Race 1
Oh, dear, a few weeks ago, when Kharu miraculously won the first race of a Happy Wednesday for noted serial photobomber Nat Chan- the bloke who insists on wearing a raccoon on his head- it was a real bummer, man. The galloper is also in tonight’s curtain raiser.
Despite his mantra that he never loses, one detected a somewhat subdued- and stunned- Nat The Nut, once, good grief, a trainer in Macau, when Kharu managed to scrape in at over 12s.
Can he repeat this fluke? Gawd, I hope not. I couldn’t take all the preening and cantering and kicking of heels by Nat Chan and knocking over Jenny Chapman in the process. Happy Wednesday will become a very Darth Vader day.
No, my pick to win this Class 5 race over 1650 meters on the A Course, which will not mean the one-way, all-the-way leaders track of last Wednesday that killed off any chance Soul Achiever had of even running a place, would be Everyone’s Choice with Douglas Whyte up and who appears to have a very book of rides on a night where I can actually see Joao Joao getting back with Sweet Loretta and NOT winning yet another Jockey Challenge.
SELECTIONS: 9-3-12-11
Race 2
Apprentice Alvin “The Chipmunk” Ng has almost become the champion of the sprint races recently where he, like fellow apprentice Dickie Lui, gets his mounts to the front, closes his eyes and holds on for dear life.
Hey, whatever works, and here, despite getting aboard one of those confusing “Jun” horses- Jun Ju which has a quick back up after a disappointing seventh on Sunday when handled by Douglas Whyte- can’t be ignored.
Though Moreira’s ride Trillion Treasure is sure to start favourite, watch out for an upset, especially with that unpredictable jockey Ben So, known for those Class 4 and 5 plunges, reunited with regular ride Mr Award.
QUARTET SELECTIONS: 10-5-7-6-3
Race 3
I’ve said it before and will bore you with the same thing: this season, favourites in the opening leg of the Six Up on the city track seem jinxed and victims of Santana’s Black Magic Woman.
Here, Joao Moreira’s ride, Sea Ruby, will start favourite- again- and- again-could easily not even run a place whereas Forever Accurate, easily the best horse in this field, and despite the wide barrier, could be sailing down the outside- or inside- for Douglas Whyte, who must surely be looking at a more permanent linkup with Tony Cruz now that owner Pan Sutong has thrown his toys outta the cot and handed over the riding chores for his expensive purchases with the Richard Gibson yard to Christophe Soumillon. Surprised at this turn of events? Most saw it coming over three months ago.
The Smokey The Bandit in this race might be Laughing Lord from the very much in-form Paul O’Sullivan yard.
The horse was purchased for connections by former trainer Peter Ng whose son, Pierre, below, assistant to O’Sullivan, has brought the likeable trainer a helluva lot of good fung shui and is someone whose career is definitely on an upward spiral. Maybe the trio should form a folk group- Peter, Paul and Pierre?
SELECTIONS: 3-6-5-2
Race 4
Loving Star with Douglas Whyte will be the logical banker to many, but when has Steely Dan’s Pretzel Logic had anything to do with horse racing?
I will have it as a leg with my bankers being Endorsing, which will appreciate the step up to 1800 meters, and bottom weight Go Sandy Go though it’s again becoming tough following horses from the David Hall yard based on consistency.
When not trying to get his flush at Shatin Gardens fixed, trainer David “Darth” Ferraris, pictured below, has been trying to fix whatever has been ailing Navel Orange by fitting the one-time Derby hope with blinkers.
With Guyon trialling the horse in blinkers and retaining the ride, the galloper is extremely hard to leave out, especially after its last-start second over course and distance to Dragon Pins- despite bombing the start very badly.
Smart Union cannot be ignored as a place hope whereas Cruise Control was given such a derring-do ride by Mirco Demuro at its last start that Caspar Fownes has given Jacky Tong a chance to see what he can do with it. Yin Tong will probably do nothing with it while Demuro jumps on board another Sean Woods voodoo horse in Oxford Charley in a race that Amigo Brett described as being “easy” and which nearly made Amigo Darren fall off his chair with laughter.
Those Three Amigos, what WILL we do without them…
QUARTET SELECTIONS: (5-9-12)-4-2
Race 5
Despite being promoted after its last start- and first-ever win in Hong Kong- over course and distance when ridden by Douglas Whyte, Monte Costello will be all the rage with its light weight and Moreira taking over. But, beware of strangers bearing gifts from Monte Costello.
Regency Ho Ho, despite its wide draw, looks to have a better winning chance- and hope it does. Win, that is.
QUARTET SELECTIONS: (4)-8-10-2-6
Race 6
John Moore’s Grand Harbour will have the usual furiously stirring chow fan spitting ride from Nash Rawiller, below, where it will be up on the speed, and though running at Happy Valley for the first time, should, at least, be in the top three.
It can be taken as a double banker with either the lightly weighed Safari Magic or, for odds, Winning Mascot.
SELECTIONS: 1-5-11-2
Race 7
Howard Cheng is yet to ride a winner after serving penance for a weak ride aboard one of those “Jun” horses, but could break his duck at good odds on Buddy Buddies. Keep this one safe as Howard The Duck just might not lay an egg with this ride.
The obvious winning chances are the two at the top of the weights- Choice Treasure which I prefer over Gorgeous Debut- and, maybe, Ollie Doleuze on All The Best in a race where a Whoopsie Quelle Supris would not surprise.
SELECTIONS: 2-1-6-10
Race 8
When Tony Millard turned to Maxime Guyon to partner Top Act after a less-than-enterprising ride at its start before, we saw an extremely good horse deliver the potential it had promised.
That was a few weeks ago in Shatin. Can Top Act repeat that win on the tight Happy Valley track? Why not? And on the subject of top acts, a group of us will give the magicians in the Beer Garden the cold shoulder tonight until Kriss Angel makes it. Instead, we’ll be taking in the vocal talents of Jennifer Palor, pictured below with Tony Cruz, who she thinks is named “Tom” Cruz, at Adrenaline. This girl is all class. And can sing.
SELECTIONS: 8-2-10-3
BEST BET: Race 8: TOP ACT (8) NEXT BET: Race 3: FOREVER ACCURATE (3) VALUE BET: Race 7: BUDDY BUDDIES (10)
SIX UP
R3- 3 R4- 5-9-12 R5- 4-8-10 R6- 1-5 R7- 1-2-10 R8- 8
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