Saturday’s card presents 10 competitive races to look forward to, with the headline event being the Class 2 Choi Hung Handicap over 1200m. Speedsters VOYAGE WARRIOR and DUKE WAI appear to be the main contenders here, but a case can also be made for the likes of COMPUTER PATCH, who finished right behind the latter last time out.
|
Race
|
Time
|
Conditions
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
|
1
|
06:15
|
1000m – Class 4 – Turf
|
6
|
12
|
9
|
7
|
14
|
|
2
|
06:45
|
1800m – Class 5 – Turf
|
4
|
7
|
5
|
3
|
8
|
|
3
|
07:15
|
1200m – Class 4 – All-Weather
|
3
|
1
|
11
|
5
|
6
|
|
4
|
07:45
|
1400m – Class 4 – Turf
|
3
|
12
|
1
|
8
|
5
|
|
5
|
08:15
|
1800m – Class 3 – Turf
|
11
|
9
|
6
|
13
|
1
|
|
6
|
08:50
|
1200m – Class 3 – All-Weather
|
4
|
6
|
5
|
8
|
1
|
|
7
|
09:20
|
1600m – Class 2 – Turf
|
7
|
2
|
5
|
4
|
1
|
|
8
|
09:50
|
1400m – Class 3 – Turf
|
12
|
1
|
11
|
8
|
10
|
|
9
|
10:25
|
1200m – Class 2 – Turf
|
10
|
6
|
1
|
9
|
8
|
|
10
|
11:00
|
1400m – Class 3 – Turf
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
6
|
8
|
Best Bet: MEGA HEART (Race 6)
Value Bet: KING’S RACE (Race 4)
DUBLIN STAR appears to be the right one to follow in the opener. He has a tough draw to overcome, but he was fancied quite strongly on debut and despite his one paced effort on that occasion, he should have plenty more scope for improvement. Moreira takes the ride and with a bit of luck in running, he should be fighting out the finish.
LITTLE GENERAL should be the obvious pick in the second race on the card. He went very close to winning last time out, when dropping into this class of opposition. He too found strong support in the betting markets on that occasion and from a reasonable draw this time he should be able to get the job done. SAVVY SEVEN finished right behind the top selection last time and one gets the impression that he could be right there to pick up the pieces should the former fluff his lines.
The third race on the card is one of two races on the All-Weather track this Saturday. DOLLAR REWARD has been in competitive form of late and he looks well suited to these conditions. With Purton retaining the ride, he should be good enough to win this.
The 4th race presents a fair value bet to follow. KING’S RACE has been knocking on the door since changing tactics and racing up with the early speed. He has overcome two wide draws in his last two starts and now finds a plum draw to mount his challenge from. The blinkers helped last time and they will be fitted once again, for his 6th career outing. The 2-pound claiming Poon regains the ride and he has a nice shot at picking up his 14th win of the season aboard the son of Foxwedge.
The 5th race on the card brings us to the halfway mark and Lyle Hewitson has found a great opportunity to pick up his 4th win in Hong Kong, aboard ENZEMBLE. It hasn’t been easy for the young South African champion jockey, but his mount has found some solid form and he lands a very handy draw this time. The son of Zoffany will be slightly closer to the front this time and he’ll be worth following in an open race.
Race 6 is the second of two races on the All-Weather track and its MEGA HEART who lands the tag of the best bet on the card. He has been knocking on the door since returning to this surface and with Moreira up, he must be considered as one of the more confident bets on the program, over this course and distance. If he gets it wrong, AQUILA lands a much-improved draw after finishing right behind him last time and he could be worth including in wider perms.
PRECIOUSSHIP has continued his rich reign of form into Class 2 company, since rising to this level two starts back. He won his latest over this course and distance, when jumping from the same drawn and Ho retains the ride, having won on him three times from four engagements on the son of Iffraaj. With just the 13 starts to his name, he has plenty more to come and must be a major contender in this 7th event on the card.
HAPPY FORCE is a strong front runner and he has slipped to a competitive looking mark now. From an improved gate this time, he should find it a lot easier to get to the front and dictate matters. Yeung sticks with the ride and if finding a soft lead, he could be very hard to peg back in the 8th race. The top weight, STAR OF YUEN LONG, has been right there of late and despite the wide draw he has to navigate, he’ll be worth including.
The feature race on the card greets punter in the penultimate race and its COMPUTER PATCH who has the scope to upset the top contenders in the race. The former has finished prominently in all three of his starts so far and the son of Exceed and Excel will have plenty more improvement to come. He has another useful draw and with a useful galloping weight, he rates a big threat here. The obvious dangers have been mentioned in the introduction and they must be respected, namely: VOYAGE WARRIOR and DUKE WAI.
The final race on the card is an intriguing Class 3 event over the 1400m. FARHH ABOVE has done nothing wrong since finishing second on debut and he will have a decent opportunity of picking up the hat-trick of wins here. Ho retains the ride from a much-improved draw and he will relish the extra furlong this time. The Whyte yard is in top form and they deserve plenty of respect in the final race.
