Fresh off the high of Romantic Warrior’s Triple Crown sweep, Hong Kong racing is back Wednesday morning from Happy Valley at 6:40 a.m. EDT. Free PPs are available at Horse Racing Nation. For more free Handicapping information, visit the Hong Kong Jockey Club website.
Race 1: 3 Solar River, 6 Gimme Five, 10 Exceed The Wish, 8 Winning Diamond
Race 2: 7 Rosewood Fleetfoot, 1 Management Folks, 2 Splendid Force, 6 All Are Mine
Race 3: 1 Withallmyfaith, 3 Audacious Pursuit, 10 Prestige Ricky, 6 Mr Cool
Race 4: 5 Bright Day, 3 Smart Fighter, 7 The Perfect Match, 1 Find My Love
Race 5: 2 Armor Golden Eagle, 3 Glittering Legend, 9 All Round Winner, 8 Fantastic Fun
Race 6: 9 Elegant Life, 8 Dan Attack, 1 Crossborderdude, 5 World Hero
Race 7: 9 Lucky McQueen, 11 Jolly Companion, 1 Spirit Of Peace, 2 Happy Shooter
Race 8: 1 Horsepower, 10 Mr Desira, 7 Together We Value, 2 Candlelight Dinner
Race 9: 11 Robot Lucky Star, 9 Honest Witness, 8 Embrace Aberdeen, 1 Son Pak Fu
Race 1 – Dordogne Handicap
No. 3 Solar River drops into Class 5 and has trialled well leading into this run. He has a couple of encouraging third-place finishes to his name from four and five starts ago, and that form stands him in good stead to break through today. No. 6 Gimme Five had a poor trip racing wide throughout at his first Class 5 attempt and was never a factor. That should not be the case today and he can improve on that effort. No. 10 Exceed The Wish gets a meaningful jockey switch with Zac Purton taking the ride for the first time, while post 3 gives him a nice low draw to work with. No. 8 Winning Diamond is a better chance from a mid-draw after never getting into the race from an outside stall last time. Before that, he ran an encouraging fourth at his first Class 5 attempt.
Race 2 – Loire Handicap
No. 7 Rosewood Fleetfoot has been coming on with each run since joining Ricky Yiu’s stable four starts ago and put the writing on the wall last start with a fast-finishing second over 1 1/8 miles at Sha Tin. No. 1 Management Folks is a proven track-and-distance performer and gets Purton back in the saddle, who knows him well, while post 1 sets him up for a sweet run. No. 2 Splendid Force arrives off his best run yet, closing well for second over 1 1/8 miles at this track at his first look in Class 5. He is lightly raced with only eight starts and has more room for improvement than others. No. 6 All Are Mine gets post 2 to map favorably, and the last time he raced at this track and trip he was favorite from an outside stall, which worked against him. He still ran well for sixth on that occasion.
Race 3 – Rhine Handicap
No. 1 Withallmyfaith makes a strong case dropping into Class 4 for the first time, with Purton riding him for the first time as well. He is a horse who likes to lead, and from post 3 in a race without much speed on paper, he should get every chance in the run. No. 3 Audacious Pursuit had no luck first-up over one mile at Sha Tin, racing wide throughout on a rain-affected track before fading to ninth. He comes to Happy Valley for the first time, where Fownes’ runners perform well, and post 4 sets him up for a much better run. No. 10 Prestige Ricky gets a map upgrade from post 2 after jumping from post 13 last time on a yielding Sha Tin track and not being beaten far in sixth. No. 6 Mr Cool gets rewarded for consistency, with five third placings from his last six starts, and can be thereabouts again.
Race 4 – Ciron Handicap
No. 5 Bright Day has been running well against adversity in two starts since going down by half a length in a race of this nature. Two back, he was held up in the concluding stages from post 10, while last start at Sha Tin he struck a slowly run race and his fast-finishing fourth carried merit. Post 1 gives him every chance to atone today. No. 3 Smart Fighter beat Bright Day two starts ago, but then drew post 10, had a poor trip throughout and was a no-show. From post 4 today, his map improves his chances of a rebound. No. 7 The Perfect Match has not won for a long time but returned to form last start with a good third to Honest Witness. Jerry Chau suits this horse. No. 1 Find My Love broke through for an overdue and well-deserved first win of the season last start and remains in Class 4.
Race 5 – The Sauternes’s Cup
No. 2 Armor Golden Eagle has made a rapid rise in the ratings since switching to this track and distance three runs ago, when he led all the way to score by a neck at the top of Class 4. He then ran a luckless third back in Class 3 before atoning in style, drawing clear by over three lengths. The 10-point rise is the query off that, but his trial since was full of promise. No. 3 Glittering Legend arrives off his best run yet in Hong Kong, when second to Sky Vino by a neck on the all-weather. Moreira now takes the ride, which is meaningful. No. 9 All Round Winner has been a big improver since blinkers were applied seven starts ago and cannot be dismissed off his recent run of success. No. 8 Fantastic Fun was third to Armor Golden Eagle last start, though well beaten, but from post 1 he maps sweetly to be in the finish again.
Race 6 – Ciron Handicap, div 2
No. 9 Elegant Life comes off a seventh where he began only fairly, never travelled well throughout, but still hit the line strongly late. Fownes has given him a 49-day freshen, his lead-in trial was sound and, from post 3, his map is good enough for him to bounce back to winning form. No. 8 Dan Attack has been in exceptional form this season, landing two wins from seven starts. He won his trial heat in style for his return, while post 1 gives him the perfect map. No. 1 Crossborderdude has post 10 to overcome but brings the right form after back-to-back thirds since switching to this track and distance, while Purton sticking with him is a good sign. No. 5 World Hero has two wins and a third from his last three starts and had to overcome post 12 in his past two runs.
Race 7 – Ciron Handicap, div 3
No. 9 Lucky McQueen comes off a series of runs from wide draws, which have not helped his chances. Post 6 and Moreira taking the ride are serious upgrades and can see him bounce back to winning ways. No. 11 Jolly Companion looks set to get a sweet run from post 2 and can improve on his last-start sixth, which carried merit from his position in running. He can settle closer today. No. 1 Spirit Of Peace returns to Class 4, where he is well placed, although post 10 is not ideal. He has looked ready to win in recent runs when the race unfolds to suit his get-back, run-on pattern. No. 2 Happy Shooter is enjoying a good season with a win and three second-place finishes from six starts. This is only his second Happy Valley start, but Danny Shum’s runners perform strongly at the city circuit.
Race 8 – Garonne Handicap
No. 1 Horsepower arrives off back-to-back seconds and is ready to win another race when the race shape unfolds to suit. The pace looks genuine here, which should allow him to work into it late. No. 10 Mr Desira has not gone on with it in recent starts after showing promise earlier in the season. He is first-up since mid-March, his trial for return was very good and post 2 sets him up for a sweet run. No. 7 Together We Value has been hitting the line well in two runs since switching to this track and trip. Both efforts were encouraging and he is heading the right way. No. 2 Candlelight Dinner should run an honest race from post 4 up on the pace, having rarely been beaten far and usually around the mark.
Race 9 – Seine Handicap
No. 11 Robot Lucky Star has trialled well twice since a fair first-up run in mid-April, with both pieces of work showing enough improvement to suggest he can run a race second-up. Post 1 sets him up for a great run in transit and he will take some beating. No. 9 Honest Witness has turned a corner since a change of tactics, leading throughout in both recent runs and winning easily last start by more than four lengths. He may have been flattered by the track that night, however, and faces a fresh test 10 points higher in the ratings. This isn’t a strong Class 3, though. No. 8 Embrace Aberdeen maps for a better run from post 3 today and reuniting with Matthew Poon is a positive. No. 1 Son Pak Fu will relish a genuine pace and is one to look for late.
Luke Middlebrook is a contributor at Idol Horse. After blogging about the sport for years, he spent eight years in Singapore as the resident expert at iRace Media, overseeing form and editorial content for racing in Hong Kong and Singapore. Coverage of the entire Hong Kong Thoroughbred season at Horse Racing Nation is made possible through a sponsorship by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
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