News

Inspiration Bounces Back

2nd Feb 2009

Breednet - Tara Madgwick - Monday, 2 February 2009

Flying Spur gelding Inspiration scored a surprise win in the Group One HK International Sprint back in December and recaptured that form when taking out the Centenary Sprint Cup HK Gr 1 at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Seventh last start in the Bauhinia Sprint Trophy HK Gr3, Inspiration reverted to his best on Sunday for leading rider Gerald Mosse, turning the tables on two horses that finished in front of him on that occasion in Yellow Diamond (Commands) and Enthused (Centaine) with world champion sprinter Sacred Kingdom (Encosta de Lago) finishing fourth in his first run back from injury.

The John Moore trained Inspiration drew a wide gate and was content to let the speedsters go, swooping home late to score by half a length in 56.91 seconds.

"We were positioned on the right side of the track and he travelled nicely on the rails, breathing well. When I asked him for the effort he quickened and I always felt we would do enough. He had still had more left in the finish so it was a very nice win", said Mosse.

Moore, meanwhile, was not getting carried away with the victory with a horse that began the season in a Class 2 sprint at Happy Valley, but is now ranked among the world's best sprinters.

"I would never have believed that could happen, but it just shows how well the stable has been going," said Moore, who leads the trainers' premiership by nine wins from John Size.

"We'll look forward to the next run (Chairman’s Sprint Prize Feb 22) but I'd still be very wary of Sacred Kingdom when he has a run under his belt. As for Dubai, we were accepted a few days ago for the 1200m Gr.1 race there on sand and he has certainly earned his place in the field."

A $420,000 purchase from the Arrowfield draft at the 2005 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Inspiration has now won eight of 25 starts, earning $HK13.9 million.

Inspiration is a three-quarter brother to stakes-winners Lucky Unicorn and Provence (both by Redoute’s Choice) being from the very smart producer La Bamba, a half-sister by Last Tycoon (IRE) to Group One winners Festal and Masked Party.

La Bamba has a yearling colt by Snitzel entered for the 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and had a colt by Redoute’s Choice last spring before returning to Inspiration’s sire Flying Spur.

Inspiration was also the second leg of a winning double for Flying Spur at Sha Tin, the Arrowfield heavyweight having scored earlier with three year-old gelding National Glory, who saluted for the dynamic combination of champion trainer John Size and champion jockey Douglas Whyte.

A $220,000 purchase for the Hong Kong Jockey Club from the draft of Cambridge Stud at the 2007 NZB Premier Yearling Sale, National Glory scored his first win in seven starts and is from the Fuji Kiseki (Jpn) mare Floating World, from the prolific ‘Twiglet’ family of HK Horse of the Year Fairy King Prawn.