Kan has eyes on Optic to pose early threat
There are few more colourful characters in racing than Brian Kan Ping-chee.
And even though some are amazed by his spartan training schedule, there can be no question that it is successful, as is testified by his finishing fourth in last year's premiership.
The multiple champion already has several of his team primed for early success and put a truckload of work into his charges last Sunday morning in a departure from normal procedure. (Monday is usually reserved for his fast work).
And yesterday morning one of the trojans of the team, Optic General, impressed as he clocked the fastest time in a marathon seven-trial session on the all-weather surface.
The seven-year-old faced the starter on no fewer than 19 occasions last term but did the stable proud with some solid late-season form, which included a gutsy sixth in the Chairman's Prize.
Optic General is something of a straight-course specialist and the way he moved yesterday was a good indication of his preparedness for an early win to back up his two successes from last term.
He showed blistering early speed to lead stablemate Happy Forever throughout and his fitness will carry him a long way when first produced.
There were good efforts in this heat from Lynx and Kimber and both these gallopers hit the line strongly without being unduly pressured.
The third heat was taken out by the speedy Monopoly Senior but the eye-catching runs came from Kevmate and Braveheart.
Kevmate has been moving along nicely in his work for Geoff Lane and the ultra-consistent four-year-old looks ready to carry on from where he left off last season. Braveheart was quietly ridden by Alan Munro but looks forward and is just the type to race well fresh.
David Hayes does not usually ask a lot of his horses in trials so it was interesting to see Prince Fortune take the fifth heat narrowly but impressively.
The five-year-old was disappointing last term, failing to win a race, but it may have been a case of him being too high in the ratings after early success in his first year of racing.
The gelding was tried in different pieces of gear last season but trialled without any eye-wear yesterday. He only had a head to spare on the post from the promising Midas with last-season griffin Canadian Maple travelling well in behind.
Tony Cruz-trained gallopers Primo and Asian Express took the last two trials in good fashion but no time was set in either batch.
Lower-grade galloper Lucky Day went well in the last heat while Laser Star looked full of running in the penultimate trial.
Cruz's charges had earlier caught the eye in trackwork with Lord Of Warriors, Aggressive Dragon and Quick Commander particularly impressive.
