Date posted June 17, 2009 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Racing and Breeding Ricky Yiu Poon-fai couldn’t have issued a much more upbeat bulletin ahead of Sacred Kingdom’s tilt at the Group I Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday.
Reporting from Manton in Wiltshire, on Monday, Yiu said the temporary base had “brought out the best” in his world’s highest-rated sprinter.
“I was amazed when I saw him yesterday for the first time since he left home. He looks terrific,” the trainer declared, “and to me it looks like he’s enjoying this trip even better than the last one to Singapore.”
“He’s travelled really well. Although the journey was more than 28 hours from Hong Kong he’s fine and he’s gradually putting on the weight he lost on the flight ….he’s eating up well. He’s enjoying the climate and environment here.”
Tomorrow morning (Wednesday) will see Sacred Kingdom have his final hit-out on the uphill turf gallop usually reserved for string of Brian Meehan, the Manton Estate’s resident trainer.
Race jockey Brett Prebble – two for two on Sacred Kingdom, including last month’s memorable triumph in the Group I KrisFlyer International Sprint – will partner the five-year-old in the gallop.
Yiu and Prebble attended the first day of the Royal meeting to get a feel for the track and watch any potential rivals in the King’s Stand Stakes.
The going at Ascot last night was rated ‘good-to-firm’ with the chance of showers between now and Saturday – but, it seems, nothing like the summer deluge that has blighted many a British summer in recent years.
As such, the going is expected to be good come post time for the Group I Golden Jubilee (1200m), which may work against another of his rivals, senior citizen, Takeover Target.
UK bookmakers generally rank JJ The Jet Plane, trained by Mike de Kock, as the race favourite with Sacred Kingdom on the next line of betting.
