Fast Network (gelding, 5, trained by C. Ip), a top contender in Hong Kong’s sprint division, is reportedly planning a potential trip to Japan for the Sprinters Stakes (G1, turf 1200m, September 27 at Nakayama Racecourse). The news was first reported by the South China Morning Post’s online edition on Monday.
The horse finished third in last December’s Hong Kong Sprint and fourth in last month’s Chairman’s Sprint Prize. While unable to match the world’s top horse, Ka Ying Rising, Fast Network remains one of Hong Kong’s elite sprinters. Trainer C. Ip commented, “After a string of tough races and a long season, I think he needs a break (after the Chairman’s Sprint Prize). We’re giving him some time off now, and then looking at the possibility of an overseas race early next season, such as the Sprinters Stakes in Japan. It’s still under consideration.”