News

Encosta’s Sacred is King

22nd Feb 2010

Stallions - Michelle Cullen - Monday, 22 February 2010

Sacred Kingdom demolised his rivals in Hong Kong at Sha Tin on Sunday night when he took the second leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series with an easy victory in the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint (1200m).

Sacred Kingdom gave John Moore’s pair of Sunny King and Happy Zero short back and sides. Owned by Sin Kang-yuk Sacred Kingdom is likely to be sent to Japan for his next start in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo Racecourse, Nagoya, on 28 March.

The win was Sacred Kingdom’s 15th from his 23 starts, 10 of which have been at local or international group level.

Sacred Kingdom travelled back in the pack for most of the Chairman’s Sprint and appeared to be in a pocket rounding the home turn, but the field fanned and Brett Prebble got Sacred Kingdom in the clear and sprinted quickly.

Sunny King gave chase but was never a danger and Sacred Kingdom won by a length-and-a-quarter. Happy Zero boxed on for third.

A $200,000 purchase from the draft of Kornong Stud Farm at the 2005 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Sacred Kingdom was bred by the Calvert family and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Opter being from the Zeditave mare Courtroom Sweetie, a full sister to Group Two winner Love of Mary.

Courtroom Sweetie did not have a foal last year having missed to Encosta de Lago in 2008, but was covered by him again last spring.