Fairy King Prawn

[jrb]

FKP appears to have been in light work for a hell of a long time now - is he likely ever to make it back to the track ?

[corkey boy]

He hasn't been moving the best either jrb. I saw him the other morning looking slightly better but i doubt he'll be ready for the International races.

[shadey]

hey corkey boy,
do you goto trackwork often? what's its like? can anybody just go and watch? is it easy to figure out who is who? thks.

[jrb]

I went out to Sha Tin for trackwork the day before the Derby. Certainly you need to be invited if you want to watch proceedings from the infeld tower where all the trainers congregate.
It's easy enough to follow the horses if you know their official numbers, as they wear them on their saddle cloths.
Definitely worth a look.
[ November 14, 2002, 07:22 PM: Message edited by: jrb ]

[Horny Harry]

Anybody can turn up for trackwork during the "breakfast with the stars" that is held before some of the big racedays like the International meetings. There is a public area on the grandstand near the winning post, and you might be lucky enough to get a free cuppa as you watch the main chances work on the grass and listen to the call by Mr Raphael. They also have the vision of the workouts on the big screen.
Definatly need an invite to go to where the trainers watch their horses though, or a press pass to get in to the "special guest" area.
If you are in HK you can watch the trackwork on the television each night. The horses names are displayed on the televison. There are several trackwork shows to choose from.
Another way of checking out the horses is to access the Hong Kong Jockey Club site...if you have a decent computer you can watch the workouts on a race per race basis a day or two before the raceday.
Hong Kong Jockey Club. (http://www.hongkongjockeyclub.com/english/index.asp)
[ November 14, 2002, 08:01 PM: Message edited by: Horny Harry ]

[the mad mafoo]

anyone can go to the trackwork but not easy working out who is who. after many years I've worked out that the jockeys are on top and horses underneath. but so many horses. my idea is to split into three sections. brown horses, black ones and white ones. this covers most of them. but I have terrible trouble working out which is which when I want to have a bet? except the white ones, but they don't win much.

[Horny Harry]

JRB...you can always edit your message after posting by clicking on the paper and pen icon...( top right) this will take you back in time to when you were writing your post and you can make any changes then click submit again.

[shadey]

some interesting replies. how many people actually attend trackwork i wonder... must be some real racing fanatics :)

[boner]

Horny Harry was right! By clicking the pen iconI was taken back to a time when I wrote a post 3 weeks ago. I have cleaned up on the races since because I already knew the results! Thank you HH

[Horny Harry]

You're most welcome Boner...now you know why asianracing is the top forum in the world ( but shhh...dont tell a soul)

[corkey boy]

Quite a few people attend t/wrk. And many more like to go for the grass barrier trials both at Sha Tin and Happy Valley. Some may well be surprised that around 20-25 photographers snap away at t/wrk too - every morning !
All horses carry an ID number so its easy to recognise (all you have to do is remember which ID No belongs to which horse).
For the not so early risers you can tune into the t/wrk program(s) most nights on cable and as HH has correctly pointed out, you can also view the last workout of the horse on the JC website if it's participating in the upcoming meeting.

[Smithers]

Official Barrier Trials - FAIRY KING PRAWN
18 November 2002
Some months ago a decision was made that before FAIRY KING PRAWN can race again, it must perform satisfactorily in an official barrier trial and pass an official veterinary examination. FAIRY KING PRAWN last ran on 1 October 2001.
At the Sha Tin races last Saturday, a request was made that FAIRY KING PRAWN pass its official veterinary examination after a grass gallop and be relieved of the requirement to officially trial. This request was not acceded to. The stable was advised FAIRY KING PRAWN must trial publicly before racing. However the trial could be on the grass.
Today when entries were made for the All Weather Track trials, FAIRY KING PRAWN had been entered. Permission was sought that FAIRY KING PRAWN be transferred from batch 2 on the All Weather Track to batch 6 down the straight 1000 Metre turf track. This request has been acceded to and FAIRY KING PRAWN will participate in its official barrier trial tomorrow morning.

[jrb]

Any word on FKP's trial ?

[corkey boy]

It wasn't bad. See for yourself on the replay tonight 8.00pm Channel 18 on cable.

[imaufo]

Champion sprinter-miler Fairy King Prawn may yet return to international competition on December 15 after the first test of his damaged suspensory ligament yesterday morning at Sha Tin cleared the way for a return to racing this Sunday.
Fairy King Prawn underwent and passed a compulsory barrier trial and fitness inspection for the Jockey Club stipendiary stewards and is set to make his comeback to racing in the Group Three International Sprint Trial (1,000 metres).
"He has come through the trial okay and the vet is happy with him, although sometimes if there is going to be a problem you don't get it until the day after," trainer Ivan Allan said yesterday after the seven-year-old finished sixth in his trial behind the John Moore-trained Noble Falcon.
http://racing.scmp.com/english/images/news/lead20112002a.jpg
"I will keep monitoring him, but so far, so good. The situation is always a delicate one with these types of injuries."
The world's top-ranked sprinter of 2001, Fairy King Prawn has raced just once since June 2001, returning first-up last season with a dominant National Day Cup victory before the leg problems set in. In fact, it was a year ago today that a devastated Allan announced Fairy King Prawn would miss the 2001 Hong Kong Mile. In January, the gelding underwent an operation to assist in rectifying the injuries to a suspensory ligament and the inside splint bone of his off-foreleg.
"A lot of the credit for getting even this far must go to Dr Robert Lewis, the surgeon I brought from America to perform surgery on Fairy King Prawn in January," Allan said. "It has been a long and patient road, but it is far from finished."
Fairy King Prawn will be part of a four-pronged Allan attack on the Sprint Trial with Firebolt, Cliffhanger and Olympic Express.
"Alex Yu will ride Fairy King Prawn on Sunday," Allan added. "Weichong Marwing is committed to Firebolt and I wanted someone who would keep Fairy King Prawn well balanced through the race. Alex is a good jockey and I am sure he will do that. It is hard to say how well he can perform yet, but the most important thing is to get him through that race and then we'll be in a position to make some decisions about the International events.
"If he was to be included to run in the Hong Kong Sprint or the Mile, I would be over the moon," Allan said.
Meanwhile, the trainer's on-again-off-again Japan Cup is now on for veteran stayer Indigenous, but off the agenda for Allan. The feed wrangle with the Japanese agriculture ministry appears to have been solved despite a second refusal of the American feed early this week.
"They did knock it back again but I believe that overnight the Japan Racing Association has at last received official approval for the feed to come from the United States," Allan said. "If that is the case, then all will proceed according to the plan and Indigenous will run."
Allan will not be at Nakayama racecourse for the Cup meeting for further bureaucratic reasons, however, after a close Malaysian friend ran into red tape and was unable to gain a Japanese visa unless he returned to Malaysia to make his application.

[VINCENT]

Not in the fields for Sunday.

[jrb]

Nothing in the SCMP online or the HKJC website. Anyone heard anything ?

[imaufo]

RACING
Prawn's absence a threat to sprint ambition
ALAN AITKEN
Prev. Story | Next Story
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Fairy King Prawn, the former dual Horse of the Year, is not certain to be among the invited runners for the $10 million Hong Kong Sprint following his withdrawal yesterday from Sunday's International Sprint Trial.
The Ivan Allan-trained star, the world's joint top-rated older turf sprinter in 2001, was due to make his comeback on Sunday from a long-term injury but that plan has been shelved in favour of going straight to the big race on December 15. On ratings, Fairy King Prawn would be assured of a place among Hong Kong's four representatives when the selected fields for International Day are announced next week, but his 14-month layoff has presented the Hong Kong Jockey Club with a thorny selection problem.
"Fairy King Prawn is neither out of the Hong Kong Sprint, nor is he guaranteed to be in," said Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Jockey Club's director of racing. "We have a race here on Sunday and we will have to look at the performances which come out of that. And like all the potential selections, Fairy King Prawn will be subject to examination by the vets. There is no requirement that he runs before the race but we will have to look at the whole situation."
http://www.hongkongjockeyclub.com/images/Horse/P337_l.jpg
Fairy King Prawn, who has not raced since October 1 last year due to a damaged suspensory ligament, had a barrier trial on Tuesday and Allan denied there was a problem, saying he preferred to go straight for next month's 1,000-metre highlight.
"There is nothing wrong with him, but he has not been declared because he trialled on Tuesday," Allan said yesterday. "Fairy King Prawn passed the vet with his trial but, looking at him, I just thought it was too close to the trial to race him after such a long time off. I thought, why not wait until the Hong Kong Sprint to run him first-up?"
Allan said the gelding would also be absent from barrier trials between now and the Hong Kong Sprint. "The horse has passed the compulsory trial, so there is no need to do it again. We know he is good enough for the race and I can take my time. I'm sure I can have him fit to run on trackwork alone," Allan said.
Engelbrecht-Bresges and Ciaran Kennelly, the Jockey Club's chief handicapper, held a special meeting yesterday to discuss a situation which has the potential to intensify after Sunday's Sprint Trial. Fairy King Prawn's rating would entitle him to automatic selection in other circumstances, along with Charming City, Firebolt and All Thrills Too. However, a great leap forward by promising sprinters Cape Of Good Hope or Anabatik in the terms qualifier at Sha Tin could put pressure on for his exclusion.
Kennelly said there are two stand-out precedents for Fairy King Prawn's selection in an international Group One despite his long layoff. "There was a horse called Gilded Time, who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and then did not race until the Breeders' Cup Sprint one year later. He was able to run third," the handicapper said.
"And there was another even stronger precedent in the Breeders' Cup Mile. The Michael Dickinson-trained Da Hoss won the race, then had a two-year layoff through injury and was entered in the next Breeders' Cup. He had one run in a minor race in the lead-up, which he won, and was made first reserve for the Cup. A horse dropped out, he ran and he won. So there are precedents for thinking Fairy King Prawn is entitled to his place."
FAIRY KING PRAWN View By Date View By Type
Date Type Racecourse/Track Workouts Gear
21/11/2002 Trotting Sha Tin TroR TroR Canter A.T.
19/11/2002 Barrier Trial Sha Tin Turf Marwing WC 1000M Noble Falcon 13.1 22.2 24.8 (1.00.1)
19/11/2002 Trotting Sha Tin TroR TroR Canter A.T.
18/11/2002 Gallop Sha Tin TurG 32.0 29.1 (1.01.1) A.T.
18/11/2002 Trotting Sha Tin TroR TroR Canter A.T.
17/11/2002 Trotting Sha Tin TroR TroR Canter A.T.

[Handy Harry]

'Fit' Prawn given green light for $10m Sprint


."http://racing.scmp.com/english/images/news/lead28112002c.jpg


Flashback: Damien Oliver celebrates winning the Hong Kong Sprint on Falvelon in the International Races last year. Picture by Antony Dickson

NICK PULFORD Racing Editor

Fairy King Prawn has been handed a ticket to run in the $10 million Hong Kong Sprint - but with the proviso that, along with all other invited runners, he must pass a fitness test a week before the International Races.

The former dual Horse of the Year has not raced for almost 14 months due to injury and his selection for the 1,000-metre Group One race was in doubt after he failed to take his place in last weekend's International Sprint Trial - an event contested by all of Hong Kong's other top candidates for a berth in the Sprint. But the Jockey Club yesterday gave him the green light provided he can pass a veterinary exam.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Jockey Club's director of racing, said: "We are aware of the issues surrounding Fairy King Prawn and seven or eight days before the race we will have an additional veterinary examination for horses in Hong Kong to make sure they are suitable to race - not just Fairy King Prawn, but all horses. It will be the same for the overseas runners, who will be checked before they get on the plane to come here." He said reserves had been lined up but refused to divulge their names.

Ivan Allan, who trains Fairy King Prawn, insisted the arrangement would prove unnecessary whether the horse was fit or not. "It won't come down to a veterinary examination - if I'm not happy with the horse and I think he's not ready, I'll tell them long before that," he said. "The real test will come when I put some pressure on the horse in his work. He's OK after his barrier trial last week and he's back in light work. He would pass the vet now."

Fairy King Prawn has not raced since October 1 last year due to a damaged suspensory ligament and last week's barrier trial was his first since that run. But he remains the highest-rated horse in the 14-runner field on a mark of 119, having been the world's joint-top older turf sprinter in 2001, and was Hong Kong's last winner at the International meeting when taking the 1999 Sprint.

Hong Kong's other three representatives will be All Thrills Too and Cape Of Good Hope - the first two in the Sprint Trial - and the Allan-trained Firebolt, who was fifth in that race. But there was no place for Anabatik and Thunder, who were third and fourth in the Sprint Trial, nor for domestic Group One winner Charming City.

Engelbrecht-Bresges said the decision had been difficult. "We are absolutely delighted with the quality of the race, but it presented us with a selection problem, not just for the overseas runners but for the Hong Kong horses, too. Not everyone will agree with our selections, but we are pleased to have those kind of selection problems. It was impossible to leave out Fairy King Prawn. He is the highest-rated horse in the race, he has won the race and before his injury he was the top-rated sprinter. At his best, he would be a leading chance in the race and we have to respect his trainer's ability to get him fit

[cheesebeast]

As I suspected, all was not well with the Prawn, he's out.

HKIR News : Anabatik takes Fairy King Prawn's place in Hong Kong Sprint

5 December 2002

Former Horse of the Year Fairy King Prawn has been withdrawn this afternoon from the Hong Kong Sprint (Gr.1-1000m) line-up on December 15 by trainer Ivan Allan.
Fairy King Prawn's place has been allotted to Anabatik, who finished one and a quarter lengths third to All Thrills Too in the International Sprint Trial (HKGr.3-1000m) on November 24. Fellow Hong Kong Sprint hopeful Cape Of Good Hope finished three quarters of a length ahead of Anabatik in second place, while Firebolt, the other home-based runner for the HK Sprint, was one length behind in fifth place.

A very progressive performer, Anabatik has never finished out of the money with career stats reading 8 starts for 5-2-1-0-0. He has won two races in HK Class 2, the latter by five and a half lengths on November 2, his most recent start prior to the International Cup Trial. His International Rating is 104.