Beat The Clock Set To Win Gr.1 Centenary Sprint Cup Against All Odds
Beat The Clock is expected to face many tough rivals in his attempt to secure a second consecutive win in the Gr.1 Centenary Sprint Cup but jockey Joao Moreira believes the John Size-trained speedster’s biggest threat could be stablemate Full Of Beauty.
Champion sprinter Beat The Clock has finished top three in all of his 23 career starts and the Brazilian ace has been in the saddle for 21 of those, including three wins at the highest level; but Moreira has also ridden Full Of Beauty on plenty of occasions, winning five times including a first-up score this season in the Gr.3 National Day Cup, and when subsequently a short-head second to Seasons Bloom in the Gr.2 Premier Bowl, both in October.
Last month, Moreira was aboard Beat The Clock for a big win in the Gr.1 Hong Kong Sprint but Full Of Beauty’s running-on fifth was noted.
However, Beat The Clock is the mount to which Moreira retains an unwavering allegiance. The 6yo has flourished across three seasons, the pair have combined three times at Gr.1 level, capturing last April’s Chairman’s Sprint Prize too.
Sunday’s test poses an opportunity for Beat The Clock to post his name alongside the likes of Silent Witness and the Sacred Kingdom in becoming the sixth back-to-back victor of the Centenary Sprint Cup.
Moreira has been pleased with his galloper’s progression from last month’s International victory, pairing with the gelding in two recent barrier trials on the dirt, the latest alongside Beauty Generation over 1200m only seven days ago.
Purton is striking at 100% aboard Full Of Beauty after a win last February which was part of a dominant Sha Tin six-timer for the rider.
Sunday’s Centenary Sprint Cup field is dominated by Size-trained sprinters; the 11-time champion trainer will saddle four of the seven-horse field, his other two charges being Hot King Prawn who returned from colic to finish second under Karis Teetan in December’s Hong Kong Sprint and D B Pin who won this race in 2018.
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Blake Shinn takes the ride on D B Pin who finished two lengths seventh in the Hong Kong Sprint last time.
Curated from a press release by HKJC