Our Hong Kong expert Graham Cunningham takes a look at Wednesday's card at Happy Valley live on Sky Sports Racing.
Actions speak louder than words as champs rise again
Zac and J-Mac seem to be running out of superlatives but KA YING RISING and ROMANTIC WARRIOR spoke for themselves by dominating again at Sha Tin on Sunday.
‘What can I say?” was Purton’s simple reaction after Ka Ying Rising breezed clear of old rival Helios Express in the Centenary Sprint Cup, getting within half a second of his own course record despite being eased and equalling Silent Witness’s record of 17 wins in a row.
McDonald said “I say it every time that it’s a privilege to ride him” after Romantic Warrior handled the step back to a mile with aplomb in the Stewards’ Cup, but this was a weekend when the trainers delivered the best lines.
Age just a number for mighty Warrior
David Hayes summed up the world’s best sprinter by saying “you never say invincible, but he’s very close to it” and will now prepare KYR for what ought to be a record breaking second success in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup over 1400m on February 22nd.
Danny Shum will set Romantic Warrior for leg two of the Triple Crown – the HK Gold Cup on March 1st – and the depth of the bond between man and beast came into sharp focus over the weekend when the veteran handler spoke to Michael Cox of Idol Horse.
The decision to bypass a return trip to Saudi for a rematch with Forever Young next month suggests that Shum and owner Peter Lau will be managing a beloved eight-year-old who has excelled in Japan, Australia and Dubai very carefully from hereon in.
Logic suggests that, with a world record £25m in career earnings, the Warrior’s days of conquering foreign fields are over.
But no horse has achieved more on the global stage than this remarkable gelding in recent years – and if Ascot’s Nick Smith isn’t trying to tempt connections with a royal rendezvous as part of his final phase then he’s not the man I thought he was.
China in Yeung hands
Shum and Lau don’t always get it right in the transfer market and Romantic Thor – aka Capulet when winning the 2024 Dee Stakes for Aidan – hasn’t repaid much of what must have been a hefty purchase price with just one place from eight attempts in his new home.
The Justify gelding looks up against it in the aptly named O’Brien Handicap (2.15) at Happy Valley on Wednesday but Hayes has a strong contender in the progressive CHINA WIN.
This four-year-old has found his niche stepped up to 1800m recently, going down narrowly at the city track before bounding clear of several in-form horses under Purton at Sha Tin.
Purton can’t do the weight this time, so Keith Yeung gets a chance to shine, and China Win still looks handily treated for his Class 3 debut despite a 9lb hike.
Thunder in the Valley forecast
Wednesday’s card features a clutch of horses who have done the File a favour of late and several of them are prominent in the markets.
Bunta Baby scored at 8/1 under a strong Buick drive on IJC night. He’s of interest again after a 6lb rise but BEAUTY THUNDER emerged from that December duel with just as much credit – going down by a neck after stalking a strong pace – and he’s a solid win and place chance with Zac at the controls again.
Mighty Commander came from way back to justify File faith in the Valley nightcap two weeks ago.
My Day My Way couldn’t quite get the job done a week earlier but he ran a belter, pushing Perfect General hard to the line, and stall 2 looks ideal for another bold effort in a very open Southorn handicap at 2.50.
Stall 9 is less favourable for another Shum sprinter in the 11.40 but Hugh Bowman will have a plan and The Perfect Match has been running consistently well at this level.
And then we come to Amazing Kid and Meowth, who flashed past the post together in the race The Perfect Match finished fourth in before Christmas.
Amazing Kid has progressed again since, forging clear under Andrea Atzeni to defy a 6lb hike over course and distance, while Meowth still looked in good nick when snarled up in Sha Tin traffic.
Early signs suggest the 1.10 will be one of those 3-1 the field Class 4 dashes but this pair have much more to recommend them than most.
Wednesday’s Valley Views
- 12.10: Beauty Thunder (EW)
- 1.10: Amazing Kid/Meowth
- 2.15: China Win
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