Jan 13, 20183 min read

IF IT’S SATURDAY, IT MUST BE…SHA TIN???

It’s not Friday the 13th, but Saturday the 13th, and while many we know are on the Gold Coast to back Jonker, it’s racing at Sha Tin on a Saturday- never a popular day for local racing fans as most only get off work at 1pm and is considered a family day- with a few all-weather races thrown in so some of us can go walkies for some probiotics, and another meeting minus Joao Moreira.

It’s becoming almost a trend this season for the Magic Man to make a few appearances, bang home his usual quota winners, and then, almost according to his own script, decides to get suspended just to take a break from those race meetings that don’t really hold much interest. Makes sense.

Not to sound like an ingrate, but this is one of those meetings where we’ll be taking an interest in a few races, watch the Magic Millions and have a passing interest in the racing at Ascot in Western Australia while looking forward to Wednesday when Paul Harvey aka The Pontiff makes something of a comeback with his first ride there since March of last year.

Harvey, the former William Pike, is a very rich man. He really doesn’t need to risk life and limb riding in a race, but his decision to partner Mythical Saga on Wednesday holds some interest.

Having said this, and despite being a huge supporter of racing in Western Australia for many years, interest has started to wane at an alarming rate. The racing is going downhill, some of the tracks are not fit for racing, TABTouch Radio that was once so entertaining has become amateur hour whereas one of the presenters really needs a handful of chill pills. The man sounds like a chihuahua in heat. He’s not as funny as he might think he is and makes for bloody irritating listening.

As for racing at Sha Tin, the absence of Moreira gives Zac Purton another opportunity to close the gap on the premiership leader with a number of local racing fans believing that the consistently good Australian rider has the momentum, the backing of trainers and owners plus the hunger to win his second Hong Kong Jockey Premiership. Daughter Roxie would like that.

Joao Moreira? He’s very tough to figure out. How committed is he to racing in Hong Kong? How loyal is trainer John Moore and his owners to stable jockey Tommy Berry? Zac Purton winning the January Cup last Wednesday on the Moore trained Eagle Way, and the casual mention that the jockey has first refusal on the galloper in the Gold Cup next month said much without spelling it out. Racing is a tough game.

And so, with a bit of a yawn and not ever wishing to be known as tipsters, we’ll leave this to the young lady who has her own ways of playing the races, especially by focusing on the Six Up. Follow her, don’t follow her, but whatever you do, unlike some we know, have a sense of humour.

It must be that time of the month, but seldom have we come across such cranky people- all in horse racing and who really need to find their humour mojo- if they ever had one, of course. Then again, do we care?