Sunday's Sha Tin card, live on Sky Sports Racing, sees some promising British and Irish imports square off in the feature race.
Rise and shine as British and Irish imports square off at Sha Tin
There’s a strong British and Irish flavour to the big race at Sha Tin this Sunday and the most interesting import may not be the most high profile one.
Ultra-reliable Simply Brilliant – aka Senator in his Richard Fahey days – bids for his sixth HK win in the £260.000 Lavender Handicap at 8.05 but is he really good enough to land a big one off a mark of 115?
Safe to say he won’t find it easy to give 15lb to revitalized Good Standing, who kept leading Derby hope Waikuku honest here last time out, while What Else But You is on top of his game after an impressive 1400m win.
It seems Zac Purton has chosen What Else But you ahead of regular partner Rise High but for once the champion’s fabled ability to pick the right one may rebound on him.
Rise High thrived when rattling off a hat-trick with Purton aboard late last season and has caught the eye in two of his three starts this term, finishing third behind Simply Brilliant and What Else But You in the Chevalier Cup then racing too freely when heavily backed on his return from a break at Happy Valley last time.
The five-year-old, who won two out of two when known as Landfall for Ken Condon in 2016, has a major weight pull with Simply Brilliant and What Else But You compared to their last meeting.
It’s possible his latest run was needed but he should be spot on this time. Further rain after a wet week in HK would work very much in his favour and the fact that his young Aussie rider Regan Bayliss is winless in HK will help his price much more than it hinders his prospects.
Gunnison a huge threat to Thinker’s Dubai dream
To bend the old American sports adage, it’s a case of ‘win or stay home’ for a couple of Hong Kong’s most progressive horses this Sunday.
Connections of Wishful Thinker and Elusive State have expressed a desire to head to Meydan for Dubai World Cup night on March 30th, the former pencilled in for the Al Quoz Sprint, the latter a possible for the Godolphin Mile or the World Cup itself.
But both horses need to improve their ratings to enhance their prospects of making the cut, starting with Wishful Thinker in the Flamingo Flower Handicap at the ungodly hour of 4.30am GMT.
Hong Kong’s approach to small fields is very different to Britain’s – hence the fact that Sha Tin’s first four-runner race in eight years has been shunted to the front of an eleven-race card – and Wishful Thinker’s late-running style could be compromised by a four-runner race.
He did plenty wrong early but Wishful Thinker got it together when it mattered under a calm @AlexisBadel. Now, where's that Al Quoz Sprint invite? 🇭🇰 🇦🇪 #HKracing #HappyWednesday
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) February 13, 2019
👇 pic.twitter.com/Vp8Uaqo3Vb
He’s in prime form, as he showed when charging through to score from a mark of 106 at Happy Valley last month, but Gunnison was just half a length back in third that night and has what could be a priceless 5lb pull as he bids to turn the tables with Zac Purton replacing suspended Joao Moreira.
State in great shape ahead of six timer bid
Elusive State’s prospects of completing a remarkable six timer in the Lusitano Handicap at 8.35 look bright for the simple reason that he keeps defying the handicapper and still looks very fairly treated from his new mark of 93.
The switch to Tony Millard has been key for Elusive State, who made it five on the bounce in a hot race under Silvestre de Sousa on his latest start despite being forced wider than ideal from a high draw.
The Dubai dream is still alive! Elusive State needs to improve further to have any chance of fulfilling entries in the Godolphin Mile and Dubai World Cup but he's thriving for Tony Millard and lands the featured Leighton Handicap decisively to seal a de Sousa treble #HKracing pic.twitter.com/SsICl8ndsU
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) January 12, 2019
Former Charlie Hills galloper Glorious Artist looks one of the big dangers under Purton as he was desperately unlucky to be forced wide when a close second to King Genki here recently.
Bear Slam is a longshot to note as he was smart under the name of Purser for John Gosden and hinted at much better to come on his latest start.
However, Elusive State has never stopped improving since Millard got hold of him last summer and, with a better trip likely from stall seven this time, his Dubai dream could still be flickering come Sunday evening.
