It hasn't been smooth sailing for connections of Master Power, but a slashing trial at Sha Tin yesterday suggests an imminent dividend for owner Chow Kay-yui and trainer John Moore.
Master Power was the most impressive of five trial winners, with his strong sprint at the finish of the second heat over 1,050m on the all-weather track looking to be a sound pointer towards a win in the immediate future.
Master Power, handled by Darren Beadman, balanced towards the rear, while Class Five speedball Super Red (Marco Chui Kwan-lai) made the play up front. But, despite the fact he was in the second half of the field, Master Power was always travelling strongly.
Once Beadman hooked Master Power into the clear at the top of the straight, he quickened up nicely and went to the line with a head to spare over Winning Ahead (Douglas Whyte).
The slender margin tells only part of the story because Beadman barely moved on Master Power, whereas Whyte asked Winning Ahead some serious questions.
Master Power is now a four-year-old but the win that qualified him to come to Hong Kong was achieved as a two-year-old - the Tommy Smith Slipper in December, 2005.
The gelding arrived with a domestic rating of 85 and, as an early-season three-year-old, he just didn't have what it took to be competing in Class Two without any relief under the weight-for-age scale.
