Apr 19, 20155 min read

THE FAST TRACKER IS BANKING ON A WHYTE WASH

With Joao Moreira and Zac Purton still sitting out their suspensions, there’s a strong sense of déjà vu to the recent meetings as we travel Back To The Future when Brett Prebble and Douglas Whyte were competing for riding honours.

Both have good books again today on a tough looking card where there are Triple Trio and Six Up jackpots to be won after last week’s visit by punters to Dante’s Inferno where horses without names won at cricket score odds. It was like being attacked by Alfred Hitchcock’s “Birds”.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

RACE 1

The Clap For Youth Handicap and let’s not invite getting the clap to anyone. It’s not fun.

As for this race, it absolutely SCREAMS out “UPSET” with the Almond Lee-trained and Brett Prebble-ridden Solar Dragon needing to be included as a leg to your Quartet if it starts under 5 to 1. It’s not very good.

Dear Almond is still stuck on 14 winners and if he gets the required 15th winner home here, well, he deserves a clap- not THE clap- but just a clap.

QUARTET: (3-12)-1-2-4-5-7-14

RACE 2

Use Faster More as your banker and then close your eyes and use a pin to find your legs. This is an awful race.

QUARTET (2-14)-1-5-7-8-12

RACE 3

Ricky Yiu was full of praise for apprentice Jack Wong after he got Outlawed home last Sunday and entrusts him with last start winner Thunder Dash here.

Dougie Whyte jumps aboard first starter Atomic Blast, which is a tip in itself, whereas Tracker must go in as, well, I like the name plus new boy Damian Lane will be going all out to get more winners onboard. The kid can ride and is a terrific fella who takes his riding seriously, can take a joke and leaves his ego at the door.

The other very strong winning chances are Peace And Prosperity and Ten Flames which I’ll be using as bankers here.

QUARTET: (1-11)-4-5-9-10

RACE 4

Try Kids And Win with either Way May Baby or Unique Awesome appeal as double bankers- a kid and a baby?- with the former going for its fourth straight win over course and distance for the combination of trainer Paul O’Sullivan and jockey Derek Leung who’s riding with new fire in his loins these days.

Unique Awesome ran an impressive fifth over course and distance at its debut and would have come on for that run. It will, as they say, “strip fitter”. Or a fit stripper.

Two value chances are Fast And Furious, which will be running at Shatin for the first time after two “prep” outings at Happy Valley, and Bear-Pop, down in the weights and with Nash Rawiller aka The Wok Man and his flapping arms aboard. Whatever works and The Wok Man is fast-showing that he’s adapted to Hong Kong racing, that there’s room for some flapping about, and will be a much stronger force to be reckoned with next season.

QUARTET (6-7)-1-5-10-12-14

RACE 5

An open staying race where Savvy Nature is sure to be well backed and where the fine motor skills of the riders will come into play.

Mr Bean's Holiday Italian Premiere - Rome

Vincent CY Ho is one of the best local riders, he knows Mr Gnocchi, and the galloper has been crying out for the 2200m it tackles here after strong late-finishing runs for second over 1800m where it has been 8-8-9-2 and 13-13-13-2, respectively, in the running.

Wayfoong Express, Savvy Nature, and Dynamism are next best whereas place chances can be given to last start winner Take To The Limit and the rides of apprentices Alvin Ng and Jack Wong, in Lucky Omens and the interesting Chater Dream, respectively, which can easily run out this distance going on its Group-winning form in France. Here, it can bowl along in front for a very long time with only 103 pounds on its back.

QUARTET 1 (3-6)-2-4-7-11-12-13 QUARTET 2 (6-7)- 2-3-4-11-12-13

RACE 6

Many of us have been waiting for Kirov to break through and today, with The Wok Man aboard, it could be the day though waiting for its breakthrough is testing the patience of many.

Take it out of calculations and the race becomes a raffle with a number of horses having strong dirt form and me leaning towards Modern Fortune with Karis Teetan, below, aboard as the best of the lot despite a disappointing third at its last start when beaten over six lengths by Sea Ruby.

QUARTET (7-13)-1-2-3-4-5-9-12

FROM THE RACING TWITTERVERSE

RACE 7

A 1000m sprint just to make winning the Six Up Jackpot even more difficult, and where John Size brings Country Melody back to its proven sprint journey after tackling 1200m at its last start when it was very disappointing. The problem here is that it’s drawn the worst barrier for this 1000m scamper- barrier one!

Those with speed and drawn the shortest and quickest way home are No Money No Talk- but has it been working too often and too hard for its money?- Windicator Star, Racing Mate, and Divine Boy, which looked hopeless at its debut when meeting all types of traffic jams.

This was when it started a 2.8 favourite with Zac Purton up over 1200m, and is now tackling this distance where it’s drawn barrier 14 and has apprentice Jack Wong bringing it in with nothing on its back. It could be a sit and steer job, and IF Divine Boy wins here over 1000m, one has to wonder what it was doing entered over 1200m for its debut run. Someone get their numbers mixed up?

SELECTIONS 11-9-3-8

RACE 8

A dirt race over 1200m with the two main chances being Pablosky, and last start winner Yee Cheong Star. For outsiders or legs in a Quartet, look at Super Man and lightweight hope and speedster Kingston Jumbo.

QUARTET (2-4)-3-5-6-8-12

RACE 9

On recent form, the two horses that stand out are Winning Instinct and Secret Weapon ridden by one-time sparring partners Brett Prebble and Douglas Whyte.

Yes, So Caffe ran an improved third at its last start, but like another Sean Woods-trained galloper in Autumn Gold, this has had its chances to win some time ago and looks a “consistent” non-winner.

For odds, look to Terrific Master that returns after a good break following a period when Tony Cruz had it almost running every week whereas Grand Harbour should go in despite racing up in grade.

QUARTET: (4-5)-1-2-8-13

RACE 10

If still calling on a Six Up Bonus, you’ll have your heart in your mouth and your nuts in your hands coming into this race.

What makes it difficult are that two of the best chances- Five Up High and the untapped potential of Colossus- are drawn way out wide over the 1400m in which they compete. Five Up High led all the way and won easily at its last start for Canny Callan.

Here, with natural leader and bottom weight Sunny Pearl in the field aided by the booking of ten pound claiming apprentice Jack Wong, he won’t have things his own way.

The other one that will be in the market is last start winner Laugh Out Loud, but, for my “lol” money, I’m unsure if this galloper is in the same class as Five Up High and Colossus, which will be a big chance if the heavens open up. The interesting runner and a great chance at odds is Happy Bao Bei, the ride of The Wok Man.

QUARTET: (4-7)- 1-6-8-10-11-14

BEST BET: R9 SECRET WEAPON (5) NEXT BEST: R8 YEE CHEONG STAR (4) LONGSHOT R10 HAPPY BAO BEI (7)

FROM THE RACING TWITTERVERSE