Karaka Quinella in Sprint Cup

Graduates of the Karaka sales complex starred in Sunday’s HK$4 million Group 2 Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin, with Beat The Clock (Hinchinbrook) first and Mr Stunning (Exceed and Excel) second.

It was the first stakes win for Beat The Clock, who was bought for $200,000 at the 2015 Ready to Run Sale. In his three previous starts he had finished second in the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m), the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) and the Group 3 Challenge Cup (1400m).

Yesterday was a deserved breakthrough, with rider Joao Moreira allowing him to drop to the tail of the eight-horse field before charging down the outside and edging out Mr Stunning by a neck. Both star sprinters are trained by John Size.

“He showed to me today that he is one of the best sprinters in town,” Moreira said. “It wasn’t really a fast-run race, for me in the back that made it a bit harder to catch those up front. But even after I went early on him and made a long run, he still attacked the line all the way to the end. That’s the mark of a very good horse. He’s very classy.

“He’s been a little bit unlucky. He’s been bumped in his races and ended up a little farther back, or he’s got a little bit lost at the end of those runs. Today, he’s made it count.”

Beat The Clock has now had 14 starts for six wins, eight placings and HK$12.67 million in prizemoney for owner Merrick Chung Wai Lik – the equivalent of NZ$2.22 million, more than 10 times his purchase price.

Stablemate Mr Stunning has had 18 starts for 10 wins, five placings and HK$29.5 million – more than 20 times his $250,000 purchase price at the 2014 Premier Sale.