It’s been eight weeks since we last saw the exciting John Moore-trained Smart Giant.
This was when the Southern Hemisphere four-year-old made its appearance over 1800 metres for the first time at Shatin.
It won with a withering finishing burst while carrying 130 pounds.
Though its race on Tuesday is a somewhat tough-looking Class 1 event simply because five other horses have won over course and distance, the “baby” in the field- Smart Giant- looks well up to taking them on.
Also, going through the field, there don’t appear to be many serious threats to the galloper.
To be ridden by Darren Beadman and though drawn barrier twelve, this should not matter.
It should give the great “Dazzler” time to cross over and ride a stalking race.
The two main dangers appear to be stable mate Zaidan with Jeff Lloyd aboard and Caspar Fownes’ Let Me Handle It.
The latter has much-improved apprentice Vincent CY Ho on it and which means taking a valuable five pounds off its back.
When we spoke to Fownes, he was very bullish about the chances of his galloper.
“Its last run was great,” he told us. “It’s drawn well and it can run out the distance on its head. The danger? Smart Giant.”
In the same race, new trainer in town, Richard Gibson, introduces a newcomer in Rio Willie.
Gibson is a world-class trainer and though we doubt this horse is ready yet, we’ll certainly be watching the run.
But to us, it looks like a Let Me Handle It and Smart Giant quinella and a good little post-Christmas present.
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