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Veteran sprinter Joy And Fun gained a deserved moment in the spotlight with a typically game display to win the HKG1 Chairman's Sprint Prize at Sha Tin on Sunday and may now be off to the Dubai World Cup meeting.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The gallant veteran desreved the win after being runner-up to Lucky Nine in the G1 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint at the course and distance in December and a neck second to Eagle Regiment in last month's HKG1 Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup.
Joy And Fun made no mistake as he gave jockey Brett Doyle and trainer Derek Cruz a moment to savour, overcoming an unfavourable wide draw to overturn Lucky Nine by three quarter of a length.
Sunny King was only a short head away in third.
Doyle was riding for the last time in Hong Kong this season before taking up a 6-week contract in Dubai.
"He's been knocking on the door in all the big races and he couldn't have done it any better," Doyle said.
"It's great for me to end my time in Hong Kong with a Group 1 winner and we go to Dubai in good form.
"As long as he had a bit of cover, that's all I was worried about today. I dropped behind Eagle Regiment and we had Lucky Nine inside of me, so we had them all covered – it all worked out better from the draw,
"There's always a slight doubt going into a race like this after a couple of tough ones but all credit to the horse, he's very tough and Derek's done a great job keeping him in good form."
Cruz is now hoping to send the eight-year-old to Dubai for the 1000m G1 Al Quoz Sprint.
"We have tried so many times to win a Group 1 with him and on several occasions he has been close - it all worked out to be a great day," he said.
"We have always had Dubai in mind for the horse after this. He has done so well for us that we will take it step by step – he has maintained his condition so we will sit back and wait about future plans."
Cruz also did not discount the possibility of a return to Royal Ascot this summer.
Joy And Fun's previous visit to England's premier racecourse in 2010 resulted in the gelding suffering a serious injury when contesting the G1 Golden Jubilee Stakes.
"Everything's on the table and we'll assess him. If he hadn't injured himself in England he would have been a very strong contender that day," Cruz said.
