Ivan Allan was eyeing a familiar path to international glory after new recruit Jeune King Prawn landed a narrow victory over Red Pepper in the Group One Champions Mile. Next stop for the four-year-old Danehill colt is the Yasuda Kinen in Japan on June 2 - a race won by Allan's Fairy King Prawn in the same colours two years ago.
'Yes, the Yasuda Kinen is the aim with this horse now,' Allan said. 'He had to win this race if he was going to go to Japan, but I liked the way he quickened up today and he has beaten a very good horse. I put the lugging bit on him and he didn't hang like he has in his recent races. It was tight at the end, but he's a tough horse and it was a good win.'
The similarities between the two 'King Prawns' are remarkable. Jeune King Prawn was having his first run for Allan since being switched from Ricky Yiu Poon-fie's stable by owner Philip Lau Sak-hong, just as Fairy King Prawn had been at around the same stage of his four-year-old career.
After one run for Allan, when he finished second over 1,200 metres, Fairy King Prawn then landed the Yasuda Kinen to become the first Hong Kong-trained horse to win an overseas Group One race. Fairy King Prawn, of course, already had the Hong Kong Sprint on his roll of honour before joining Allan, whereas yesterday's win was Jeune King Prawn's first Group One success in domestic company.
'He's not done as much as Fairy King Prawn had at this stage, but he's a horse with potential,' Allan said. 'I'm grateful to the owner for giving me the chance to train this horse and I'm happy to have won another Group One for him. We'll have to see how far this horse can go now.'
Jeune King Prawn reversed form with Red Pepper from their previous meeting in the Stewards' Cup in January, when the pair were separated by 3.75 lengths as they filled the minor placings behind Electronic Unicorn. Red Pepper looked an unlucky loser this time, having to weave his way through horses in the straight while Jeune King Prawn had a good run from midfield.