RACING/HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL SPRINT:IRELAND'S SOLE Power was out of luck in Hong Kong yesterday morning as he had to settle for ninth in the €1.3 million International Sprint behind the local winner Lucky Nine.
On a Grade One card that saw the Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden complete a remarkable double in the mile-and-a-half Vase, the only Irish representative in the hugely valuable international festival at the Sha Tin track was never a factor in the six-furlong event.
Trainer Eddie Lynam was not discouraged though and is already looking forward to a 2012 campaign with his former Nunthorpe winner. “It was his first time round a right-handed bend and he was a little unbalanced,” Lynam said afterwards.
“We rolled the dice and it didn’t work out but he is a hell of a horse to look forward to next season.”
Dunaden’s Vase success was the sole overseas strike among the four Group One races with California Memory landing the Cup, with Cirrus Des Aigles only fifth, while Able One was too good for Cityscape in the Mile.
Craig Williams, who famously missed out on riding Dunaden in Melbourne due to suspension, was back on board yesterday as he beat off the Hong Kong hope Thumbs Up. Red Cadeaux, narrowly beaten in the Melbourne Cup, dead-heated for third yesterday.
“Melbourne was just one of those things,” Williams said. “I love this horse. He tried to put me on the floor on Tuesday and I knew he was in great form. When I asked him to he set his sights on the bunny, his ears went back and he just took off.”
