The unbeaten Courier Wonder (NZ) (Sacred Falls) is poised to make an eagerly awaited return to racing in next month’s Gr.2 Premier Bowl Handicap (1200m) on Sunday, 17 October after pleasing trainer John Size at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning.
Tuning up for his seasonal return with a barrier trial on the dirt under jockey Joao Moreira, the 107-rater stretched out under his own steam, crossing the line first in 1m 02.05s (1050m) ahead of Circuit Booming and Spend, respectively.
“He seems alright, it looks like everything is working, I’ll know more when I go home and check him but he’s been good, he’s come back fine, so we’ll give him another trial and see what he looks like then,” Size said.
Boasting a perfect five-for-five record, the smart racer by Sacred Falls made a rapid ascent through the grades last term to snatch Group Three glory at his final run, claiming the Sha Tin Vase Handicap (1200m).
“We’ll trial him again and then based on what he does then we’ll make a plan from there, there’s not too many options, so it’s just matter of whether he runs on the 17th (of October) or not, but at the moment I would think he’s ok,” the handler said.
The prodigious talent won the end of season Group Three as the least experienced runner in the race, securing a classy victory against a collection of the circuit’s fastest horses, the majority of which he will meet again as he builds towards December’s Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m).
The galloper incurred a 55-point hike in the ratings for his first season heroics as a three-year-old, earning the mantle as Hong Kong’s Most Improved Horse at the 2020/21 Champion Awards.
“There doesn’t seem to be a lot of change between seasons but we’re hoping that he lives up to his rating and that he keeps up with that and improves, his age can help him there and with his inexperience he should have more in him,” Size said.
The four-year-old was a $150,000 purchase by bloodstock agent John Foote out of the 2019 New Zealand Bloostock National Yearling Sale from the draft of Waikato Stud. He is also a full brother to Icebath (NZ), runner-up in the Gr.1 Doncaster Mile Handicap (1600m) at Randwick last April.
