RACE 1
A 1200 metres race on the all-weather surface and hardly worth bothering about except for the fact that making his Hong Kong debut is ten-pound claiming apprentice Victor Wong, below, who, like The Poon Train aka Matthew Poon, made a name for himself in Adelaide riding for the Richard Jolly stable.
Having watched him ride in Adelaide, The Mowa Man has the same bustling style of riding as The Poon Train and which worked very well for him down under and especially in a state where jockey Jamie Kah is in a class of her own.
At 24, Wong will be on a steep learning curve while indentured to the stable of Tony Millard and not that of Caspar Fownes as most thought. That’s racing. Quite rightly, Millard has asked everyone to manage their expectations and let the young man find his feet and discover what it’s like to be riding against some of the best jockeys in the world and a totally different racing environment to Adelaide.
Here he rides Rugby Diamond and it will be no surprise to see Victor Wong play Catch Me If You Can. It could be a fairy tale start to his Hong Kong career and if this happens, great. If not, chalk it up to experience.
As for the race, it’s one to perhaps try taking a quartet by including all the local riders engaged or it might be a good time for some dim sum before getting serious about another Sunday of racing at Sha Tin.
CARRY TO WIN (10) RUGBY DIAMOND (5) GOLD TALENT (11) WINNINGLI (12)
RACE 2
REFINED TREASURE (2) COMPLACENCY (3) MULTIMAX (12) STRIKING MR C (8)
RACE 3
EMPIRE STAR (7) THE SHOW (14) PEARL CHAMPION (8) RIGHT CALL (1)
RACE 4
REMARKABLE (4) EVER LAUGH (7) AUDACITY (11) PROUD SKY (13)
RACE 5
UNICRON JEWELLERY (2) DYNAMIC EAGLE (4) TAI SMART (9) TRAVEL FIRST (7)
RACE 6
The next three races are definitely the toughest legs in the Six Up so tread warily and depending on the night before, tread wearily. Perhaps race 8 can be cutdown to 4-5 chances even though one of those lotteries over 1000 metres, but the two dirt races before this are very difficult to figure out. Why beat around the bush?
Some are up in the ratings, others are getting over lameness issues and many of the others are very ordinary conveyances which might wake up today. Hello and good luck!
GOLDIE FLANKER (6) ELITE BOY (5) ELITE SPIRIT (4) FIRST BEAUT (12)
RACE 7
BORNTOACHIEVE (8) PERPETUAL TREASURE (2) STAR OF JOY (10) SUNNY DRAGON (9)
RACE 8
ROYAL MOJITO (12) WAYFOONG VINNIE (13) BALTIC WHISPER (1) HAIR TRIGGER (5)
RACE 9
EASY GO EASY WIN (5) SIMPLY BRILLIANT (8) SERGEANT TITANIUM (3) CIRCUIT SPIRIT (4)
RACE 10
RAGING STORM (13) TURIN REDSTAR (3) ULTIMATE GLORY (11) LADY FIRST (10)
BEST BET
RACE 10 QUINELLA: TURIN REDSTAR (3) and RAGING STORM (13)
NEXT BEST RACE 9 QUINELLA: EASY GO EASY WIN (5) and SIMPLY BRILLIANT (8)
LONGSHOT RACE 1 CARRY TO WIN (10)
PARTING SHOT
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