By Alan Carasso
John Size only arrived in Hong Kong in 2001, but since then has established himself as a trainer of the highest order, with no fewer than nine premierships to his credit. That most recent title came just last season, when he posted a record 94 wins, some 27 clear of John Moore. The Australian handler came into this year's international race meeting as the owner of one of the true statistical anomalies, having been represented by just one winner of the big four races. Mr Stunning (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) was pounded into 9-10 favouritism for Sunday's G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint and parlayed a perfect trip into a narrow success from stablemate D B Pin (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}).
Mr Stunning jumped alertly beneath Nash Rawiller and was in the firing line early on, but was content to take back into third as 2015 Sprint hero Peniaphobia (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) and the Japanese speedball Once In a Moon (Jpn) (Admire Moon {Jpn}) hooked up in an enervating speed duel and threw down an opening quarter-mile in a swift :23.37. Peniaphobia took control approaching the entrance to the straight, but the taxing early splits were bound to take their toll, and Mr Stunning cruised up to join the battle with a little less than a quarter mile to the finish. Roused to the front just outside the 200m, Mr Stunning kicked nicely while bracing for the challenge of D B Pin and found the line narrowly in front. The latter sat a tough trip three wide on the turn and came wide for the drive before staying on well. Blizzard (Aus) (Starcraft {NZ}) was a good third just ahead of second choice Lucky Bubbles (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}). It was the fastest winning time in the Sprint since Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) whooshed home in 1:08.25 in 2013.
“I wasn't too worried about them chasing me down,” said Rawiller, scoring his first victory at the international meeting. “I was on the best horse at equal weight. It's been a long time coming this one in Hong Kong, so it means a lot.”
It was an historic win for Size for another reason, as he became the first to saddle the quinella in one of the HKIR.
“He's had a lovely lead-up into the race,” Size said. “His three runs were very good. He's trained well and trialled well all the way through to today. He's had every opportunity, he drew a good gate, he had a perfect run and Nash put him in a beautiful position so it was hard to see him being beaten from there. To D B Pin's credit, though, he's probably covered a lot of extra ground from the gate and he's made him work for it. Both horses have run very well.”
Mr Stunning, who came from nowhere to win his maiden at first asking at Happy Valley 22 months ago, had also won from the front, and had more recently become a stalk-and-pounce runner. A near-miss second to Lucky Bubbles in last year's G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize, the lightly framed bay was unplaced on his first run this term, but carried 133 pounds to a half-length defeat of Lucky Bubbles in the G2 Premier Bowl H. Oct. 22 and came away to a 1 1/2-length success over stablemate Amazing Kids (NZ) (Falkirk {NZ}) in the G2 Jockey Club Sprint when last seen Nov. 19.
For the near term–and beyond, potentially–Mr Stunning will be prepared for races at home and not overseas targets. The G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) next month and Chairman's Sprint Prize (1200m) in April are likely on the agenda.
Pedigree Notes:
Mr Stunning, the 11th Group 1 winner for his sire, is out of a daughter of US MGISW Fran's Valentine (Saros {GB}), also runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff and later the dam of the popular gray galloper, the MGISW With Anticipation (Relaunch), himself runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. Fran's Valentine was also responsible for French GSW & MG1SP With Fascination (Dayjur). With Fervour's last listed produce is the now 3-year-old Mossman (Aus) filly With Faith (Aus). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
LONGINES HONG KONG SPRINT-G1, HK$18,500,000 (£1,770,994/€2,013,841/A$3,154,901/US$2,370,638), Sha Tin, 12-10, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.40, gd.
1–MR STUNNING (AUS), 126, g, 5, by Exceed and Excel (Aus)
1st Dam: With Fervour, by Dayjur
2nd Dam: Fran's Valentine, by Saros (GB)
3rd Dam: Iza Valentine, by Bicker
*1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (A$110,000 Wlg '13 INGGSW; NZ$250,000 Ylg '14 NZBPRE). O-Maurice Koo Win Chong; B-Makybe Breeding & Racing (Vic); T-John Size; J-Nash Rawiller; HK$10,545,000. Lifetime Record: 16-10-2-1, HK$27,023,600. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]2–D B Pin (NZ), 126, g, 5, Darci Brahma (NZ)–Pins 'N' Needles (NZ), by Pins (Aus). (NZ$200,000 Ylg '14 NZBPRE). O-Samuel Wong Yin Shun; B-Mrs K N & W E Calder; T-John Size; HK$4,070,000.
3–Lucky Bubbles (Aus), 126, g, 6, Starcraft (NZ)–Stormy Choice (Aus), by Redoute's Choice (Aus). (A$75,000 Ylg '13 INGMEL). O-Infinitude Stable; B-G S A Bloodstock Pty Ltd (Vic); T-Ricky Yiu; HK$1,850,000.
Margins: NK, 1HF, 3/4. Odds: 9-10, 20-1, 44-1.
Also Ran: Lucky Bubbles (Aus), Amazing Kids (NZ), Let's Go Donki (Jpn), Thewizardofoz (Aus), The Right Man (GB), Peniaphobia (Ire), Not Listenin'tome (Aus), Stormy Liberal, Once In a Moon (Jpn), Signs of Blessing (Ire).
Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. VIDEO.
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