3 minute read

Selections and Analysis for Sha Tin on Saturday.

RACE 1: #4 Big Party, #9 Quadruple Double, #8 Perfect Match, #3 Strathallan

RACE 2: #2 New Elegance, #1 Cheerful Giggles, #5 Great Treasure, #6 Beauty Day

RACE 3: #3 Super Euro Star, #1 Adonis, #8 Scarborough Fair, #2 Natural Flare

RACE 4: #1 Giddy Giddy, #6 Dollar Reward, #7 Kirov, #10 Very Sweet Orange

RACE 5: #2 Energetic Class, #1 Have Fun Together, #3 Monica, #7 Follow Me

RACE 6: #6 Gentle Breeze, #7 Monkey Jewellery, #4 E Master, #8 Happy Tour

RACE 7: #2 Blocker Dee, #1 Encore Boy, #6 Raging Blitzkrieg, #7 Super Man

RACE 8: #3 Harmony Victory, #6 Victory Boys, #8 Circuit Number Two, #12 Mr So And So

RACE 9: #1 California Fortune, #7 Ugly Warrior, #3 Fortune Booth, #6 Pick Number One

RACE 10: #12 Noble Steed, #4 Sun Touch, #11 Relentless Me, #3 Comfort Life

RACE 1: CHUNG ON HANDICAP

#4 Big Party has trialled well and has drawn the right place down the straight for his first start. Neil Callan takes the ride from gate 12 and he can make a winning debut. #9 Quadruple Double ran well in griffin races without winning and just looked in need of some more time to mature. That race experience may come in handy here. Another of the debutants, #8 Perfect Match, looks to have been primed for this, while the more race-smart #3 Strathallan can figure too.

RACE 2: HOI PA HANDICAP

#2 New Elegance is first-up after showing promise last term for Frankie Lor. His last run behind Fiama was sound and, if he has improved with the summer under his belt, he should get every chance here. #1 Cheerful Giggles arrived in Hong Kong with strong credentials, including a runner-up effort in the 2017 Queensland Derby behind Ruthven. He ran well at his first start for Tony Millard last month and the 1800m should prove more suitable, so he’s a player in this spot. #5 Great Treasure won fresh at his first start for Me Tsui and ran another good race last time out up in grade. He’s not without a hope. The consistent #6 Beauty Day should appreciate 1800m.

RACE 3: SHA TSUI HANDICAP

#3 Super Euro Star drops to Class 5, a grade where he is unbeaten from one start. He should get out somewhere near the lead and he will be hard to beat if he doesn’t get too much pressure. #1 Adonis produced an unbelievable effort at his last run in June, missing the start hopelessly before flashing home to run fourth. If he’s able to progress from that run now that he’s down in grade, he’ll be a winner before too long. #8 Scarborough Fair looks in need of further than 1200m but he’s at a mark where he should figure and he has Zac Purton aboard for his first-up run. #2 Natural Flare is next best.

RACE 4: TAI HO HANDICAP

#1 Giddy Giddy is a hardy galloper who surprised by making it up to Class 3 last season. He has shown a particular liking for this course and distance and he should be fresh after a stint at Conghua over the summer. He will get every chance on or near the speed. #6 Dollar Reward looked close to winning last season before he went off the boil. He remains a Hong Kong maiden through 17 local starts, but that elusive win is getting closer. #7 Kirov won in nice style fresh. It won’t take much more than that for him to figure here. #10 Very Sweet Orange has more talent than he has shown so far and perhaps the 10-pound claim of Victor Wong and the switch to dirt can prove the catalyst for him to find his best.

RACE 5: THE CHINESE GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CUP

#2 Energetic Class returns for the first time in seven months after bleeding in March. He has won fresh before and he looks to have found a suitable race to figure first-up. #1 Have Fun Together has looked likely to win before and it seems remarkable that he hasn’t had that breakthrough success. He has drawn awkwardly here but he should have his chance. #3 Monica should appreciate getting up to 1400m and back to Sha Tin. He could improve sharply. #7 Follow Me ran well enough on debut to suggest that he can figure.

RACE 6: TAK WAH HANDICAP

#6 Gentle Breeze, sporting the famous Sacred Kingdom silks, showed plenty of talent in two starts last season over the straight 1000m. Getting around a bend looks a positive and he will be hard to beat in what shapes as a nice little race. #7 Monkey Jewellery sat deep but fought on well to only be beaten a length at his first start. As is typical with John Size trainees, he should improve from start to start and he can figure. #4 E Master flashed home from last at Happy Valley fresh, and at his first start for Caspar Fownes too, landing some big bets. From a better draw, he can lay up closer and he is capable of winning again. #8 Happy Tour has talent and should take plenty of benefit from his debut on opening day.

RACE 7: THE YAN CHAI TROPHY

#2 Blocker Dee is on the way down after a fairly quick rise through the grades before cementing his rating in Class 2 territory for quite some time. He faded fresh after sitting near the speed when back down in Class 3 for the first time since May. This is the weakest dirt race he’s contested and a victory wouldn’t shock. #1 Encore Boy is a similar animal, except he still looks to have a couple of points in hand. He’s a contender. #6 Raging Blitzkrieg ran well in two dirt starts at the end of last season and a repeat of those efforts will see him in contention. #7 Super Man is always worth including in these races.

RACE 8: TSUEN FU HANDICAP

#3 Harmony Victory caught the eye flashing from near last at his first Hong Kong run on opening day. The Brazilian import, a two-time G1 winner in his home country when named Cash Do Jaguarete, looks capable of measuring up in Hong Kong, a rare feat for a South American galloper. A big effort second-up wouldn’t shock. #6 Victory Boys is one of those unassuming types who just keeps putting good run after good run on the board. His ceiling must surely be approaching, and perhaps it could be coming first-up against this sort of company, but a consistent horse like him deserves respect too. #8 Circuit Number Two looks to be heading higher and he can make it three on the trot with even luck. #12 Mr So And So has done nothing wrong in his Hong Kong preparation to date. His first effort was good and he should take a step forward from that.

RACE 9: TSUEN LOK HANDICAP

#1 California Fortune has run particularly well at his first two starts this term. He stuck on nicely at his only dirt run in February and it wouldn’t surprise to see his good recent form rewarded with a victory here, despite topweight. #7 Ugly Warrior put together a nice record of four wins from five starts over this course and distance last season, with his sole defeat coming at the hands of his rival here, Pick Number One. He has trialled well ahead of this and looks to have taken benefit from a long break, to the point where he might be able to reverse form on Pick Number One here. #3 Fortune Booth deserves respect at his first try on the surface. #6 Pick Number One, last season’s Champion Griffin, was unbeaten on the dirt before a bad failure at his first attempt in this grade in June. He’s got talent but it remains to be seen how high he can climb.

RACE 10: YEUNG UK HANDICAP

#12 Noble Steed disappointed fresh, although the way in which the race was run probably didn’t suit him. Second-up, he can improve again and he should be hard to beat from a good draw. #4 Sun Touch is a likeable galloper in that he gets out and sits on or near the speed and he usually kicks on strongly. That should be the case again and he will be around the mark. #11 Relentless Me performed well first-up and a repeat of that effort will see him in contention. #3 Comfort Life has drawn poorly but he looks to have the talent to win a race off his current mark, if he can put it all together.