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Another good Hong Kong horse coming back home to NZ.

Cambridge trainer Murray Baker has some new secret firepower to launch onto the sprinters' front.
Grand Supreme, a smart Hong Kong speedster who was unbeaten in his first five starts, is set to trial over 1000 metres at Cambridge next Tuesday for Baker.

"He was a very smart sprinter in Hong Kong and he's looked good in his work," said Baker.

"He's quick and he does it so easily.

"I want to see what he does in the trial before deciding where to go with him."

A son of Danehill, Grand Supreme is sure to make an impact at the Cambridge trials, though it will not be his first appearance on New Zealand racetracks.

Grand Supreme was unbeaten in two trials for trainer Mark Walker in October 2005, scoring at Taupo and Rotorua as an unnamed Danehill colt, then he headed to Hong Kong the following January to join the stable of Peter Ho.

Grand Supreme proved an exciting sprinter from the outset, winning on debut as a three-year-old over 1000 metres in Hong Kong on April 8, 2006.

He went on to score over the same distance two months later then, as a four-year-old, he took the Hong Kong Country Club Challenge Cup (1000m) in 57.40 in September that year before making it four wins on end a few weeks later when running the same distance even quicker (57.30 seconds).

Grand Supreme was stepped up to 1200 metres in November 2006 and again proved superior, taking his stake earnings to $HK2,519,400 ($NZ412,225).

Grand Supreme then chipped a knee and was unplaced in his sole start last year (September).

Ho made the decision to send the horse to New Zealand late last year and Grand Supreme arrive on December 15 and underwent quarantine before joining Baker's stable.

He is being raced by Ho, who makes no secret of the high regard he holds for the stallion who was bought from the 2004 Queensland Magic Millions Sale for $A150,000.

Grand Supreme was officially named Danfive in New Zealand after winning his two trials, but an application will be made to have him renamed Grand Supreme to avoid any international confusion.

Grand Supreme has the looks and breeding to make him an appealing sire prospect.

He is from the Sadler's Wells mare Eyes Of Belief, who has left five winners and is a sister to the Gr I winners Insight and Saffron Walden and a half-sister to another Gr I winner Dolphin Street.

Insight won the Gr I Woodbine E.P. Taylor Stakes and was a Gr II winner at Longchamp as well as being eight times Group placed, including a third in the Gr I Chantilly Prix de Diane.

Saffron Walden won the Gr I Irish 2000 Guineas and the Listed Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Prelude and is a successful sire.

Dolphin Street is better known to New Zealanders as a successful sire and as a racehorse he won the Gr I Longchamp Prix de la Foret, was runner-up in the Gr I Newmarket July Cup and third in the Gr I Tokyo Yasuda Memorial.

"It's great for New Zealand to get a horse like this," said Baker.