British trainer Ralph Beckett is set to take on the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint with the sensational Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Starlust. He is familiar with the city's racing landscape and has had previous runners in significant races. This time, he aims to bring out the best in Starlust on the right-handed track at Sha Tin on December 8.

Starlust's Impressive Form

Starlust put up a career-best effort at Del Mar this month, weaving through runners to make his Group 1 breakthrough. This performance convinced owners Jim and Fitri Hay to supplement him for the Hong Kong International Races. The horse has come out of California in good shape and is well-suited to the nature of Sha Tin, with his best form around a bend and on a flat track.He has enjoyed only two short breaks during his 18-race career, including a third in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and two placings at the Dubai Carnival. Beckett believes his unproblematic mentality and aptitude for international travel will stand him in good stead.

Opposition Analysis

Local star Ka Ying Rising looks an “absolute monster” and achieved a remarkable feat in the Jockey Club Sprint (G2) on November 17 by lowering the track record. Other possible contenders include Hong Kong hotshots California Spangle, Invincible Sage and Victor The Winner, as well as Japan's Lugal and Nobals, who won last year's Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.Beckett is aware of the opposition and admits that Ka Ying Rising is a formidable opponent. However, he believes in running his horse where he thinks suits it best. He said, "Ka Ying Rising looked like a monster the other day, but inevitably you have to run your horse where you think suits him best. He’s a Group 1 winner, and if we pass up the opportunity to run in Hong Kong we’ve got a long time to wait until conditions are on his side again."

British Trainer's Perspective

There is a notable stat that a British-trained challenger has never won the Hong Kong Sprint. Beckett acknowledges this and tries to understand why. He said, "It’s difficult to know why British horses haven’t succeeded in the race. Hong Kong is the last roll of the dice of the year, and perhaps that’s got something to do with it. European sprinters haven’t been as good as Australian and Hong Kong sprinters down the years. However, it doesn’t always work out like that as Gold-Fun, who was very successful in Hong Kong, came out of Ger Lyons’s stable in Ireland. I don’t think we’ve been taking the right horses, or it’s been at the wrong time."Beckett is keen to give Starlust a chance and believes this could be the time for him to shine. He said, "Perhaps now it will be Starlust’s time to shine."