Our Hong Kong expert Graham Cunningham takes a look at Sunday's card at Sha Tin live on Sky Sports Racing.
Peach a stunner as Euros celebrate CNY in style
Talk about starting off with a bang.
A record crowd of over 92,000 celebrated the arrival of the Year of the Horse at Sha Tin and the Irish and Brits were front and centre.
David Probert’s winless HK stint has come to an end, but Richard Kingscote keeps grinding and his late swoop to win the first race of a new year on Come Fast Fay Fay won’t go unnoticed by owners and trainers.
Former G1 runner-up Stunning Peach – aka Islandsinthestream during his days with Joseph O’Brien – battled on gamely under Angus Chung to get the better of a duel with Top Dragon in the featured Year of the Horse Cup.
Dylan Browne McMonagle impressed yet again in the finale, zipping across from gate 13 to make all on David Eustace’s Riding Together, and Francis Lui and Vincent Ho have much to look forward to with Hot Delight after the Aussie import made it 2-2 with bundles in hand.
Rampant Rising on the record trail
But enough about a record-breaking Thursday.
A record that has stood for 21 years is on the line back at Sha Tin on Sunday and all eyes will be on KA YING RISING and Zac Purton as they bid to break the longest winning streak in HK history in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at 8.35.
Golden Sixty’s golden run ended at 16 when Purton got the tactics just right on Waikuku in a sit-sprint for the Stewards’ Cup of 2022.
Tony Cruz’s legendary sprinter Silent Witness was halted on 17, nailed in the final stride by stablemate Bullish Luck as his stamina ebbed away in the 2005 Champions Mile.
But Ka Ying Rising makes his own luck with his brilliant early speed and ability to break good horses early in the straight.
His win in last year’s edition of this G1 showed that 1400m is within his range and his last two wins – gained with bundles in hand in the HK Sprint and Centenary Sprint Cup – confirm his status as the best sprinter on the planet.
Helios to come out of the shadow?
That said, David Hayes’s is certain to go off at the minimum price of 1.05 for the fifth time in his last six starts and no matter how dominant a superstar seems – and this one seems nigh-on invincible – it’s hard not to look at the huge prices available about one or two of rivals without wondering.
Poor old HELIOS EXPRESS is 0-10 against KYR but he’s finished second to the champ on six occasions, including on this day twelve months ago and when sent off at 76-1 on their latest encounter four weeks ago.
Logic suggests the most John Size’s gelding can hope for is yet another best supporting actor award.
He’s worth backing accordingly in the Forecast market but early signs suggest that Helios Express is going to be a huge price again in the Win pool – and the contrarian in me won’t let him run unbacked, just in case randomness intervenes for the record seeking Rising.
King to rule again with better fortune
Purton has had his leanest spell of the season of late, with just one win from 33 rides over the last five meetings.
Something will have gone badly wrong if the Aussie draws a blank from a powerful book of nine Sunday rides and the progressive COLOURFUL KING will be hard to beat in the Orchid Handicap at 6.30.
This Eustace gelding bolted up from a wide gate when returned to the minimum trip at Sha Tin in November only to endure a torrid trip over the same course and distance last month, getting caught in heavy traffic and never landing a glove on the front-running Stellar Express despite a rapid 22.05s closing split.
There’s no question that the winner produced a clear career best that day – and he’s trialled strongly of late – but a 14lb rise for that January win and the prospect of a contested lead asks him a new, challenging question.
Colourful King surely won’t meet trouble in this smaller field. Add in the fact that he’s open to more improvement and it all adds up to a very persuasive case indeed.
Patient Purton seeking Cool runnings
Quiet run or no quiet run, Purton’s pulling power remains significant and the champion replaces Jimmy Orman when COOL BOY bids to complete a har-trick in the Peony Handicap at 9.10.
Orman will feel justifiably frustrated as Cool Boy has looked very promising in winning his last two, settling matters neatly last time when getting the better of Thursday’s emphatic winner Circuit Champion.
A 7lb rise looks unlikely to prevent another bold bid from Jamie Richards’s gelding, though LIFELINE EXPRESS has been knocking on the door for Browne McMonagale recently and he looks the saver and Quinella option in a race that could suit his late-running style nicely.
Sunday’s Sha Tin Selections
6.30: Colourful King
8.35: Ka Ying Rising/Helios Express
9.10: Cool Boy/Lifeline Express
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