Champion Aussie hoop Glen Boss has secured the mount aboard star Hong Kong sprinter Sacred Kingdom in this month’s KrisFlyer International Sprint, replacing fellow Australian jockey Brett Prebble.
Glen Boss (pictured with Shamrocker) will ride Sacred Kingdom in the KrisFlyer International Sprint
Set to run at Singapore’s Kranji Racecourse on May 22, the prestigious Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint (1200m) is the ninth leg of the annual Global Sprint Challenge.
Prebble rode Encoasta De Lago gelding Sacred Kingdom to victory in the feature back in 2009 but will not be aboard as the now seven-year-old attempts a second KrisFlyer victory.
Boss recently travelled to Singapore to fulfil a three-month riding contract and although he is likely to head back to Australia to ride Hay List in the Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben Saturday week, Boss will return to Singapore in time to ride the Ricky Yiu-trained Sacred Kingdom in the KrisFlyer.
“I rode for and had a bit of success for Ricky when I was up in Hong Kong,” Boss, most famous for his Melbourne Cup triple aboard the mighty Makybe Diva, told the Singapore Turf Club website.
“I heard a whisper that they were looking to replace Brett and being here I thought it was worth a shot.
“It’s good to have the old team back together again.”
A seven-time elite level winner, Sacred Kingdom boasts a brilliant career record of 17 wins from 30 starts.
This year alone the galloper has run in two Group 1 features winning the Centenary Sprint (1000m) at Sha Tin Racecourse in January for a second year in a row and coming within a nose of victory when second to Dim Sum in the Group 1 The Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) on February 5, a race they were victorious in last year and in 2008.
As well as having won multiple editions of both the Centenary Sprint and The Chairman’s Sprint Prize, Sacred Kingdom is also a dual winner of the Hong Kong Sprint having reigned supreme in 2007 and 2009.
Sacred Kingdom also holds the KrisFlyer International Sprint course record of 1:07.8 from their 2009 win, surpassing the previous record set by Australian superstar Takeover Target of 1:08.8 they set in 2008.
The other headline entry for the 2011 KrisFlyer International Sprint is Singapore’s ace local hope Rocket Man, runner-up in the two most recent editions of the feature.
With South African champion JJ The Jet Plane ruled out of the race last month due to injury, five-year-old Viscount gelding Rocket Man comes right into contention.
Rocket Man finished a nose away second to JJ The Jet Plane in December’s Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin and hasn’t lost since winning three on the trot this preparation including a Group 1 double taking out both the Dubai Golden Shaneen (1206m) in March and the Lion City Cup (1200m) are their home track on May 1 by an easy five lengths.
“He was awesome,” Boss said of Rocket Man in the Lion City Cup.
“He is an athletic looking individual and as soon as you see him you know his is good.
“On his win last week it is going to take a very good horse to beat him in the KrisFlyer.”
