Absolute Champion victor in Centenary

Absolute Champion turned the tables on Sacred Kingdom, the world's top-rated sprinter, at Sha Tin on Sunday, defeating him by a short head in the $576,000 Centenary Sprint Cup, a Hong Kong Group 1 contest and the first leg of Hong Kong's Champion Sprint Series.

The world's highest rated sprinter himself in 2006 when he won the Hong Kong Sprint, Absolute Champion came with a superb late run under Australian rider Brett Prebble to nab Sacred Kingdom on the line. Absolute Champion was sent off at 8-1 after finishing second to the 1-10 Sacred Kingdom in his last two outings. He covered the straight five furlongs in 56.50 on good ground.

The victory was the first for Absolute Champion since March 4 when he won the six-furlong Chairman's Sprint Prize, the second leg of the Champion Sprint Series in which he will renew rivalry with Sacred Kingdom next time on Feb. 17.