By Alan Carasso
With the recent retirement of the top sprinter Lucky Nine (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), jockey Brett Prebble was left with something of a void. But in the form of the progressive 4-year-old Lucky Bubbles (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}), who stormed home to take Sunday's Sprint Cup at Sha Tin, the veteran reinsman may just have found an animal that can carry him to similar lofty heights over the coming seasons.
A strong third behind the talented Sun Jewellery (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) in a Class 1 over 1400 metres Dec. 13, Lucky Bubbles failed to run out the trip when fourth to that foe in the Hong Kong Classic Mile Jan. 23 and it was back to shorter trips. Terribly unlucky when second to fellow 4-year-old Amazing Kids (NZ) (Falkirk {NZ}) going six furlongs down in Class 2 Feb. 14, the handsome chestnut was exiting an authoritative success when upped to Class 1 over this distance Mar. 20.
Perfectly positioned by Prebble in third as the commonly owned Rad (Aus) (Foreplay {Aus}) and Dundonnell (First Defence) knocked heads on the business end, Lucky Bubbles traveled up sweetly to that pair three wide off the point of the turn. He quickly put pay to them, hopped off onto his incorrect lead for a few strides, but lengthened away again once he switched back over and sprinted in handsomely clear. Amazing Kids just outfinished the useful Packing Pins (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) for second.
“He was just gone, he was awesome,” the winning jockey commented. “I've been very fortunate to ride some very good sprinters in my time and he's coming along, I'll tell you. For a young horse, the way he does it, he does it at the front end and then he shows that turn of foot at the back end. It's hard for them to do that at both ends of the race.”
Lucky Bubbles will head to the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize May 1, a race expected to attract top locals such as Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) and Gold-Fun (Ire) (Le Vie Dei Colori {GB}) as well as the Australian-trained duo of Buffering (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}) and Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}).
A Stratum (Aus) half-sister to Lucky Bubbles is catalogued as hip 216 to Wednesday's session of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. A November foal, the bay is consigned to Easter by Musk Creek Farm.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
SPRINT CUP, HK$4,000,000 (£362,956/€452,740/US$515,824), 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.36, gd.
1–#LUCKY BUBBLES (AUS), 123, g, 4, Sebring (Aus)–Bubble Below (Aus) (SP-Aus), by Hussonet. (A$90,000 Ylg '13 INGMEL). O-Lucky Syndicate; B-Gilgai Farm (Vic); T-Francis Lui; J-Brett Prebble; HK$2,280,000. Lifetime Record: 12-6-2-1, HK$8,456,530.
2–Amazing Kids (NZ), 123, g, 4, Falkirk (NZ)–Cadence (NZ), by Rhythm. O-Ricky Tsoi. HK$880,000.
3–Packing Pins (NZ), 123, g, 5, Pins (Aus)–Splashing Out (NZ), by O'Reilly (NZ). (NZ$160,000 Ylg '12 NZBPRE). O-Lee Wan Keung & Lee Wong Wai Kuen. HK$460,000.
Margins: 2, NK, 2. Odds: 19-10, 11-10, 41-10.
Also Ran: Divine Boy (Aus), Charles the Great (Ire), Frederick Engels (GB), Dundonnell, Rad (Aus).
Click for the HKJC.com chart. VIDEO.
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