STRAIGHT FROM THE DING DONG’S MOUTH.
And- ding dong- how did YOU do at Shatin on Sunday?
Or did you, like many, follow the leading jockeys, and let some of those winners go off at way over the odds as they were ridden by lesser lights and pay the consequences?
Following Joao Moreira, Zac Purton, Dougie Whyte and Tye Angland and then playing catch-up to try and break even had many we know suffering from more irregular heartbeats than some of the horses that ran and at a loss for words like the jockeys questioned about the poor performances of their rides PLUS sporting more bumps and grinds than a lap dance at Goodfellas.
You know Goodfellas- the private club located on the fourth floor above Woolamaloo on D’Aguilar Street and where a group of girls from Brisbane and Moldova sip water-colored “martinis” in-between private lap dances while one is charged for a pocketful of mumbles that are sometimes promises- frequented by a number of Indian owners who usually end up bumping and grinding inside cages at the sister club in Lan Kwai Fong. It’s a ding dong Eeeeeeew visual.
Frankly, we were drained reading the very looooong Stewards Report and was in no mood for the Club Life.
To the three young ladies we know who won BIG on the day by not listening to all the tips floating about and who don’t even know how to read the tote, we bow in front of you three times, call you Einsteins and kiss your heads for good luck while whistling The Ying Tong Song by The Goons.
When Jacky “Ying” Tong rides a double, Nico Pinna wins the Jockey Challenge, tipsters and their tips turn to dust in the wind, and every favorite bites the dust, it all got more trippy than a mashup of Strawberry Fields Forever, Purple Haze, Pat Boone singing Stairway To Heaven and the Ding Dong Song by Tsai Chin.
Watching the owners of the 40 to 1 pop Really The Best ridden by Mirco Demuro- reading that busy busy Stewards Report, what a first day of a two month stint in Hong Kong HE had- look like they had swallowed a turd while trainer Derek Cruz looked frozen in shock early on in the day, became worse for many connections as the day progressed.
For us, our only ray of sunshine was when Berlini, ridden a peach by “Bang Bang” Chadwick, saluted at odds of over 40 to 1 by weaving a passage from last to first past the post.
As anyone who followed David Hall’s modus operandi in Oz knows, whenever the trainer tinkers around with blinkers on his horses, follow them as they can, more often than not, have a miraculous change of form.
Berlini had blinkers replaced plus a very patient training preparation by Hall on a horse that, despite its breeding, looked like going nowhere. After that win, for us, it were us more Gonski nowhere than Berlini.
On the subject of trainers, with an increase in prize money tipped, we’re also tipping that the criteria for granting licenses to trainers will lead to an increase in the quota of winners needed.
As for those who can’t make the cut? Ding dong- Exit, stage right along with Elvis and his cheeseburgers.
Hong Kong has THE best International buffet of jockeys, but the trainers ranks need some beefing up with a need to get rid of the stragglers who whinge about everything and every one for their lack of winners- except themselves- and the sad fact that they’re crap at their job.
Ding dong- that Blame Game Card is worn out and won’t be accepted anymore even at the nearest 7-11, okay?
Still with trainers, huge props to Michael Chang for giving Dougie Whyte all the credit for “training” winner Boy Oh Boy and giving him two thumbs up to be granted a trainer’s license if and when that time arrives.
DING DONG, TWO GLASSES OF YOUR BEST SHIRAZ, PLEASE.
To those who asked, no, no, those were not waiters holding trays and asking for orders in the paddock area on Sunday. Those were professional tipsters holding their iPads and using the new HKJC app called Racing Touch- a walking encyclopedia of facts, figures, great graphics etc which can be used by everyone from newbies to the more experienced punter.
Our only ding dong is why Racing Touch wasn’t launched for iPhones as we really don’t think many will be bringing their iPads to the races.
In the meantime, who knew that The Zac Attack makes so many women weak in their knees- something Mrs Purton found out while Finding Happy Wednesday. Watch!
THE FAST TRACKER AND HIS DING DONG THOUGHTS FOR TONIGHT
After the wipeout on Sunday, I don’t know where to start other that being bludgeoned with the fact that there are other jockeys capable of magic and riding winners than the established firm of Moreira, Whyte and Purton.
R1MOBILE KING
Class 5 races are tough nuts to crack, but, tonight, I’m supremely confident this will win.
R2 STEP HIGH/COOL BEAN/SOUTHERN SPRINGS
Not really a race that brings out the animal in me- and if an animal, it would be a pussycat.
All I know is that Zachary, which was favorite at its last start, was always being pushed and shoved by Zachary Purton and plodded to the line is on him again, but I won’t be drawn into backing him again- the horse, not the jockey.
R3 RED COURAGE/MIGHTY K
If anyone thinks Matty Chadwick can only lead on a horse, well, that’s as silly as those who still think Casper Fownes can only train winners for Happy Valley.
R9 GREAT CHARM
Over the past few months, sure, Chadwick has won races with some great front running rides, but as he proved with Berlini on Sunday, which came from last to win, the recently-married young rider has more than one rabbit in his bag of tricks. Let’s just not get into a bus with him.
R4 REDWOOD BABY/CHINA DELIGHT/DRAGON PINS
The Magic Man will take this out.
R5 ST YAZIN/FANTASTICO
R6 AMBASSADORSHIP/TODOS CON SUERTO
The topweight might stop Todos Con Suerto, but it’s a classy horse that goes well for Todos Mon Mosse.
Ambassadorship has the blinkers removed after a few disappointing runs whereas the smoky in the race could be WRATH OF FIRE which tackles its favorite distance after running over an unfavorable 1600m at its last start with The Zac Attack aboard.
But, drawn barrier 11 here- it hates being crowded so the barrier is no problem- and with Wayward Marwing aboard who also hates being crowded, this could be the perfect partnership to upset many apple carts.
R7 MY NAME IS BOND/ATACX/SHARP HUNTER
It’s about time 007 started to win a race after a couple of close seconds that left me shaken but not stirred.
R8 EL ZONDA/CHARITY JOY
With what would have been by best bet for the night- Exciting Dream- withdrawn, I have no idea about this race. It could be a nightmare.
BEST BET- RACE 1 MOBILE KING (1) NEXT BEST- RACE 4 REDWOOD BABY (7) LONGSHOT- RACE 6- WRATH OF FIRE- 2
SIX UP
R3: 4-7-10-12 R4: 7 R5: 8 R6: 1-2-5 R7: 5-12 R8: 1-5-8
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PARTING SHOT
“Music is everybody’s possession. It’s only publishers who think that people own it.”- J. Lennon
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TONIGHT’S SELECTIONS FROM THE THIRD DIVIDEND
HAPPY VALLEY (HONG KONG) Wed, 15/1/14 #HValley Night Races @HKJC_Racing Weather: Fine and dry. Moderate east to northeasterly winds, fresh later. Source: http://www.hko.gov.hk/contente.htm
Race 1: NG FONG HCP CL5 1 – Superking Dragon (4) 2 – Mobile King (1) 3 – Mizzen Grey (3) 4 – Dark Secret (6)
Race 2: SAME CHUK HCP CL4 1 – Step High (7) 2 – Southern Springs (6) 3 – Super Team (10) 4 – Zachary (9)
Race 3: SHEUNG HEI HCP CL4 1 – You Are The One (7) 2 – Capital K (4) 3 – Telecom Top Star (10) 4 – Happy Homing (9)
Race 4: SZE MEI HCP CL4 1 – China Delight (8) 2 – Redwood Baby (7) 3 – Happy Centenary (6) 4 – Dragon Pins (1)
Race 5 (Q1): LUNG CHEUNG HCP CL3 1 – Fantastico (10) 2 – St Yazin (8) 3 – Brilliant Proposal (12) 4 – Braveness (5)
Race 6 (Q2): TAI YAU HCP CL3 1 – Todos Con Suerte (1) 2 – Ambassadorship (5) 3 – Green Manner (4) 4 – Always Something (10)
Race 7 (Q3): TSEUK LUK HCP CL3 1 – My Name Is Bond (5) 2 – Sharp Hunter (12) 3 – Atacx (1) 4 – Step Faster (6)
Race 8 (Q4): FUNG MO HCP CL2 1 – Charity Joy (11) 2 – Tai Sing Yeh (5) 3 – Tour De France (8) 4 – Imperial Rome (3)
Best Bet Race 5: Fantastico 10)
Next Best Race 3: You Are The One (7)
Value Bet Race 8: Charity Joy (11) – Currently, $7.10/$2.30
Long Shot Race 4: Dragon Pins (1) – Currently, $12.00/$2.80
Quaddie ($100 gets you 39%) 5.8.10.12 1.4.5.10 1.5.6.12 3.5.8.11
Six Up 7 7.8 10 1.5 5 8 5.11
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SELECTIONS FROM THE BIG APPLE (@SW064351)
BEST BET Race 7, No. 5 My Name Is Bond Desperately unlucky not to win last start. Plenty of speed for him to rattle home.
SECOND BEST Race 8, No. 3 Imperial Rome Ideally suited this course and distance and drawn to advantage.
LONGSHOT Race 5, No. 9 Diamond Elegance Well rated and can give this race a fair shake from the gun alley.
LAY Race 2, No. 9 Zachary Maiden and a lack of pace engaged. Hard to have.
QUADDIE 2,3,5,8,9,10 / 1,2,4,5,9,11,12 / 5 / 1,3,4,6,8,11. $100 for 39.68%.
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