Trainer John Size has already masterminded one victory over Golden Sixty this season and he puts a saddle on more than a third of the field in the FWD Champions Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday in an attempt to wrest another Group One prize from Hong Kong’s superstar.
It’s Golden Sixty’s conqueror Waikuku who spearheads the challenge but after he finished a disappointing last in the Group Two Chairman’s Trophy (1,600m) in his latest start, Size is unsure what to expect from the second-highest-rated horse in Hong Kong this weekend.
“There didn’t appear to be anything wrong with him after his last race,” Size said. “He pulled up OK, looked fine the following day and he’s trialled since. His trial was normal so I think we have to go back to the races and see if we get a different result.
“Usually he doesn’t run well in April, he hasn’t for three years in a row but I’ve just got no evidence to suggest that there’s something wrong with him, so I’ll try him one more time. This is the last big race on the calendar for him so we’ll see how we go.”
Excellent Proposal has found things tough this season after performing with credit in the four-year-old series last term and Size is hopeful that he is capable of picking up some prize money.
“He’s found it difficult this season,” Size said. “He’s running well and his last couple of runs have been quite sound, so we’ll just persevere.
Size leads the Way as Champion’s and Brilliant bring up double for Leung family
“He’s in an awkward spot, once you get rated over 100 here, you get thrown in the deep end and you have to swim to survive, so we’ll try again. He’s in good health and it wouldn’t surprise me if he grabbed some prize money.”
Champion’s Way is the final member of Size’s squad but looks up against it at this level.
“In this grade he struggles,” Size said. “If he can get some prize money, present well and race well then we have to be satisfied with that.”
It’s not only the Champions Mile in which Size goes in mob-handed as he also saddles a trio of runners in the Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m), with Sight Success perhaps harbouring most of the yard’s hopes after finishing a decent second behind dual Group One winner Wellington last time.
“This season he’s been very good,” Size said. “He’s made improvement along the way and maybe that’s surprising compared with his form last season, but he’s a five-year-old, a strong horse and probably now in his prime for Hong Kong racing.”
Hot King Prawn is approaching the veteran stage of his career but is still capable of mixing it with the best when on song.
“He’s an older horse now. He’s seven and he appears to be in pretty good shape or he wouldn’t be racing. He was a little unlucky a couple of runs back so there’s a glimmer of hope there that he might run well,” the 11-time champion trainer said.
Size’s final Group One runner is Lucky Express, who could well run a good race at a decent price.
“He’s similar to a couple of the mile horses in that he’s got up to a rating where he’s finding it difficult,” Size said.
“When he’s run in Group races at 1,200m he’s not getting beaten far, he was beat only a length and three-quarters last start.
“In those races at present it seems everybody has got a shot at grabbing some prize money so we’ll give him his chance. He’s got plenty of ability, won plenty of money but he’s just not a prolific winner.”
