PRINCE Baikal looked one of the most improved horses in training yesterday when taking the opening Class Five sprint down the straight 1,000 metres in a canter. The official margin of his four-length success said it all. He bolted home in style and while he will go up considerably in the handicap for this easiest of wins, there should at least be another success in the locker for the rapidly-improving four-year-old trained by Wong Tang-ping. He looks a very versatile horse as he won first time out over a mile and here he was dominating his rivals in a sprint. His win was all the more impressive considering that second-placed Auto Focus, with Francis K.S. Lam taking a handy 10 pounds from his back, third-home Double Delight and fourth-placed Say Yes all have good form down the straight. While he will have much more to do next time out when racing from the top of Class Four, it is hard not to conclude that on this showing he has the potential to mix it in Class Three. There was a stewards' inquiry into this race. The reason was not immediately obvious but it transpired that it was into Lam being thrown from Auto Focus and not being able to weigh. Double Delight ran his usual honest race for third while Say Yes put in his best effort for some time - appreciating the easier company - to stay on and just miss snatching the tierce place.
