Australian-bred horses enjoyed a wonderful weekend on the international stage securing Group 1 victories in both Japan and Singapore. Ultra Fantasy added to the legend of Australian sprinters in Japan while Better Than Ever overcame a trouble run to maintain his unbeaten record in the Kranji Mile.
The Nakayama G1 Sprinters Stakes has been a good one for Aus-breds over the past decade with both Silent Witness and Takeover Target successful in the Japanese feature.
That run continued on Sunday with Ultra Fantasy (Encosta De Lago) and Kinshasa No Kiseki (Fuji Kiseki) filling the quinella in a race that is the sixth leg of the Global Sprint Challenge. Like his legendary stablemate Sacred Kingdom, Ultra Fantasy is a son of Coolmore’s dual Champion Sire Encosta De Lago.
Trainer Ricky Yiu is now eyeing off a clash between his two stable stars in the Group 1 Hong Kong International Sprint in December. Ultra Fantasy was a $30,000 purchase out of the 2004 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale from the Eldon Park draft.
A winner of a Ballarat maiden among 10 Australian starts (when racing as Quay Lago), Ultra Fantasy has got better with age and earlier this year was runner-up to Sacred Kingdom in the Centenary Sprint Cup, before beating subsequent KrisFlyer Sprint winner Green Birdie in the G2 Sprint Cup at Sha Tin.
Better Than Ever had clocked up a combined winning margin of 40 lengths in his previous 10 wins, but had to call on all his reserves of courage to land the G1 Kranji Mile on Sunday. His stablemate Waikato stole what appeared to be a winning break in the straight but Better Than Ever was able to balance up and bridge the gap in the final few strides.
Better Than Ever (French Deputy) cost just $80,000 at NZ Bloodstock’s 2008 Karaka Premier yearling sale and the Kranji Mile took his earnings beyond the AUD 1 million mark.
He sits alongside fellow Aus-bred Rocket Man as a Singapore legend and trainer Laurie Laxon will now head towards the G1 Raffles Cup on October 24. The long term goal is next year’s Dubai World Cup carnival.