Torryburn Stud bred and sold sprinter Hot King Prawn will carry high hopes into the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) in three weeks’ time after shrugging off a wide passage and nine rivals to win the G2 Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
The dashing grey son of Denman scored by three-quarters of a length pleasing connections with his performance.
Champion jockey Joao Moreira and trainer John Size were well satisfied that the six-year-old is in form good enough perhaps to snare a long-awaited first career G1.
“He’s won with authority – not to disrespect the other horses in the race because some of those might improve as well but I just couldn’t be any happier with him. He’s going to December as an improving horse; he’s a class horse, a quality horse, and we can go there with plenty of confidence – there’s no doubt that that’s the race we want to win,” the Brazilian said after Hot King Prawn held off Computer Patch and the late-charging Rattan.
Two years ago, Hot King Prawn and Moreira sealed this race with a strong front-running display before the same approach resulted in a disappointing ninth in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint when favourite and then last year he was second in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint when edged out by his stablemate Beat the Clock.
But nowadays Hot King Prawn is a more mature commodity and may yet claim the elusive Group I win.
“I wasn’t worried because I knew I was going into the race with a fit horse,” Moreira said.
“He’s got a little bit more mature and he hasn’t been showing as much speed as early on in his career, but I just can’t see that as a bad thing because all we want is to have a strong horse at the finish and he’s proven to be that kind of horse today. He’s one of a kind.”
Hot King Prawn has the overall record of 11 wins and seven placings from 21 starts.
“He’s six years old this season but sometimes our good horses can be that age and still do their best. Hong Kong is a place where mature horses can have an advantage sometimes,” said John Size.
“ He had one start before the Hong Kong Sprint last season because he was coming back off a colic operation, so he was a little bit disadvantaged, so this time he’s probably had a more comfortable preparation.”
Hot King Prawn was a $90,000 Inglis Classic purchase for Aquanita Racing from the Torryburn Stud draft and was bred and sold by Torryburn. He is a half-brother to four other winners including Group III winner Siren’s Fury being from Unbridled’s Song (USA) mare De Chorus, a daughter of stakes-winner Val de Grace.
Torryburn Stud sold the two year-old half-brother by Capitalist to Hot King Prawn for $540,000 at Inglis Easter this year to Hawkes Racing.
De Chorus has a yearling colt by Hot King Prawn’s sire Denman, who stands at Twin Hills Stud at a fee of $8,800.
