While we wait for the Big Day next weekend and the International Jockeys Challenge on Wednesday, there is still a meeting to take place today at Shatin.
It’s an ordinary looking card with some dreaded all-weather races and with not much catching the eye when it comes to horse power.
Still, we get to see young French riding sensation Mickael Barzalona make his debut in Hong Kong.
He doesn’t look to have any winning chances at Shatin- but those magic hands of his just might be able to improve a number of non-winners.
I have seen this kid ride and he is very VERY bon bon.
Or, as they say in English, good, good.
This also just might be a meeting that throws up some value chances and a few stables I have been following and will keep supporting.
One of these is, of course, the John Size stable, and, perhaps surprising to some, also the stable of that affable and unflappable Englishman- Richard Gibson.
I have huge respect for Mr Gibson and let’s never forget that he trained such champions as Dr Dino and the recent Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden.
Europe’s loss has been Hong Kong’s gain and I am willing to bet that this first season for him in Hong Kong will result in him quickly competing for Training honours with the likes of John Size, the soon-to retire John Moore and Tony Cruz.
There are a few of Gibson’s horses running today which might not win outright but I would be including them in my quinella/place and tierce bets.
Beauty King in Race 2 and New Glory in Race 5 catch my eye and will have me reaching for my wallet- and clutching my balls if they lose.
As for John Size, I’ll eat my elbows if he does not take out the Trainers Premiership this year.
His stable has been on fire and his newcomers look like being future champions- especially, Glorious Days and, despite its narrow win on Wednesday night, the horribly named Glorie Horsie.
That was a BIG and courageous win by the “horsie”- and a brilliant ride from Douglas Whyte.
While Size tries to get to the bottom of Supreme Jewellery which backs up again to run over 1000 metres, his Right Timing, which blundered at the start of its last appearance as the hotpot at Shatin, is back again and I cannot see it making the same mistake again.
It should pissoir in with a leg in the air.
These poor starts are things I usually expect from David Hall’s starters, especially when Brett Prebble is on them and they are very short in the betting.
Personally, I’d rather look twice at Hall’s horses when Terry CW Wong is on them and the struggling local jockey should not be left out of all exotic bets on the trainer’s runner Jun Hua in race 10.
Wong needs the winners and the owners have been very loyal for him to keep riding this galloper.
On the subject of Hall, it’s interesting to see Douglas Whyte on his Danzulu, a regular ride for Brett Prebble who is in Japan competing for the riding honours of Hong Kong. The Hall-Whyte combination is a rarity, and they combined recently at Happy Valley for a win.
Danzulu might not win, but I cannot see it finishing out of the top three and think a quinella and quinella/place bet with Gibson’s New Glory to be ridden by Olivier Doleuze in Race 5 to be a good selection.
As for the Jockeys Challenge, I would take a punt and go for Tim Clark.
Clarke, like Tye Angland, has been a quiet achiever and we expect big things from both this season and the seasons to come.
I reckon Tim Clark has very strong win chances in races 1, 4 and 9 and a chance of an upset in race 2.
All in all, I think today is a day to have a small bet of two and which I think will reap dividends.
BUT, save everything for next Wednesday at Happy Valley and the CX International Jockeys Championship and Sunday’s Hong Kong International Races.
And without meaning to give it the mock, I reckon Entrapment will win the Sprint with Little Bridge forming a very strong quinella/place bet.
Sacred Kingdom?
Honestly speaking, ever since Danny Nikolic won on the horse at its first start and at 11 to 1, we feel that Sacred Kingdom has been vastly overrated.
Okay, shoot me for saying that!
THE GURU
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