HE $1.82 million Hong Kong Sprint, which had been won by an Australian-bred horse every year since it was first run in 2000, had a change of flavour yesterday with the South African-bred-and-trained J J The Jet Plane triumphant, reports The Age.It says: Champion South African rider Piere Strydom had J J The Jet Plane perfectly placed in fourth behind Rocket Man as the field settled down with favourite Sacred Kingdom just behind him.Rocket Man, who ran a heartbreaking fourth second placing in an
HE $1.82 million Hong Kong Sprint, which had been won by an Australian-bred horse every year since it was first run in 2000, had a change of flavour yesterday with the South African-bred-and-trained J J The Jet Plane triumphant, reports The Age.
It says: Champion South African rider Piere Strydom had J J The Jet Plane perfectly placed in fourth behind Rocket Man as the field settled down with favourite Sacred Kingdom just behind him.
Rocket Man, who ran a heartbreaking fourth second placing in an international group 1 event, raced past the leader Dim Sum at the 250 metres with J J The Jet Plane joining in out wide, as Sacred Kingdom came through on the inside. However, Rocket Man could not get a break and in the final drive to the line, J J The Jet Plane, trained by ''Lucky'' Houdalakis won by a short head with Sacred Kingdom a further three-quarters of a length away.
''I didn't want to give Rocket Man too much start so made a move before the turn and he kept giving all the way to the line,'' Strydom said.
''For Lucky to get him back from the UK and come back [to his best] is an amazing feat,'' Strydom said.
Houdalakis had trained J J The Jet Plane with success in South Africa as a two-year-old but when the horse's owners decided to campaign him overseas, he felt he didn't have the experience required and handed him over to globetrotting South African trainer Mike de Kock.