Rocket Man is well on his way to winning the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin next month after posting a victory in the Kranji Stakes last Friday night.

The international sprinting star is out for revenge in Hong Kong after being beaten by a nose in last year’s edition by JJ The Jet Plane.

Rocket Man finished outside the top two for the first time in his racing career last month, when finishing fourth behind Curren Chan in the Group 1 Nakaya Sprinters Stakes in Japan.

“I’d say (it was) a little bit of upside run,” trainer Patrick Shaw said.

“It was a very short straight and I would have liked to have him a little bit closer.

“By the time they got to the turn he was swamped.

“He couldn’t get out for about 100 metres.”

Rocket Man’s most recent win in the Kranji Stakes almost went pear shaped when he began to hurdle the shadows on the ground made by the fence palings near the 800 metre mark.

“He actually hurdled it,” Shaw said.

“Normally at the finish line and during workouts if he sees a shadow he jumps them.

“He was hurdling the shadows.

“I think that was one of the causes of his last injury.

“But we have x-rayed him and thank goodness he’s all good.”

Shaw is confident of Rocket man’s chances in December’s $HK 14 million Hong Kong Sprint.

“I think he can win,” he said.

After Hong Kong, Rocket Man will continue his international campaign.

“Definitely Dubai and then back for the Krisflyer (international Sprint at Kranji).”