Aethero (忠心勇士) lived up to his billing as Hong Kong’s next big thing with a scintillating front-running victory in the G2 Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin today, Sunday, 17 November.

“Mama Mia!” cried winning rider Karis Teetan as he returned jubilant from a two-length success aboard the precocious chestnut.

“It was unbelievable. The day I trialled him, he gave me the feel of a real champion. I rode Able Friend and this horse reminds me so much of him.”

Trainer John Moore had predicted a track record and he wasn’t far wrong: his rising star stopped the clock at 1m 07.58s, just eight hundredths of a second outside the great Sacred Kingdom’s (蓮華生輝) mark set on this day 12 years ago.

“The sky is the limit. When Karis got off he said ‘he kicked like Able Friend (步步友)!’” Moore said, referencing his past champion to whom his current big chestnut bears a striking physical resemblance.

Every top sprinter in town went to post for the afternoon’s speed feature, including last season’s champion Beat The Clock (爭分奪秒), two-time LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint hero Mr Stunning (紅衣醒神), and last year’s young gun Jockey Club Sprint victor Hot King Prawn (旺蝦王).

As a Southern Hemisphere three-year-old against seasoned campaigners, Aethero (忠心勇士) carried a feather 113lb, a full 15lb less than the G1 winners in the field and 10lb less than the rest.

“It was impressive and just outside the track record but he was carrying a postage stamp. Hot King Prawn carried 10 pounds more than us and still closed off with no previous run this season,” Moore acknowledged.

“But, saying that, his run was great. He’s still only a three-year-old and he did everything right: he jumped away from the blocks and got across to the lead from gate nine there and he did it under his own steam.

“We’ll go to the Hong Kong Sprint now and it’s an international Group 1 so his work will be cut out but you can’t ask anything more and he’ll still have a nice weight concession as a Southern Hemisphere three-year-old.”

Aethero (忠心勇士) will shoulder 117lb in the 8 December G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint. His rivals will carry 126lb.

“Hot King Prawn (旺蝦王) did close and he was carrying 123 pounds, which is a difference of 10 pounds and it’ll be nine pounds next time so Hot King Prawn has to step up and my horse only has to repeat what he’s done today. He’s going to be very close next time.

“If he draws the same sort of gate in the International race, and can go up and dictate, he’s a live chance for Hong Kong and the stable.”

The John Size-trained Hot King Prawn (旺蝦王) raced for the first time since last December, having had surgery for colic early this year, and closed promisingly under Grant van

Beat The Clock (爭分奪秒), another Size galloper having his first start this season, kept on nicely for third.

“It was a great run and he has maintained his consistency,” said jockey Joao Moreira.

Before the real action, there was drama at the start. Pingwu Spark (平湖之星) was withdrawn after refusing to enter the stalls and then came Pakistan Star’s (巴基之星) latest misdemeanour.

The enigmatic two-time G1 winner broke from the stalls but quickly pulled himself to a stop despite the efforts of Blake Shinn.

“It’s not a new trick!” trainer Paul O’Sullivan quipped in exasperation. “Blake said from the time he jumped he was never going to complete the course. I can’t see any reason why: he’s not in any pain, I think physically, he’s perfect so it’s in his head.

“I don’t know where we go from here; Beas River might do the trick. I’ll talk to Kerm (Din), the owner, and see what he wants to do.”

In the afternoon’s other two features, Waikuku (夏威夷) won the G2 Jockey Club Mile (1600m) to hand Beauty Generation (美麗傳承) a second straight defeat, while victory for Exultant (時時精綵) in the G2 Jockey Club Cup (2000m) set up a tilt at back-to-back wins in next month’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m).

Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday, 20 November.