Brett Prebble is uniquely placed to make a comparison between up-and-coming types Lucky Bubbles and Amazing Kids before the pair clash in the Group Two Sprint Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday and has no doubt both are heading to the top.
“They are the next two top sprinters in Hong Kong and they are two high-class horses that both have an exceptional turn of foot,” Prebble said of the four-year-olds.
Prebble will ride Lucky Bubbles for trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai in Sunday’s set-weights race, but partnered John Size-trained Amazing Kids to an impressive victory in January, before having to choose between the pair.
Lucky Bubbles was then unlucky in defeat, Prebble getting boxed-in until late, behind Amazing Kids but bounced back with a dominant Class One win two weeks ago.
“They were first and second, but I didn’t get a proper chance to have a race with him, if we both get our chance it should be between these two on Sunday,” he said.
Lucky Bubbles faces seven rivals and gets a golden opportunity to dip a toe into the deep end with top-ranked sprinters Peniaphobia, Aerovelocity, Not Listenin’tome and Gold-Fun absent.
“He doesn’t have to really go to a new level to be winning or competing on Sunday, if there was a top line sprinter there it would be a different story, as his rating is still a little bit off that,” said Prebble, who said Lucky Bubbles’ physical development could be the key to taking that next step.
“He is not fully furnished yet. For a sprinter of his calibre, he is quite petite, he is a bit like a filly and if he ever does put on the an extra 30 or 40 pounds he might go to a whole new level.
“That’s the edge that Amazing Kids has on him, they are like chalk and cheese. Amazing Kids is a lump of a horse underneath you – he is a big boy – but Lucky Bubbles isn’t complete yet.”
Prebble also rides Size-trained Contentment in the Group Two Chairman’s Trophy at a mile after the consistent gelding’s breakthrough Group One victory last time out in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup.
“He is just a soldier and he turns up every time,” Prebble said. “I’m looking forward to getting back on him, his trial leading into this was great and John has him fit and ready.”
