David Hayes will put a rejuvenated Tomodachi Kokoroe to the test this weekend, lining him up against stable superstar and The Everest winner Ka Ying Rising in Sunday’s Group 2 Jockey Club Sprint at Sha Tin.
Tomodachi Kokoroe – formerly known in Australia as Bank Bank Bank – produced a stunning performance last month when he stopped the clock at 1:07.39 in the Group 3 Premier Bowl, the second-fastest 1200-metre time ever recorded at Sha Tin, bettered only by Ka Ying Rising himself.
Speaking to the HKJC website, Hayes said he was ready to see how the Written Tycoon gelding measures up against the benchmark sprinter in world racing.
“We’ll see him against the champ. I knew I’d have the leading sprinter, but Tomodachi Kokoroe, well it’s incredible,” Hayes said.
“It took him eight starts to win in Class 4, and as a seven-year-old now, he’s arguably inside the top three sprinters in Hong Kong. He’s a revelation – a fantastic horse.”
Hayes said the turning point in the gelding’s form came from a key gear tweak.
“He’s always shown he’s a good horse, but he’s a horse like so many, who just took that time at the start to adjust to Hong Kong. We’re training him the same, but the one thing that has made a massive difference is the one-eyed blinker,” Hayes said.
Bank Bank Bank was undefeated in six starts for North Queensland trainer Ricky Ludwig before being sold to Hong Kong in 2022. He had three Victorian outings for Ludwig prior to being purchased online.
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