Sole Power ends year on low note after struggling in Hong Kong sprint

Sole Power secured 'Horse of the Year' honours in 2014 and a similar programme is likely for the star sprinter in 2015 despite a lacklustre end to his campaign in Hong Kong.

The Eddie Lynam-trained gelding could finish only ninth to Aerovelocity in Sunday’s International Sprint in which the other Irish hope Gordon Lord Byron finished an honourable fourth.

The latter's trainer Tom Hogan intends to bring his stable stalwart home before making future plans but the Sole Power camp have outlined a tried-and-trusted plan of attack on next year's top international sprints.

Owes us nothing

“As long as he’s happy we’ll keep going but he owes us nothing,” said owner

David Power

. “I’d say we’d possibly go to Dubai for Super Saturday, then the Al Quoz sprint on

World Cup

night, then the same sort of programme as this year; Palace House, King’s Stand and Nunthorpe.”

Sole Power landed the Kings Stand and the Nunthorpe last summer but remains winless at six furlongs after Sha Tin and Power added: “Richard [Hughes] said he was never happy. The horse isn’t the biggest so was getting a bit bullied on the turn.”

After two consecutive fourth-place finishes in the Mile, Gordon Lord Byron filled the same position again in the Sprint, and Hogan reported: “Every time he produces his run and never lets us down. No European has ever won this race so it shows how difficult it is. We’ll take him home for his Christmas dinner and work out what to do next.”

The other Irish hope on the International card, Parish Hall, was out of the money in the Vase behind the French favourite Flintshire, while the local stars Able Friend and Designs On Rome landed the Mile and the mile and a quarter Cup respectively.

The French star Cirrus Des Aigles was fourth to Designs On Rome after a late injury scare and his trainer Corine Barande-Barbe confirmed the international stalwart will again be sent to Dubai in the spring with March’s World Cup night in mind

“That ground is quicker than ideal for him — he can never give 100 per cent on it — but you can see that he hasn’t a care in the world” said Branade-Barbe.

“It will be the same kind of plan for him next year.”