Concerns have eased about Linton not being at his best for the Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin.
The only Australian-trained horse running at Sunday’s International meeting, Linton lost a considerable amount of weight getting to Hong Kong.
“The horse is coming good,” Linton’s handler Troy Corstens said.
“He’s back on his tucker now after taking a few days to settle in.
“He lost around 15 kilos on the trip over but he’s nearly put that all back on now. Just three or four kilos to go.”
Brett Prebble, meanwhile, doesn’t know what went wrong with Lucky Nine at Flemington.
But the jockey insists Hong Kong’s best sprinter is loving being back in the capital of Asian racing in the countdown to Sunday’s meeting.
After making his first Australian appearance with an eye-catching placing in the Manikato Stakes, Lucky Nine started favourite to win the $1 million VRC Sprint Classic.
By his usual high standards, Lucky Nine surrendered with little resistance, finishing more than four lengths in arrears of Buffering.
“It’s hard to put a finger on what took place at Flemington … the horse wasn’t comfortable when he started,” Prebble told the Hong Kong Jockey Club website.
But since returning to Caspar Fownes’ Hong Kong yard, Lucky Nine has convinced Prebble he is in with a decent shot of winning his second Hong Kong Sprint.
” … he’s a different horse to what he was down there (in Australia). I worked him (Monday) and it was the Lucky Nine of old.
“He can’t be better, he’s on top form and Caspar’s done a fantastic job to get him back to the form he’s in now.
“He’s as good as he’s felt in a very long time.”
The Hong Kong Sprint is the final leg of the Global Sprint Challenge with Group One King’s Stand Stakes winner Sole Power and Group One Nunthorpe winner Jwala to go around.
