Scintillation Oozes Class In Centenary Sprint Cup Silent Witness was denied a fairytale finale as Scintillation and Absolute Champion´s private battle for the title of Hong Kong´s champion sprinter intensified with Scintillation too powerful in the Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday. The pre-race hype was, inevitably, dominated by Friday´s news that Silent Witness would run for the last time in a race he had won twice on the way to nine Group One wins and 18 wins overall. However, the seven-year-old was off the bridle once the gates opened for the 1000m sprint and could only finish ninth of the ten runners. Scintillation, winning this race for a second year - his third career major in all ? was handled with customary cool by Eric Saint Martin for trainer Danny Shum and owners Mr and Mrs Hui Sai-fun and had three-quarters of a length to spare from Absolute Champion, the knockout winner of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint in December over the 1200m distance. Absolute Champion is patently less potent at the minimum distance that is Scintillation´s forte; the latter´s four wins down the five-furlong straight have all been at Pattern level. 'You can never be too confident that they can return to their best form after bleeding but I was lucky to have an owner like Mr Hui. He said I could be extra patient with the horse and not to rush him back. I think this has made the difference,' Shum said in reference to Scintillation´s bleeding attack in March last year. Looking ahead to the next leg of the Champion Sprint Series, the Chairman´s Sprint Trophy, Shum claimed he was undecided as regards Scintillation´s participation in 1200m Group One. 'The 1000m is definitely his best distance and after that the 1400m trip is second best. I will have to think about it. I also have [up and coming sprinter] Lucky Baby for that race,' he said, prompting Saint-Martin to chip in: 'I don´t think we have a choice. We have to go for it!' 'It feels as if Danny is improving the horse,' the jockey continued. 'Today he was the relaxed I have felt him and I knew he would win from about halfway because he was travelling so well. When I asked him for that bit extra he moved to the front and I just needed to push him out. I knew Absolute Champion was coming at us but we were always going to get to the line first.'
