John Size is taking aim at a new target. On Saturday, the trainer’s talented five-year-old Amazing Kids (NZ) (Falkirk) will become his first starter in Dubai, in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint. It is an unusual break from normality for Size, who puts a lot of store by things being normal. So, why this first departure westward: why now and why this horse?
“His two runs down the Sha Tin straight, he won them both,” Size offered. “That’s all I’ve got to cling to, really. It’s just his straight track form has been really good and he struggles to win a Group 1 around a bend in Hong Kong. It looks like it’s a futile exercise there. This might be his chance.”
Amazing Kids has won a brace of Group 3 handicaps down Sha Tin’s 1000m straight, and, despite four wins around the track’s turning 1200m, the Falkirk gelding has not been able to snare a big race win at that trip and track. That despite some smart efforts in elite company that ensure he will line up at the top of Meydan’s 1200m turf straight as the joint second-highest rated horse in the 12-runner field, off a mark of 119.
“I think it’s all about whether he’s good at the straight because if he can run well in a straight line, maybe he can run well that way at two distances,” Size continued. “I’m not going to find that out in Hong Kong. I have to come to Dubai to find out. It’s not complicated, it’s that simple. Sadly, we’ve got to take all the risks of travelling to find out, but that’s life!”
Amazing Kids will break from gate one on Saturday night. No horse has won the race from a berth lower than six in the race’s seven editions staged on the World Cup card – one at 1200m (2010) and the remainder at 1000m. The race’s return to 1200m offers some hope this time – that and the fact that Green Mask overcame the one draw when a length third to Sole Power in 2015, splitting none other than Hong’s Peniaphobia and Amber Sky in second and fourth.
“I’ll have a look at the race – there should be plenty of speed in the race – and find a horse to follow. We should be able to do that,” Size said.
The New Zealand-bred is nonetheless hale and hearty heading into his maiden overseas test. Yesterday morning (Thursday, 23 March), the big bay appeared to be in good condition as he jogged around a lap of the dirt track at a slow gait under regular rider David Mo.
“Generally, the horse is okay,” Size said. “Performance on the day is an unknown to us at this stage because of so many different factors here. The horse appears to be good enough and his condition appears to be good enough – it’s now just about what happens on race day. Even the draw may be manageable!”
