Tim Carroll
Racing from Hong Kong this weekend is at Sha Tin on Sunday with a competitive 11-race card (turf and dirt) getting underway at 5.30am - live on Sky Sports Racing.
The feature race at the meeting is the Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (6.30am) over 12f. A slightly disappointing turn out for the race with just five entries, four of those being from the John More yard headed by top weight and 2017 winner, Eagle Way, who will be attempting to join a select list of horses who have won the race on two occasions.
My Next Best on the card is HELENE LEADINGSTAR, who runs in the feature, Race 3, The Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (6.30am) over 12f.
Eagle Way won this race in 2017 and is the class runner of the contest, but he does have to give away bags of weight to the others including our selection, Helene Leadingstar.
The former South Australian Derby winner has taken a bit of time to find his feet in Hong Kong, but has now won his last two starts, including last time out when he had all of these in behind.
He goes up 5lb in the handicap which means he meets the field between 4-7lb worse off, but I don’t think that will be enough to stop him. In his last two runs he’s rattled home late over 9 and 10 furlongs, thus the step up to 12 furlongs looks a major positive, especially given he won over further as a 3yo.
The small field is interesting as none of these are natural leaders, although the selection did try to make all in this last year when third, and may look to do so again.
The fact he was able to place in this race in 2019 and he’s now in better form argues well for the selection who should be a hard nut to crack off this mark over this trip on recent collateral form.
My each-way (EW) play on the card is GOLDEN FOUR, who runs in Race 9, The Class 4 Monaveen Handicap (9.35am), over 7 furlongs.
This looks an open race on paper, thus we should get a bit of value about our selection. There does look to be plenty of speed in the contest and that will suit.
The Michael Chang 5yo certainly doesn’t win out of turn but he does tend to run well when he gets the right race set up, i.e plenty of speed, which looks likely here.
The selection was a winner over course and distance three runs back and was only beaten a nose, again over course and distance, last time out. On both occasions he dropped back toward the rear and finished off strongly.
Both his wins have come at this level over this trip and when they have belted along on the front. But he will need some luck as he is drawn in stall 1, which means Neil Callan will be required to thread the needle at some point, but if he gets the breaks on the inside, look for Golden Four to be rattling home late.
My best bet (NAP) on the card is JUNEAU PARK, who runs race 11, The Class 3 Inch Arran Handicap (10.45am), over 7 furlongs.
The John Size 4yo has only had the six runs to date, winning twice in Class 4 company. Last time out he was just touched off for bronze when having his first run at this level, and although he was never going to trouble the winner, it was a very solid effort.
He finished in behind a very promising type that day and although he stays on the same mark, this is definitely a lessor looking Class 3 contest and one that looks winnable with a repeat performance from last time. He’s a heavy lump of a horse (1263lb) who should still be improving, too.
The race set up looks ideal in that he’s drawn in 5 and from there Moreira should be able to slot him into a perfect trailing position behind the leaders.
The only other runner with recent winning form in this is Everyone’s Joy (5) who should be respected, but based on recent but separate meetings with Smoothies, the selection comes out on top via margin and weights (although it doesn’t always work out that way).
In a race that looks there for the taking hopefully we have saved the best for last and Juneau Park can make it win number three at just his second go at this level.
REMAINDER OF THE CARD
Race 1 on the card: Argonaut Plate (5.30am), over 5 furlongs
Four of these met last time out over course and distance with SMILING FACE coming out the best when runner-up to a smart looking prospect. There wasn’t much between all four at the line so a turnaround wouldn’t be the biggest of shocks, but the selection, who was favourite on debut, got his front leg over the adjoining stall and had to pass a veterinary examination before the race, which wouldn’t have helped.
The unknown quantity is the debutant Super Ten who has shown enough in two barrier trials to suggest he has some ability. But he’s a stable companion to the selection and Joao Moreira rode him in one of those barrier trials but has elected to stick with Smiling Face, which looks a hint in itself.
Race 2 on the card: The Special Cargo Handicap (6.00am), over 6 furlongs (dirt)
Demons Rock was a four-time winner for Tom Dascombe as a 2yo, but is yet to win in 24 starts in Hong Kong and although this won’t take much winning, given Purtons on top and he’s been runner-up in his last two stars, he’s probably going to come up too short for my liking.
FAIRY FLOSS is a 4yo from the Jimmy Ting yard who is yet to win in 12 starts and has only placed once. However, that placing was two runs back over course and distance when he was narrowly beaten into second spot, and that’s the only time he’s ever been on the dirt track.
He was in the betting that day, in fact it’s the only time he hasn’t gone off double figures which suggests a forward showing was expected. The selection is likely to go forward, along with Demons Rock, and if he can reproduce his effort from two back, he should take plenty of holding out, especially given he’s in receipt of 6lb from the likely favourite.
Race 4 on the card: The 4 Isle Of Man Handicap (7.00am), over 5 furlongs
Keep an eye on the market for the debutant Kinda Cool from the Frankie Lor yard. He recently won a barrier trial in nice style and Zac Purton has been booked for the ride.
FABULOUS EIGHT will be the selection, though. The Ricky Yiu 4yo has only had two starts in the last 12 months but was responsible for a huge effort when third over course and distance last time.
On that occasion he was squeezed up at the start and then was held up a couple of times in the run when trying to navigate through the field. All things considered, it was a very good effort and one that should be marked up.
Here, he’s drawn perfectly in 13 and I suspect he will be a lot closer to the front end. Joao Moreira takes over in the saddle, and the son of Dream Ahead should take plenty of beating.
Race 5 on the card: The Brandy Snap Handicap (7.30am), over 6 furlongs
QUADRUPLE returns after a mid-season break of nearly three months, and was last seen when unplaced over 5 furlongs at Happy Valley.
However, David Hall’s 4yo has always run his best races over 6 furlongs here at Sha Tin and if you look at his career form figures over course and distance they read 213114.
Although he hasn’t won first up before, he was placed over 5 furlongs first time out this campaign and then went on to win three of his next four starts over 6 furlongs. This will be the first time they have sent him over 6 furlongs after a break, however.
The selection, who has been placed in two recent barrier trials, jumps from stall 6 and look for him to go forward, he may even lead. Mathew Poon claims a valuable 2lb and knows the horse well having been on board for all three career wins.
Race 6 on the card: The Manicou Handicap (8.00am), over 6 furlongs on the dirt
EXCEL DELIGHT has been runner up at his last three starts and was in behind a very promising type last time when not beaten far with four of these well held (the 10, 9, 8 and 12).
The start prior to that he was runner-up to the re-opposing Goldie Flanker (2) when beaten the barest of margins having gone a bit too quick from the front.
There’s plenty of speed in this and even though the selection himself can show a bit of toe I’d suggest Moreira will probably look to find a spot mid-division with cover from the wide draw, and with the speed on offer here, the draw could prove to be a blessing in disguise.
Excel Delight has been beaten no more than a nose in his last three spins, and in a race where they are likely to go like scalded cats on the front end, look for the selection to be working home strongly and hopefully go one better.
Race 7 on the card: The Norman Conqueror Handicap (8.00am), over 1 mile
I thought GALACTIC, who steps up to the mile for the first time, was the one to side with in this. The selection has shown plenty of promise in two runs to date and is entitled to improve.
Last time out he had to be gassed from a high draw over 7 furlongs to grab the front and in the end it was a very decent effort to hold on for the bronze position, only beaten half a length.
He only goes up 1lb in the handicap and this time he jumps from stall 6, which means he shouldn’t have to be used up early like last time.
Plus, there doesn’t appear to be a great deal of pace in the race, thus I’d imagined they will look to go forward again but under a far more conservative ride, and in Class 4 lacking any strong recent form, Douglas Whyte’s untapped 3yo looks the one to be with.
Race 8 on the card: The Insular Handicap (9.05am), over 10 furlongs
I thought the two to concentrate on where Enzemble, who won his first local race last time out, and LONDON HALL, who will be the selection. I must admit, I found it very difficult to split the pair and I certainly wouldn’t put you off having a play on the reverse forecast.
London Hall was last seen running third at Happy Valley in a race that was run a bit upside down and on a track that doesn’t really play to his strengths. Prior that, he had won two on the bounce over course and distance and his record over the 10 furlongs at Sha Tin from just four spins reads 1133.
There’s not a lot of speed on offer here, but the selection has the ability to race handy, which I would imagine will be the plan and that looks the place to be in this, and the selection should take plenty of holding out now that he returns to a track and trip he relishes.
Race 10 on the card: The Game Spirit Handicap (10.10am), over 6 furlongs on the dirt
JUST NOT LISTENING is proving a little bit frustrating of late, but he has very strong collateral form with most of these and has a good opportunity to win for the first time this campaign.
The John Moore 5yo has been placed over course and distance in his last three and has finished in front of several of these during that time. He did however finish in behind Utopia Life (2) on his penultimate start but was in front of that rival last time when 9lb better off at the weights.
The selection will look to go forward and although drawn high, he usually pings the gates and I would expect that he’ll get across into a forward position without too much bother.
If you’re playing the exotics I would include Zero Hedge (12) who had a tough time planted wide behind the selection last time and should finish closer.
But we will give Just Not Listening one more chance as he has had his hoof on the till recently, and was a three time winner over course & distance last campaign.
SUNDAY’S PLACE POT
This week’s Tote Place Pot will be races 6 through to 11. All up we will be playing 24 combinations (1x2x2x3x2x1), which will cost £2.40 for a 10p stake and so on. Good luck!
LEG 1 - 4 EXCEL DELIGHT
LEG 2 - 5 GALACTIC 6 KING DRAGON
LEG 3 - 5 LONDON HALL 6 ENZEMBLE
LEG 4 - 4 GOLDEN FOUR 9 PARTY GENIUS 14 WINWIN THIRTYTHREE
LEG 5 - 7 JUST NOT LISTENING 12 ZERO HEDGE
LEG 6 –10 JUNEAU PARK
TIM'S BEST BETS:
6.30am SHA TIN (Race 3)
ELENE LEADINGSTAR (NB)
9.35am SHA TIN (Race 9)
GOLDEN FOUR (EW)
10.45am SHA TIN (Race 11)
JUNEAU PARK (NAP)
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