With the world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising enjoying a well-deserved holiday, trainer David Hayes will be relying on his other speedsters Tomodachi Kokoroe and Romantic Son in Sunday’s feature sprint, the Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m).
It will be a change of pace for Tomodachi Kokoroe, who landed the Group Two Premier Bowl (1,200m) in a whirlwind start to his campaign, before finding things tougher in Group One company and off big weights in handicaps.
Romantic Son has been doing his best work at Happy Valley, winning a trio of races at the city circuit this campaign, and will sport first-time blinkers on Sunday as he looks to get off the mark at Sha Tin.
“They’ve both probably got to run to their best, or run personal bests, to be winning a race like this, but they’re healthy and well,” Hayes said. “Romantic Son is consistent and he has the blinkers on first time, which I think will help him.
“It’s an easier race for Tomodachi, it’s a good result that he’s not going to look up and see Ka Ying Rising in front of him. I still think he’s got a win in him at some stage.”
