Advice- NOT tips- news, views and weirdness like the one below where Amigo Brett “Lucky” Davis, refusing to exhale, tries to get even more lucky.
Race 1
You REALLY want to bet on this race when you could be at Adrenaline listening to the gorgeous Jennifer Palor or hanging with Sarika Choy at the Beer Garden?
The only interesting thing about this race is why David Ferraris remains so loyal to, er, Alex Lai on some of his horses like China Good here, and the booking of “Donkey” Callan for the always-puzzling Mr Award from the equally puzzling Peter Ho yard.
SELECTIONS: 9-5-6-10
Race 2
Interesting only to see if My Savvy tries again to savage another horse and see if this is throws up another Purton-Callan quinella or quinella place. The two golfing buddies are quite an item even away from the bunkers and sand traps.
SELECTIONS: 1-12-8-3
Race 3
Oh, gawd, no, the first leg of the Six Up where there’s a jackpot of over $2 million and with the dubious record this season of seeing favourites for this first hurdle crash and burn. It’s spooky and worrying.
Don’t have Hey Cheers on a win line as it will start favourite, tread warily, or hop over to the Beer Garden to see Guitarzan Jay onstage with DJ Samir, The Happy Wednesday Dancers and The Bang Bang Bass Girls.
SELECTIONS: 10-6-11-1
Race 4
There’s an interesting first starter running here- Sing Sing Sing- with connections who are in the entertainment industry flying in from Tokyo to see their horse run- a horse purchased for them by battling Sydney-based jockey, wannabe karaoke singer and snazzy dresser Neil Paine, below with Dougie Whyte.
Brett Prebble and Chris So have put a lot of work into this four-year-old gelding including a very good trial a month ago where it was a hard-held third.
Drawn barrier three over the 1000 metres it tackles here, if all the hype and high hopes are correct, the owners should be breaking into song when it wins. If not, roll out the Fat Lady.
SELECTIONS: 6-7-1-5
Race 5
Like Divine Calling- and take a bow Tony “Putha Man” Cruz and Neil “Donkey” Callan for some divine intervention to win the HK Classic on Sunday- trainer Tony Millard’s Secret Command remains an enigma- a galloper that looked like a world beater at its first start, but which has fizzled out like George Castanza suffering from shrinkage since.
While Millard’s Top Act showed all the potential it possesses on Sunday, thanks to a brilliant ride by Maxime Guyon, Divine Calling, what some in Sydney describe as “a Gai Waterhouse escapee”, will now tackle the shorter 1400 metres and not the 1600 metres it struggled to run out on the weekend whereas Secret Command comes to Happy Valley for the first time hoping that the change in scenery brings with it a change of luck. “Millie” must be in a right old tizz wondering how long it will be before “divine interception” takes place.
Moreira takes over from Zac Purton who’s on topweight Mr Ginger, and to be frank, I can’t be with either horse in a very tough race where an upset seems to be on the cards.
I’ve gone fishing for value after my first two choices- Let Me Do and Supreme Falcon, which John Moore backs up quickly and could give the suddenly in-demand and in-form Nash Rawiller, who’s now ridden doubles at consecutive meetings and was extremely unlucky not to win on the inconvenienced Ashkiyr in the last race on Sunday, another possible winner.
As for rumours from Melbourne that Brad Rawiller is hoping to ride here next season, one very much doubts it. Though thoroughly enjoying himself on the dance floors of many clubs during Hong Kong International Week, Brad Rawiller, below in Hongkers with Guitarzan Jay and sporting a new thin tie, is riding better than ever with solid backing from the all-conquering Darren Weir stable.
SELECTIONS: 10-3-11-6
Race 6
Another tough nut to crack with me going for value in the Quartet with the Derek Cruz-trained -don’t let the booking of Ben So put you off- Always Win, which will prefer this extra 200 metres to the 1000 metres it tackled at its first start in Hong Kong. The question is whether it will take to the tight city track.
SELECTIONS: 5-10-8-11
RACE 7
Almond Lee backs up Happy Rocky which was a tragedy beaten last Wednesday when given an “awkward” ride by Italian Mirco Demuro, a wonderfully entertaining rider to watch in a race as long as you don’t have any money on his rides.
Demuro blows hot and cold and, sometimes, simply blows, which is probably why, one hears, that the great Tony Cruz has been giving him lessons on how to get his horses outta the barriers along with the others in the race. Visions of Basil Fawlty and Manuel flash through my mind along with the fine motor skills of Mr Bean.
As for Happy Rocky, Keith Yeung takes over, and despite drawing barrier eleven, it should go two better than last Wednesday’s “turd”.
SELECTIONS: 10-5-8-1
Race 8
Regency King won well over course and distance, thanks to a confident ride by Brett Prebble at its last start, and though up in class, should go very close again along with Enthusiasm and The Magic Man’s ride, Romantic Touch, which flew for fourth in the same race with alarm bells on.
One to keep in mind for tierces and the Quartet is Full Talent which will be seeing Happy Valley for the first time and has the services of Monsieur Mosse who, one hears, will have the services of Barrister “Big” Kevin Egan, the patron Saint of the riding fraternity by his side when he fronts up for his upcoming Appeal against a 15-meeting race ban.
SELECTIONS: 10-8-2-1
BEST BET: Race 7 HAPPY ROCKY (10) NEXT BEST: Race 10 ROMANTIC TOUCH (10) VALUE BET: Race 6 ALWAYS WIN (11)
SIX UP
R3: 1-4-6-10 R4: 6-7 R5: 10 R6: 5-10-11 R7: 5-10 R8: 7-8-10
PARTING SHOT
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