HONG KONG: Australian hopes were shattered as Hong Kong superstar Sacred Kingdom confirmed his place at the top of international rankings with a commanding win in the group 1 Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin yesterday.
PROGRESSIVE sprinter First Command added to his already sparkling record with a tough victory in the group 2 Perri Cutten Sprint yesterday, prompting trainer Lee Freedman to raise the bar for bigger spoils over the Flemington carnival.
HE MIGHT be worth $20 million according to trainer Gai Waterhouse, but don't bank on the regally bred Manhattan Rain winning at Flemington on Saturday.
DAVID PAYNE is eyeing the $1 million Golden Rose next month after the win of Magic Model in the opening race yesterday ensured he would have a two-pronged attack on the group 1.