Atzeni backs Crimson Flash over longer Premier Bowl trip
SCMP · 1 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Andrea Atzeni says Crimson Flash should be better suited by the step up to 1,200m when he runs in Sunday’s Group Two Lukfook Jewellery Premier Bowl at Sha Tin . The Mark Newnham-trained gelding resumed with a fifth-place finish behind Colourful King in the Group Three National Day Cup after starting as the $5.6 third favourite . Atzeni said the 1,000m trip was too sharp for the horse and that he also lost momentum after being crowded and having to be steadied in the middle stages . He now views the Premier Bowl as a wide-open race in which Crimson Flash can chase a career-best victory .
Key Points
- Crimson Flash lines up in Sunday’s Group Two Lukfook Jewellery Premier Bowl at Sha Tin, with Atzeni confident the 1,200m distance will suit him better .
- The gelding won four races during a strong second Hong Kong campaign before returning this season in the Group Three National Day Cup .
- In that comeback run, Crimson Flash started as the $5.6 third favourite but finished fifth to Colourful King over 1,000m .
- Atzeni said the shorter trip was too sharp, and the horse was also crowded mid-race before being steadied to avoid another runner .
- The jockey said he has high hopes of improvement on Sunday and regards the Premier Bowl as a wide-open contest .
Why It Matters
The race offers an early test of whether Crimson Flash can progress from a reliable Hong Kong sprinter into a horse capable of landing a higher-level feature over a more suitable trip . For Sha Tin followers, Atzeni’s assessment focuses attention on how much a return to 1,200m can change the form picture in a competitive Group Two field .