JOHN O’Shea admitted he was left “a bit numb” after Sea Siren was lost in the wake of a scintillating display of speed from Japan’s
Lord Kanaloa in today’s Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin.

Sea Siren received a bump at the start, which got her over racing, and she was a beaten horse on the home turn as she finished ninth, beaten five and a half lengths, behind Lord Kanaloa, which clocked 1:8.5 for the 1200 metres.

O’Shea said Sea Siren would return home to be prepared for the TJ Smith at Randwick in April with a trip to Royal Ascot still an option.

Jim Cassidy told TVN that Sea Siren was turned outwards after receiving a bump at the start, which triggered her to pull hard.

“It was not the best of her today, let’s get her home safe,” Cassidy said.

Lord Kanaloa, a winner of the Sprinters Stakes in a blistering 1:6.7 in September, coasted to a two and a half length win Cerise Cherry with Captain Sweet third.

It was the first win by a Japanese horse in the Hong Kong Sprint.