appears to be in good condition as he prepares for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint this Saturday.

John Size won his eighth Hong Kong Champion Trainer title last season.
Photo 2:
John Size won his eighth Hong Kong Champion Trainer title last season.

Jockey Tommy Berry partnered his Dubai Golden Shaheen ride Not Listenin��tome at Meydan this morning.
Photo 3:
Jockey Tommy Berry partnered his Dubai Golden Shaheen ride Not Listenin��tome at Meydan this morning.

The Caspar Fownes-trained Dundonnell worked at Meydan this morning.
Photo 4:
The Caspar Fownes-trained Dundonnell worked at Meydan this morning.

 

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