Sacred Kingdom laid low by colic

SACRED KINGDOM (Encosta de Lago), the world's joint highest-rated sprinter, is reportedly fighting for his

life after being stricken

with a bout of colic moments before departing Hong Kong International Airport

for the

Takamatsunomiya Kinen (Jpn-G1) in Japan March 28.

"The vet found that he had colic and

gave him a tranquilizer to settle him, but he was quite sick," trainer Ricky Yiu told

Melbourne's The Age

newspaper.

"By the time the chief vet from Hong Kong Jockey Club arrived, the

horse needed 

immediate surgery," Yiu said, adding that the gelding could be subjected to a

second procedure

depending on his progress.