HOT KING PRAWN

3rd December 2017

John Size-trained Hot King Prawn, with regular jockey Zac Purton aboard, spreadeagled some useful Class Three older sprinters, running fast time, and after having some work to do to in the race when another runner pressed him in the lead for half of the race.

But he shrugged off that challenge and any that came after it, cruising away to beat the runner-up by more than two lengths and the third home by five, pushing himself into Class Two and still only a fe months into his three-year-old year.

Purton had been playing down his opinion of Hot King Prawn before Sunday but had to acknowledge the grey might just be something exceptional.

“I was a bit surprised that Encore Boy tried to serve it up to me in the lead like that for as
long as he did, but all it did was show that my fellow had more left in the tank,” he said. “I think that we saw more of what Hot King Prawn is about today than we have with him just coasting around on the bit. He was actually better today going flat out the whole way than he is if you sit up on him. He was getting crowded for room against the rail, but he just picked the bit up and surged and clicked himself into another gear. He’s such a relaxed horse that I don’t think 1,200m is going to be a problem.”

Size said that he would look at the options now for Hot King Prawn as he is reluctant to race three-year-olds too much in Class Two against some very talented older horses.

“I’m more interested in his longer-term future than just finding the next race to win so we’ll see what is in the program but if there’s nothing suitable, then he could have a bit of a break,” Size said. “There’s nowhere to hide once you’re in Class Two, it isn’t easy for an immature, inexperienced horse even if he looks talented himself.”