End-of-season delight in store for super Size
John Size showed he has plenty more ammunition in the can with his stable catching the eye in last Friday's and yesterday's all-weather track barrier trials at Sha Tin.
The job left to do in such a short space of time - with five meetings to go - is by no means easy for Size, but the champion trainer, who landed a three-timer on Sunday, is not done yet and is putting the heat on trainers' leader Tony Cruz - nine clear to date.
But Size would have gained some heart when Emperor Claudius, Voile Rouge, Fulfil A Wish and Fay Fay (all last Friday), and Entrapment, Lucky Bravo, You Gotta Pay, Shining Victory and Rich Unicorn (yesterday) showed they are fit and well to end the season in style.
Brilliant last-start winner Fulfil A Wish, who is entered for this Sunday's feature event over 1,400m, had a good blow-out with Douglas Whyte in the irons. He travelled sweetly in wet conditions in the first heat over 1,200m and was allowed to ease just before the winning post behind last-start flop Emperor Claudius, who once again trialled exceptionally well, and newcomer Voile Rouge.
The effort indicated Commands' three-year-old is ready to help his mentor continue his winning ways.
Well-performed import Voile Rouge showed big improvement in his latest trial as he ran under his own steam with Keith Yeung Ming-lun - clocking 22 seconds for the final split - and Size will be itching to get him to the races before the season comes to an end.
The Encosta de Lago four-year-old, who arrived off a mark of 92 after racking up three wins and six placings from 16 Australian starts, will definitely make his presence felt in the Hong Kong scene.
Fay Fay - who hasn't been to the races since winning by 43/4 lengths in his final start over 1,400m in a griffin race last July, caught the eye in the second heat over the same trip when dashing home well to finish third behind Happy Eagle after giving good five lengths to the leaders.
Size has been taking his time with the three-year-old, who had a minor leg injury in October, but has been ticking along well in the mornings.
Entrapment has been making waves in trials and it looks like the talented four-year-old is back to full fitness after another smashing hit out with Whyte yesterday.
Off his rating mark of 115, Entrapment has only a Class One 1,600m event on July 10 or may be back in action next term.
