South African jockeys have fair chances of wins at Happy Valley
David Thiselton
The three South African jockeys in Hong Kong have some reasonable chances in the Hong Kong meeting at Happy Valley tonight (first race off at 13H15 SA time).
Luke Ferraris is lying third in the early season jockeys standings with three wins after three meetings and he could go from strength to strength this season.
He only has three rides at tonight’s meeting, but one of them looks to have a fair chance.
In race seven he is aboard the David Hayes-trained 1200m specialist Allgreektome, who is by Scissors Kick.
The latter is sire of Giga Kick, who won the richest turf race on the planet, The Everest, last year in October at Randwick over 1200m.
Allgreektome has raced over the Happy Valley 1200m course and distance six times and it has yielded one win and four seconds.
The last time he raced over this course and distance in June last year he used his good gate speed from pole position to take the lead, but he was soon caught in the straight and finished a mediocre 4,25 length fifth.
However, what gives some hope is that the sunny weather forecast tomorrow should lead to fast ground and he can take advantage of his gate speed and good pace.
He is also the second most popular choice among the tipsters behind Dancing Code, who has made a good start to his Hong Kong career but is drawn out wide in barrier nine.
Luke, who rides this horse for the first time, has been seen to be a good front-running rider on the island and this one should make a bold bid.
He has attributed his strong start to the Hong Kong season to improved weight and stronger support from trainers and owners.
“My weight is a bit better this season and the support has been better, too,” said Ferraris, who rode briefly in Australia during the off-season.
“I’ve had better rides and I’ve been able to capitalize on that. Riding in Australia and seeing what a great facility the Lindsay Park stables are was also a great experience.”
In the last race he rides the middle distance to staying Brazilian-bred Butterfield, an eight-year-old who has been a high class campaigner in the past and has now dropped to an attractive rating of 91. He is drawn wide and this is his reappearance, which will make it tough on both counts, but he has the ability to be involved in this 1650m handicap.
Luke’s other ride is on the outsider Jumbo Fortune in the sixth race over 1650m.
This Australian-bred five-year-old could be fair value, considering the last time he ran over course and distance he was rated 73 and was beaten just 2,50 lengths into seventh from draw ten. He is now rated 68 and is drawn seven. Three runs ago he was beaten just half-a-length over a mile at Sha Tin and he subsequently ran unplaced in two starts over 1800m. It seems he will appreciate the step back in trip, but he has been overlooked by most of the tipsters.
Lyle Hewitson is yet to have a winner this season, but has been in demand and has five rides at the meeting.
He rides his old favourite Valiant Elegance in the fifth race over 1200m.
This Australian-bred five-year-old has provided him with five wins on the island, three of them over the Happy Valley 1200m trip.
Valiant Elegance has gone off the boil, but his reappearance saw him running a 1,25 length sixth over 1000m.
He runs off the same 58 mark here and has a fair draw of five out of ten.
He is the second most fancied runner among the tipsters.
Hewitson also has a chance in race seven on Majestic Knight, who is knocking hard and makes his seasonal reappearance from draw seven over an ideal course and distance. He has good pace and Hewitson will be looking to go start to finish.
Keagan de Melo has made an excellent start to his Hong Kong career and has three rides.
He rides Diamond Soars in race 4 over 1000m and has a chance as this horse is down in class. Diamond Soars he won off this same 40 mark the last time he ran in a class 5 event. His reappearance wasn’t too inspiring. However, he looks to be the type who would have benefitted from his first run of the season. He jumps from draw six.
Keagan is on an outsider in race six, the Doug Whyte-trained Ivy League, but his last two runs last season were both over this course and distance and he finished fourth on both occasions so he can’t be written off from a fair draw of five.
In the last race Keagan is on a rank outsider, Natural Storm. He is drawn well in two but this Gr 3 third-placed horse over 2400m needs further.
Hugh Bowman leads the championship in the early stages and has a few good chances in the early races tonight.
He can win the first on Classic Archi, has a good chance in the second on Savvy Chic if able to overcome a wide draw and the same can be said in the third for June Planet.
Perrenial Hong Kong champion jockey Zac Purton has a ride in every race and has a fine chance of landing a double in the last two events on Solid Impact and Rise Brethren.
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