Rocket Man sent an ominous warning to his KrisFlyer Sprint rivals with a stunning win in the G1 Lion City Cup (1200m) at Kranji on Sunday.

Rocket Man won eased down by five lengths but still stopped the clock in a blistering 68.85 seconds.  It completed a hat-trick of Lion City Cups for the Australian-bred Singapore champion

The result wasn’t unexpected considering the Viscount gelding was a last-start winner of the Golden Shaheen in Dubai.  But the ease of the win stunned racegoers.

Rocket Man (5g Viscount – Macrosa by Mr McGinty) was able to run the race to his liking in front.  Second favourite Better Be The One, who was coming off a narrow defeat at the hands of J J The Jet Plane in the Al Quoz Sprint, tried to challenge but was no match for the winner.

“He is just an absolute champion and a real showman and he did it ever so easily,” trainer Pat Shaw said.  “It was a nice gallop and my instructions were to just ride him like it was a trial.”

The KrisFlyer Sprint will be run in three weeks and Rocket Man’s main rival J J The Jet Plane is recouperating from a leg injury in South Africa.

Winning rider Barend Vorster said being associated with such a champion was a great privilege.  “I was never worried.  He was never out of second gear and just left them in the straight.

“He’s come back even better after Dubai.  It’s difficult to say if he could get any better but he is absolutely spot on for the KrisFlyer.”

Rocket Man was selected and purchased as a yearling for $60,000 from the 2007 Magic Millions National yearling sale.  He was offered for sale by Tyreel Stud and purchased by Andy Williams of World Wide Bloodstock for South African based businessman Fred Crabbia.

He has won 14 times in 18 starts and earned the equivalent of AUD 4.38 million.