Absolute Champion ransacks Sacred Kingdom in Centenary Sprint Cup

27 January 2008

Absolute Champion, brilliantly ridden by Brett Prebble, gatecrashed the supposed coronation of Sacred Kingdom, the world's leading sprinter, in the Centenary Sprint Cup at a chilly Sha Tin on Sunday.  

A short head separated the world champion sprinters at the climax of the HK$4.5m first leg of the Champion Sprint Series. 

In betting terms alone, the result will go down as the shock of the season. Sacred Kingdom, making a first start since his imperious success from Absolute Champion in last month's Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint, started at minimum odds of 1/10.

Absolute Champion, winless from seven previous starts at the 1000-metre distance, was rated next best in the market at 8/1.

Prebble patiently handled Absolute Champion at the tail of the field, racing in the slipstream of Sacred Kingdom who had exited the stalls a little untidily. Facing the breeze down the centre of the five-furlong chute, Sacred Kingdom assumed the lead with over a furlong to race, but could never fully escape the attentions of a rival who drew level and led inside the final few strides. Able Prince finished third of the eight runners.    

"It's a bit of a surprise, I suppose, but you can never underestimate these top horses. Absolute Champion is a former world champion, after all, and he never runs a bad race. We didn't come here today thinking that we would beat the current world champion in Sacred Kingdom but we had planned to do our best," winning trainer David Hall reflected.    

"I think he has been running as well this year as he last season - it's just that Sacred Kingdom had been too good for him on a couple of occasions. We had a small hiccup last week when he missed some work with bruising to his near fore foot but maybe being that bit fresher today has been in his favour.

"We decided on quieter tactics with him today, to save him up for a big kick at the finish. It was terrific ride by Brett, too. He's one of the best in the world."

Hall said Absolute Champion would stay in Hong Kong for the remaining two legs of the legs of the Champion Sprint Series: the Chairman's Sprint Prize (1200m) on February 17 and the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) on March 16.

The latter race is shaping up as the race of the season given the likely rematch of Absolute Champion and Sacred Kingdom with Good Ba Ba, the best miler locally after victories in both the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile and the Stewards' Cup, also in the reckoning.