Sure, it’s a horse opera that’s scripted to make for good copy- the budding bromance between the Zac Attack and the Durban Demon with the former finally riding his first winner for his one-time fierce competitor on Sunday.
This rivalry which had many taking sides and at one time turning ugly and political and unnecessary was when South African Douglas Whyte was Champion Hong Kong jockey for thirteen consecutive years. It’s a story that has been regurgitated many times. But some of the background stories and pettiness involved by supposed adults in the racing game…never mind. We won’t go there. But we don’t forget. Never.
Whyte, now in his second season as a trainer and the, perhaps, too straight forward talking Aussie who is never grey, are very different characters, but also with some similar character traits. They are what they are- two champions in the horse racing bubble. Let’s leave it as that though their relationship makes for an interesting little book, or Netflix movie.
Far more interesting would be if the Hong Kong Jockey Club would remove the shackles and allow a real fly on the wall reality series based around all the various goings on at Racecourse Gardens in Shatin, the upmarket home where many of the trainers and jockeys and their families live and circulate, form cliques and get in and out and about their business.
If only those walls could talk! What a cast! What plots and subplots! Tony Millard! The Purtons! The Whytes! The Sizes! The Yius! Who’s in, who’s out! Who’s no longer friends with whom! Who’s the prettiest of them all? Who’s the legend in their own lunchtime?
Who’s the Keyser Soze in the midst! Who’s the serial fan boy? Who was forced to do a runner?
It’s riveting stuff that’s Made For Television Must See viewing! But, let’s stop dreaming. It will never ever happen. What WILL happen tonight is another Happy Wednesday race meeting.
With Joao Moreira AND Karis Teetan sitting out the next couple of meetings through suspensions, one would only assume that the Zac Attack has an open path to run rampant and bang home at least 3-4 winners.
At least on paper, he could though some of the barrier draws are against him. But racing is a funny game. Not everything ever goes according to script. There’s always a Joker in the pack. We have seen it pop up at Happy Valley with great regularity in the race that’s the first leg of the 6up.
Will history repeat itself tonight in the third where the $1.8 race favourite Naboo Star doesn’t win? Very likely.
We have no idea why, but our records show that this has become a regular occurrence for the past three racing seasons. Why? How? Put it down to karma.
By not “tipping” favourites that everyone and their dog would and keeping away from including the rides of the Zac Attack in every race, we’ve done pretty well, especially by focusing on one race- the last on the card- and those races where we see red flags blowing in the wind.
On Sunday we came up with the quartet for the race 10 which paid around $4600 by simply taking a win banker and four legs.
The winner in the last race tonight might look obvious- Highland Fortune (3)- but looks can often be deceiving.
With persistent rain and a storm warning signal plus this being a 1000 metre sprint, we would err on the side of caution. Two runners who could upset the apple cart are Hong Kong Win (1) and Larson (4). For odds and to include in quartets are Allied Agility (10) and Saul’s Special (12).
A runner ready to win is the Jenny Chapman named Sell My Sole (4) in the sixth race. With the Magic Man missing this meeting, the ride on this John Size trained galloper has gone to Chad Schofield who’s riding in good form. The concern we have with this galloper is that he’s been promising to win for his last three starts and has disappointed. Maybe he’s got no sole?
Happy Good Guys (1) with trainer Ricky Yiu again calling on the services of ten-pound claimer Jerry Chau, and especially Kinda Cool (2), might give The Chadster’s ride the most to do. Others that we suggest including in quartets are Simply Fluke (3), and the dangerous looking Stock Legend (11). Having read what we’ve written, we’ll take a pass on the race.
Finally, in the fifth race, despite liking V Chevaliers (11), we’ll definitely have something on Go Ballistic (10)- to place- and purely to amuse ourselves. Trainer “Darth” Ferraris has been sending this galloper around almost every week. About three weeks ago, “Darth” declared him his stable’s best chance of having a winner. Didn’t even run a place.
Today, the ride has gone to Alex Lai who some might be forgiven to thinking had retired. But this rare ride for the battling jockey just might finally do something. Even win.
A night to have a bet? With the weather gods seemingly undecided, not really, though we might try our luck with a quartet in the last or order some cheeseburgers and Cajun Fries from Five Guys and really pig out.
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