Our Hong Kong expert Graham Cunningham takes a look at Wednesday's card at Happy Valley live on Sky Sports Racing and reflects on the weekend's action.
Zac Purton salutes the Sha Tin faithful
Fans in the grandstand tempted fate by unfurling a commemorative banner before the deed was done but KA YING RISING isn’t superstitious, and the star of the show delivered two records for the price of one on Sunday with a thunderous success in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup.
Silent Witness’s record of winning streak of 17, set back in 2005, was eclipsed from the moment Zac Purton allowed David Hayes’s gelding to produce his trademark finishing kick with 300m to run.
Another record was added to a growing tally when it was confirmed he had broken Sha Tin’s 1400m best by over half a second and the terrifying thing for rivals from home and abroad is that the world’s best sprinter seems to be getting more destructive every time he sets foot on the track.
“He’s more composed than ever and you can’t ask for much more than he’s doing,” said Hayes. “For his worldwide ratings, I just wanted Zac to let him go today and hopefully he can keep climbing up this incredible ladder.”
The next rungs of that ladder involve April’s Sprint Cup and Chairman’s Sprint Prize – which should take the gold run to 20 – and Hayes favours sticking to sprinting with a second trip Down Under for The Everest inked in for the first part of next season.
All’s Well that ends well as DBM strikes again
Meanwhile, the winning beat goes on for HK’s Euro stars.
Andrea Atzeni rode the rail to victory again on speedy Stellar Express to remain clear third in the jockeys’ table with 29 winners who have collected around £4.8m in prize money.
Harry Bentley enjoyed an armchair ride on the progressive Smart Golf to move to 16 for the season, while those who head to the betting windows when Dylan Browne McMonagle partners one for the first time copped again when All’s Well rewarded market faith in fine style.
Matthew Poon enjoyed a special Sunday, sealing a treble when Frankie Lor’s fiery front runner Salon S ran a useful field ragged in the nightcap, and Monday brought confirmation that a familiar face will be back in HK this spring when Joao Moreira arrives as stable jockey to Caspar Fownes for the last three months of the season.
Bentley on the Attack again
Now to a midweek card at Happy Valley and three races that look worth a second look.
The Kennedy Handicap at 12.10 looks a shallow affair – with more than half the field hard to fancy at present – and DAN ATTACK and Jolly Companion have much more to recommend them than most.
Jolly Companion has been in fine form of late, winning at the city track before going down narrowly to a rival who saved every inch, but he can’t be recommended unreservedly given that stall 10 is just 3-99 with the rail in the B position over 1200m.
By contrast, Dan Attack looks handily drawn in stall 5 after two wins and several fine efforts in defeat at the Valley this season.
Douglas Whyte’s gelding looked a bit unlucky on his latest outing, storming home for second after getting further back than ideal, and a 1lb rise leaves him looking nicely treated as Bentley bids to keep his good run going.
Embraces worth holding close
The Stubbs Handicap at 1.45 is another race with an appealing shape, not least because the presence of pace pushers like Uranus Star, Telecom Fighters and Tourbillon Prince should ensure the holdup horses get a chance to run to their best.
And that factor could set things up well for EMBRACES to play a significant role in the home straight.
Cody Mo’s gelding hasn’t made the first three in five tries this term, but he’s run several good races, most recently when coming home best of all from well back to finish fourth in a deeper race than this at Sha Tin.
Left on the same mark with regular rider Jerry Chau aboard, he should be suited by a return to the Valley, and a smooth transit will make him hard to keep out of the money this time.
Head for the Greater Baie area
Lastly this Wednesday, a good word or two for a couple of horses in a competitive Wan Chai Gap Handicap at 2.15.
Sovereign Fund impressed in winning here on his debut for the upwardly mobile Brett Crawford, while Candlelight Dinner and Straight To Glory have been raised 7lb and 6lb for their recent Valley wins.
But GREATER BAIE and SPIRIT OF PEACE look the two to have on your side in this £170,000 dash.
Greater Baie looked a sprinter on the rise for David Eustace when getting off the mark at the third attempt over course and distance four weeks ago, taking charge with a notably strong late kick, and he still looks ahead of the game after a 9lb hike as Purton bids to back up a sparkling Sunday five timer.
Spirit Of Peace isn’t open to the same amount of progress as Greater Baie, but he’s been running very well, coming home strongly after having to wait for room more than once, and he looks a fair saver and Quinella option from a handy draw in gate 3.
Wednesday’s Valley Views
12.10: Dan Attack
1.45: Embraces (EW)
2.15: Greater Bae/Spirit of Peace
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