HOT KING PRAWN 旺蝦王
21st October 2018
Emerging Price Bloodstock superstar, Hot King Prawn looked every inch a Hong Kong Sprint contender at Sha Tin on Sunday when he shrugged off any concerns about a tricky draw and running a strong 1,200m with a comprehensive win the Group Two Premier Bowl.
One of the traditional stepping stones to the international meeting in December, the Bowl featured last year’s Hong Sprint winner, Mr Stunning and another Price Bloodstock Group One winner of the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, Ivictory, so there was nowhere to hide in terms of quality but Hot King Prawn measured up in all departments under jockey Sam Clipperton.
“I was a bit worried about how much speed was drawn inside and whether we would get a smooth run, but Hot King Prawn musters so much speed in such a short time out of the barriers that he takes all that out of the equation and that’s what good sprinters do,” Clipperton said, after the grey crossed to lead from barrier seven and was never headed. “We got across the field within a hundred metres and from then on it was pretty much all over. I was able to throw the brakes on and because I got those cheap sectionals mid race it was always going to be very hard for them to run us down. I sensed that there were horses getting within a length of us in the straight but he pulled away at the end and was very strong to the line.”
The win made Hot King Prawn’s record 8 wins from 9 starts and pushed him past $10 million in stakes but the best is still ahead and a date with his first Group One task in December lies ahead.
“You certainly couldn’t ask him to do much more than he’s done,” said trainer John Size. “He has done it all in handicaps so far and the proven Group One horses had to give weight to him today. He’ll face an added challenge in the set weights races but his winning record is almost perfect and that gives you plenty of confidence that he’s up to the challenge. ”
Price Bloodstock will be seeking a fourth win in the Jockey Club Sprint next month with Hot King Prawn, in another likely clash with Ivictory, after previously taking it out with Silent Witness (twice), and Enthused.