HOT KING PRAWN

18th June 2017

Keeping a lid on the public excitement over Price Bloodstock’s impressive two-year-old Hot King Prawn might be outside the powers of champion trainer John Size but he is going to use the power he does have to keep a lid on the youngster’s goals.

Hot King Prawn had another walkover in the griffin race on Sunday at Sha Tin to make it two from two but Size said he is in no rush to test the attractive grey against the older horses now that he will be ineligible for any further griffin events.

Purton was straight to the front and didn’t have to move a muscle as Hot King Prawn extended away to a win by just under six lengths.

“The horses he beat today aren’t very good and he’s had two soft kills against the same kind of opposition,” Purton said. “He does everything right, he has good gate speed and a good head on his shoulders but until he is put under pressure, nobody knows what he’s made of.”

Size told the media he isn’t going to run the grey again this season and will take a cautious path and aim low so as not to tax him too soon as a three-year-old.

“My job is to realise his potential so I’ll look after him and there’s plenty of time next season for Class Three,” Size said. “There’s no hurry. He’ll have some Class Three competition, he might even get to a Class Two at some stage but I’m looking for his potential to be realized at four or five years old when he has fully grown so there’s a long road ahead but he is doing everything we could ask of him so far.”