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Murray Bell

Derby winner crying out for 2,400 metres now, says O'Sullivan
With Vital King, Paul O'Sullivan has one international contender safely into his target race and the former 11-time champion trainer of New Zealand must now hit the right note with Medic Power in Saturday's HK$3 million Cathay Pacific International Sprint Trial.
Vital King, hero of the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby in March, showed he's a live chance for the Hong Kong Vase on December 9 with his excellent fourth to Viva Pataca in Sunday's Cup Trial at 2,000m.
O'Sullivan said yesterday that Vital King had pulled up well from the race and it was now a case of full steam ahead towards the metric mile-and-a-half at the turf world championships.
'With the five pound penalty for being a Group One winner, he was meeting Viva Pataca at level weights and that's never an attractive prospect,' O'Sullivan said.
'But I thought he ran very well. He looked up nicely in the straight, without saying he looked a threat to Viva Pataca, and probably just came to the end of his run inside the final 100 metres.
'Both Brett [Prebble] and I thought it was a good run, and he's really crying out for the 2,400 metres now.'
Vital King also caught the eye of the Jockey Club's senior handicapper Nigel Gray, who said the Derby winner had definitely enhanced his prospects for the Vase.
'Carrying the five pound penalty and running so well, just 21/4 lengths from the winner, was a very decent performance from Vital King and if he enjoys the step up to 2,400 metres as much as everyone thinks he will, he'll no doubt give a good account against the visitors,' Gray said.
Vital King may have a surprise opponent in the Vase, with trainer David Ferraris saying yesterday he's keeping his options open on a start for Vengeance Of Rain instead of the HK$20 million Hong Kong Cup at 2,000m.
Ferraris admitted he's in Viva Pataca-avoidance mode, and the direction John Moore and owner Stanley Ho Hung-sun go with Viva  Pataca will have a large bearing on his decision.
'I don't want to be having a head-to-head with that horse again, not in the form he's in and with the ideal preparation he's had,' he said.
'We haven't had the ideal preparation, we'll be going into December 9 with only one run under our belt, and that's not easy. Quite frankly, I'll be looking at the option that I think is easiest on the horse.'
Meanwhile, O'Sullivan said he cannot fault Medic Power's progress since his first-up third as an odds-on favourite in the Premier Bowl on October 21.
'He hasn't missed a beat,' O'Sullivan said. 'He's moving nicely in his work, he's definitely fitter for that first-up run and he's going to have his chance on Saturday.
'It's going to be great race, no doubt, and on his performance the other day, Absolute Champion is the one they all have to beat again. It was a terrific performance to come from as far back as he did, on a track where it was quite difficult to make up a lot of ground.'
The International Sprint Trial will represent a three-way clash between Absolute Champion, Medic Power and Sacred Kingdom, with the 2006 Hong Kong Sprint hero forced to concede the young challengers five pounds.
For the record
Vital King has earned HK$10,430,000 from this many outings: 10



Vital King is live chance for the Hong Kong Vase