Hall Of Fame trainer David Hayes is willing to have a throw at the stumps with 2023 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Little Brose (Per Incanto) when he lines up in Sunday’s Gr.1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin.
The three-year-old colt will make his Hong Kong debut in the 1200-metre contest, having had five trials to prepare for the occasion.
“He’s a Group One winner and there’s not many international Group Ones in Hong Kong over the sprint distance, so we thought we may as well have a crack at it,” Hayes explained to Racing.com at Sha Tin.
“He does sprint well fresh, he’s a lazy worker, his trials have been ok.
“The great thing is, in the old days in Hong Kong, if you ran a place, you were murdered in the handicap, you might go up 15 (points) off his rating, or 20.
“Now, the maximum, you’re capped at five and if he wins, we’re happy to take the massive penalty but if he runs a place, he can still go back and run through the grades, which gives the owners a real chance.
“I think it’s a great initiative by the (Hong Kong) Jockey Club.”
Sunday’s Group One contest will see Little Brose clash with classy Hong Kong sprinters California Spangle (Starspangledbanner) and Victor The Winner (Toronado), as well as Japanese contenders Mad Cool (Dark Angel) and Sunrise Ronaldo (Harbinger) plus British filly Believing (Mehmas).
“We’ll be very happy if he can be fighting out the finish,” Hayes said.
“We’re a long way off being confident, it’s a big ask, an international first-up, but if he was coming from Australia, representing Australia, first-up, you never know.
“For me, I think Victor’s the one to beat the way the weather is, I just think he’s going to love this wet track.”
While Little Brose hasn’t raced since his midfield effort behind Griff (Trapeze Artist) in last year’s Caulfield Guineas, Hayes believes that the three-year-old colt will be better suited over the shorter distances in his new home.
“I hope he can be a top-level sprinter and can be not only a Group One two-year-old, which Australia loves, if he can be an international Group One sprinter, it has massive appeal back home when he retires,” Hayes said.
