No stopping dashing sprinter this time
Trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing had a close link with the late Jockey Club chairman, Alan Li Fook-sum and looks doubly-strong in his bid to win the race named in his honour at Sha Tin today.
Li's racehorses in his latter years were in the Ivan Allan stable where Shum was assistant to the master trainer and, in Special King Prawn (Robbie Fradd) and Triumphant Unicorn (Shane Dye), he has the firepower to take the Class One Li Cup over 1,200 metres.
Special King Prawn's supporters will need to forget his recent finishing positions to be confident but there are reasons to believe the dashing sprinter can return to form.
The last time he was tried in similar class over the same course, Special King Prawn charged home to win and connections then embarked on a course towards the Hong Kong Derby.
While Special King Prawn was not disgraced at 1,600m in the Classic Mile, he found the 2,000m of the Derby beyond his stamina and finished at the rear but it was a run to be overlooked in the wider assessment of the four-year-old's abilities.
Last start, he dropped back to the more suitable 1,200m but never looked comfortable in blinkers for the first time and when you're taking on Silent Witness & Co, comfort is imperative.
But with blinkers off and a drop to handicap class, Special King Prawn can recapture his real form. He has Fradd in the saddle for the first time, but it would be a familiar sight in the winner's circle - Fradd was the regular rider of the great Fairy King Prawn in the same colours until a high-profile sacking during 2001.
On the other hand, Shum has lightly-weighted Triumphant Unicorn lining up after what many considered a fortunate win over My Choice.
My Choice was baulked at a vital stage or he probably would have won, but Triumphant Unicorn should appreciate the drop to 1,200m notwithstanding that he has won twice recently at 1,400m.
The talented four-year-old is getting plenty of weight from his rivals even if Dye rides him at the advertised one pound overweight.
Incidentally, Dye won the same race on this day last year for David Hayes with Always Welcome and Hayes will be hoping the drop in class for Planet Ruler can do the trick today.
The gelding was unlucky not to run second to Silent Witness last week at 1,400m, and is racing particularly well but paid the price with 132 pounds. Hayes has used Alex Lai Hoi-wing to take advantage of the apprentice's seven pound allowance.
Others down from the top grade, Natural Blitz and Multidandy look to have claims and it would not surprise to see Dynamic Fun to shock while fresh. He has not often run at sprints but finished fourth in smart time last year after a break.
