International Racing: Wednesday 29 April 2020 – Happy Valley

Race 1 – 12:45 –
2200m – Class 4

Selections: 4 – 3 – 7
– 6 – 1

GALA NIGHT has
been in very good form over the past few months and the son of Dissident will
be looking to convert that into a win here. He returns to Happy Valley on the
back of a good attempt from a wide draw at Sha Tin last time out. Derek Leung
has won twice in his 5 engagements on the John Moore inmate and they should be
big contenders for first prize. CROWN
AVENUE continues to drop in the ratings since being relegated to Class 4
level, but he is starting to look threatening now. He lands a much-improved
draw for this rise in trip, but he has gone close over the 2200m before.
Hamelin retains the ride and they should be one of the leading contenders at
the business end. GOOD DAYS did
things the hard way last time out, when being forced to rally wide in the
closing stages. He did very well to finish just 0,5-lengths off the eventual
winner and he should benefit from a plum draw of 3 this time around. QE II Cup
winner, Zac Purton, looks an attractive jockey booking and if things fall into
place this time around, they should be involved in the finish. EXALTATION continues to drop in the
ratings, and he gets the blinkers replaced with a visor here. Joao Moreira
takes the mount and they must be included.

Race 2 – 13:15 –
1800m – Class 5

Selections: 2 – 7 –
12 – 6 – 8

VICTORIOUS SEEKER
has pretty much done everything but win in his last five starts and the son of
Sebring has a great opportunity to get the job done this time. He was only
beaten by 0,75-lengths over the course and distance in his penultimate start,
when Joao Moreira jumped aboard for the first time. He has stuck with the ride
since and it should be third time lucky this time. FORTUNE PATROL appears to have dropped to competitive mark of 36
and he’ll be an interesting runner to follow. Karis Teetan jumped back aboard
the son of Rip Van Winkle last time out when drawn wide and they did well to
rally late to finish right behind the top selection. He retains the ride from
an improved barrier position and having won over this trip before, looks well set
up to go into contention. VIRUS STAR is still a maiden after 16 career
starts, but he has started to show signs of leaving that status behind him. The
tong tie is added this time and with Zac Purton retaining, he must be
respected. BRING IT ON has improved
since dropping into this class and reverting to the turf. He gets the blinkers
fitted this time and if overcoming gate 10, he should be involved in the
finish.

Race 3 – 13:45 –
1650m – Class 4

Selections: 1 – 2 – 6
– 5 – 9

PARTY TOGETHER
improved on paper last time out, when dropping into this class and despite the
respectable result, he did everything possible to make it difficult for
himself. That was over the 1800m when pulling early and if taken to the front
under Antoine Hamelin here, he should relish the slight drop in trip and be
tough to collar in the closing stages. HAPPY
WARRIOR cannot be discounted on current form and with Zac Purton taking the
mount this time, his followers will be a little more confident of another big
performance. Caught wide in his last two starts, he lands a perfect draw this
time and should go into contention. EVERYONE’S
ELITE finished just in front of the top selection last time out to land
another second-place finish, the sixth time he has finished runner up. Joao
Moreira retains the ride and must be considered once again. FOCUS beat the second selection last
time out, when stepping up to this trip for the first time. The inform Karis
Teetan retains the ride on the son of Per Incanto from plum draw and must be
included.

Race 4 – 14:15 –
1200m – Class 4

Selections: 6 – 7 – 2
– 3 – 9

SUPER ALLIANCES
has just missed in his last two starts over this course and distance and he
will be looking to go one better this time after that short-head defeat in his
latest effort. That was the third time he has finished runner-up from his 5
attempts over this track and trip and Karis Teetan could be the catalyst for
getting it right this time. With just the 8 starts to his name, the son of
Zacinto still has scope for improvement and rates the one to beat here. SIMPLY FLUKE won his last start when
making his stable debut for the Douglas Whyte yard. He has a wide draw to
overcome this time, but Joao Moreira retains the ride and a repeat of his
latest outcome is not out of the question. FIRST
RESPONDER gave a solid account of
himself in his latest effort when stepping down into this class. He has found
another useful draw and with Blake Shinn retaining the ride, he should build on
that latest run to go into contention here. COLONEL is looking competitive off his current mark of 53 and he is
certainly due that first career victory. With just 6 starts to his name, he has
scope for more improvement and will be looking to build on that solid recent
form. Purton retains and they should be involved in the finish.

Race 5 – 14:45 –
1200m – Class 4

Selections: 8 – 10 –
9 – 7 – 5

An ultra-competitive event greets punters in the 5^th
race on the programme and cases can be made for a number of runners. TRAVEL DATUK is the marginal first
selection and his followers will be hoping he finally does enough to find the
winners enclosure. He is still without a win from 39 starts in Hong Kong, but
he comes into this race on the back of two neck defeats in his last two starts.
From another useful draw, Antoine Hamelin takes the mount, and he will be
looking to convert his consistent recent form. THE SHOW was also beaten by just a neck in his last start and this
consistent son of High Chaparral must be included from another plum draw. Apprentice
Poon retains the ride and they cannot be discounted in this wide-open race. VICTORY MASTERY looks competitive off
his current mark of 49 and as his form suggests, he should land that first
career win soon. He did well to rally wide from a tough draw under Moreira last
time out and if finding a bit of luck from gate 8 this time, he should be right
there at the business end. WOOD ON FIRE
finished right behind the top selection last time out and he gets the hood
removed for this run. With two seconds and two thirds from his 9 career outings
to date, he’ll be looking to convert his recent consistency into a win soon.
Chadwick retains the ride from a similar draw here and he must be considered a
leading contender.

Race 6 – 15:15 –
1650m – Class 3

Selections: 6 – 4 – 7
– 8 – 10  

FLASH FAMOUS has
taken the step up to this level in his stride and Joao Moreira seems to be
getting the best out of the son of Ilovethiscity. Beaten by the draw last time
out, he finds barrier 2 this time and with four wins from ten outings over this
course and distance, he looks hard to oppose. XIANG BAI QI is
improving with the slip in the ratings and the blinkers seemed have aided his
cause when fitted last time out. They will be fitted once again and with Karis
Teetan jumping back aboard the son of Azamour, he looks a big threat. He
finished right behind the top selection in that penultimate run and is weighted
to go even closer this time. GREEN REIGN
is due that first win in Hong Kong on his current form and he clearly had no
issues stepping up to this trip last time out. Despite the wider draw this
time, he has scope and must be included. WIND
GLIDER has shown big improvement since being fitted with the tongue tie,
accompanied by the drop in trip, and he lands a perfect draw which should bring
the son of The Factor right into contention here. Neil Callan retains the ride
after going close last time out and he should give his followers anther very
good run for their money.

Race 7 – 15:45 –
1200m – Class 3

Selections: 1 – 9 – 7
– 12 – 2

SHINING GEM has
done well to overcome two very wide draws in his last two starts, with his
latest run being the most notable of the two. He seems to enjoy settling off
the early speed and the tempo should be a decent one in this contest, which
will suit. From a perfect draw, Ho retains the ride, and they have the
credentials to find the winners box in this line up. DIAMOND BRILLIANT has been knocking on the door in his last 3
starts since switching to the Valley course. The cheek-pieces seem to be
helping and the engagement of Zac Purton will assist him further. He lands a
plum draw and the son of Not A Single Doubt should be a major contender on
current form over this course and distance. WIND N GRASS clearly didn’t enjoy the All-Weather surface in his
penultimate start and he quickly put that behind him with a much-improved
performance last time, when showing good late headway over the final 300m. He
returns to the same course and distance and with Moreira doing duty this time,
he must be included. NORDIC WARRIOR
has a tricky draw to overcome, but on best form he can fight out the finish and
deserves respect.

Race 8 – 16:15 –
1650m – Class 3

Selections: 3 – 11 –
5 – 1 – 4

SURREALISM has
been looking for the winners’ box in his last four starts over this course and
distance, with his last two efforts coming from gate 12. That was his second
start since having the blinkers fitted and despite another wide barrier, he
will be looking to build on his recent form. He has only missed the first three
places once from his seven attempts and with Teetan retaining the ride, he
should be one of the leading contenders at the finish line. OWNERS’ STAR reverts back to the turf
course where he went close to winning in his penultimate run over this course
and distance. He followed that up with another 2^nd last time out
over slightly further on the All-Weather to confirm his recent shift in form.
Apprentice Mo regains the ride and they must be included from a plum draw. HEAVENLY THOUGHT and CINQUANTE CINQ get the services of
leading jockeys Joao Moreira and Zac Purton respectively, and they both have
the credentials to be involved in the finish.

Race 9 – 16:50 –
1200m – Class 3

Selections: 12 – 1 –
5 – 9 – 10GOOD FOR YOU
hasn’t had much luck in running in his last three starts and he will be looking
for a smoother passage this time around. He enjoyed the drop back to the 1200m
last time out, after two modest performances over the 1400m at Sha Tin prior to
that, when rising into this class. With 4 wins from his 10 attempts over this
course and distance, he certainly has the credentials to make a major
impression here. He comes off the back of a 2,5-length defeat last time out,
when taking a bump at the start and should be worth following at a decent price
in this concluding event on the card. CALIFORNIADEEPSHOT
has only had the 4 starts in Hong Kong, all four of which have come over this
course and distance. A winner in his Hong Kong debut, he has followed that up
with three good efforts and it is only a matter of time before he doubles his
win tally here. Despite the wide draw, Joao Moreira takes the mount and with a
bit of luck in running, he should be involved in the finish once again. SHOUSON finished right behind the
latter last time out and under similar circumstances here, he rates a threat
once again. VICTORY POWER also
deserves a mention on the back of some consistent recent form. He also finds a
tricky barrier to overcome, but he has the form and credentials to go right
into contention at the business end.