As predicted on Wednesday, there wasn’t a strong enough book of rides to bank on Joao Moreira and with, as mentioned, Griffendor being very beatable and Tom Charm’s being a better choice.
It also worked out if you followed the local riders, especially in the last race.
THE FAST TRACKER IS NOT BANKING ON MAGIC TONIGHT
RACE 8
Go local as this race could be another laisee packet for the local battlers.
Meanwhile, what about that huge plunge on The Sylph on Sunday? This horse with “Darth” Ferraris had shown nothing and was discarded by every tipster, but which started at- diiiiiuuuu-6 to 1, and came oh-so-close to winning- but with the odds being ridiculously unders.
QUARTET SELECTIONS: (3-5)-1-2-4-7-9
Today, Moreira has two solid winning chances in races 6 and 10 where he can be confidently backed with, perhaps, looking at having a small punt on promising new apprentice Jack Wong to take out his first Jockey Challenge. This kid can ride.
RACE 1
Try grabbing the Quartet in this one- a Class 5 race on the dirt for horses rated 0-40- and you just might be able to retire.
For the hell of it, try one Quartet where you select all the local jockeys in the race.
Hey, it’s a Saturday meeting and a pretty average card and this first race that screams out, UPSET!
SELECTIONS: (4)-2-9-11-12
RACE 2
First starter E-Super has been working well and it would be terrific to see young Mauritian rider Karis Teetan build strong partnerships with both stables and horses.
Teetan is still on a learning curve and if he decides to stick it out in Hong Kong for 2-3 more years, he won’t be Joao Moreira, but he’ll be a damn fine jockey. He’s a hard worker, doesn’t play games and is a top bloke.
SELECTIONS: 6-2-1-10
RACE 3
Stick with Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy- even though this is NOT a dirt race.
SELECTIONS: 4-5-10-2
RACE 4
Chris So and Brett Prebble are forging a strong partnership that began when So was Assistant Trainer to Caspar Fownes when the top Aussie rider was almost the stable’s retained jockey.
The absence from Hong Kong of Prebble during his Lloyd Williams sojourn and the success rate and confidence of Zac Purton changed all that.
Here the So-Prebble team can go close with Easy Success at decent odds in one of those all-bother races that doesn’t look to have many winning chances- the most dangerous type of races where horses without names sprout new wings and make a mockery of form.
SELECTIONS; (2-7)-3-4-9-10-12
RACE 5
Another good ride for Hong Kong’s newest apprentice Jack Wong, Telecom Boss must be included as a place chance along with Heroic Guru despite its wide draw and Brett Prebble taking over from Douglas Whyte, who rode the David Hall-trained runner to second at its last start over 1650m at Happy Valley.
The favourite is certain to be Ah Bo because of the Moreira Factor, but there doesn’t seem to be much upside or even much of a backside to this galloper which makes it a risky banker, especially in the middle leg of the Triple Trio and first leg of the Six Up.
SELECTIONS: (3)-2-8-11-13
RACE 6
Jack Wong came very close to riding his first winner in Hong Kong a couple of weeks ago on Dane Patrol and he gets another chance aboard the 1000m Shatin specialist.
It should, at least, be in the top three as John Size reproduces another 1000m specialist in Country Melody with Moreira replacing Karis Teetan.
This should win the race for the HK Country Club Syndicate- should- with No Money No Talk being one of many chances to include as legs. And IF Country Melody is outta tune, there could be a major upset.
SELECTIONS: (1-2)-5-10-11-13-14
RACE 7
With Jack Wong’s ten pound allowance, Thor The Greatest will be taken to the front and play Catch Me If You Can with the opposition.
Zac Purton jumps on speedster Brillante for the first time replacing Alvin Ng and which could pester Thor out in front. How Wong competes against all the experience of The Zac Attack will be interesting to watch. If both of these leaders go like the clappers, it’s going to set things up for something to come off the pace. Let’s just hope Wong doesn’t get it wrong. Try saying THAT with your mouth full.
SELECTIONS: 11-9-8-5
RACE 8
Joao Moreira aims to ride a winner for every trainer in Hong Kong, and here he gets on the Sean Woods runner So Caffe.
It’s a very rare combination- I doubt it’s been a winning one- yet- that cannot be ignored though the galloper has had its chances when heavily backed and disappointed. Maybe it needs some magic to help it see the winning post, but I see So Caffe as only a so so place chance.
Colossus with Douglas Whyte up for John Moore goes on top despite the pundits saying it needs a track with some give in it. Pundits schmundits. Listening to them can cost you plenty.
What’s still intriguing is Tony Cruz relying more and more on Vincent CY Ho and less and less on Matthew Chadwick.
Here, trainer and jockey combine with Eton Blitz, and with it racing down a class, it has a damn good chance.
SELECTIONS: 8-1-6-11-2
RACE 9
Key Witness will start favourite and though carrying topweight and drawn wide, it’s racing down a class with regular pilot Douglas Whyte on top. It should take this out.
There are two interesting runners here-Lovely Delovely which tackles a race over 1000m for the first time whereas “Darth” Ferraris has entered the “enigmatic” Bear Pop. They can’t win- but will be interesting to watch go around. Of course most interesting of all is watching “Darth” spit the dummy when things don’t go according to plans.
SELECTIONS: 1-3-4-12
RACE 10
Packing Pins was planted 4-5 wide at its last start when instructed that it be ridden off the pace when heavily backed to win. Wrong move.
With regular rider Neil Callan sitting out another suspension, connections have turned to The Magic Man, and it should be packing too many pins for the others in the race.
As for the main legs, look for those lower down the weights, in particular, Presidentparamount.
SELECTIONS:(5)-12-13-11-10-4
BEST BET: RACE 10 PACKING PINS (5) NEXT BEST: RACE 6 COUNTRY MELODY (2) LONGSHOT: R4 EASY SUCCESS (2)
SIX UP
R5: 3-11-13 R6: 1-2 R7: 5-9-11 R8: 1-6-8-10 R9: 1 R10: 5
PARTING SHOT
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