Emerging stayer Khaya may have surprised some this season with his spirited performances, but not his trainer John Size, and the lightly weighted front runner looms as a knockout hope against established stars in Saturday's Centenary Vase at Sha Tin.

With just 113 pounds and a weight pull over the last two horse of the year winners, Designs On Rome and Military Attack, Khaya heads into the lead-up to next month's Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup looking capable of giving them a scare.

Khaya came into this term having won four from 14, but after a first-up win put him into Class One, a second to Flintshire in the Hong Kong Vase announced him as a contender for the end-of-season staying features.

“I think he has just lived up to his promise,” Size said. “He looked like the type of horse that would be competitive as we increased the distances of his race and he has done exactly that. He doesn’t do anything wrong.”

Karis Teetan again rides Khaya and promised to give plenty of cheek in front and "make the favourites work with the weight”.

“That weight difference is the key – I am getting 20 pounds off Military Attack and carrying 18 less than Designs On Rome,” he said. “I give Khaya a big chance. I rode him in a trial recently and he went brilliantly – he is headed in the right direction, that’s for sure. He is a handy, tough sort of horse that likes to get out and gallop and the horses carrying those big weights will have to work hard if they want to catch him.”

Size, who has won the Centenary Vase twice – with Dr More in 2003 and Special Days in 2010 – also saddles up honest middle-distance performer Endowing, with the trainer hoping for an inside draw for the six-year-old.

Endowing has drawn gate one three times in his 24-start career, returning a second in the 2013 Hong Kong Derby followed by wins at Group Two and Group Three level early last term, which boosted the horse’s rating above 120.

“He, more than most, certainly seems to benefit from being drawn next to the rail,” Size said. “He has also run well early in his preparations, particularly last season, when the others might not have been at their best and building up to the bigger races. It is hard for him to return his really good figures if he doesn’t have those advantages."

 

  • Stewards yesterday announced that John Moore-trained Harbour Master returned a positive to anti-inflammatory drug indometacin following his win at Happy Valley on January 28.

 

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