It’s the quiet before the storm, the fuzz before the buzz, the cuddles before the big bang etc, but racing at Happy Valley on Wednesday is like the starter before the main course- the International Jockeys Challenge- on December 5-NEXT Wednesday which, staring at the poster below, makes the Challenge look bloody spooky and with Glen Boss riding into The Twilight Zone. I half expect Rod Serling to be up there on the podium.
If coming to Hong Kong for the start of Longines HK International Races and attending next week’s Happy Wednesday event, my advice is to work out some of the more “economical” ways of trying to grab any possible jackpots if there are no winners of the Six Up Bonus or the Triple Trio on Wednesday and don’t underestimate some of the more unfashionable local riders. Look what happened when Charles Flatless weakling that is apprentice Dickie Lui kicked sand in the faces of all the senior riders and won on the lightly weighed King Of Reason at odds of over 30s. This kid’s strike rate in the last race at Shatin must be the best of all the jockeys riding in Hong Kong. Little Dickie, below, must be the Ben TH So of this season, So-So also having had an almost spookily very good strike rate in the last race the season before.
Getting back to this Wednesday- and the weather has been very dodgy and a bit cool for Hong Kong during the nights- looking at the card, The Zac Attack seems to have some excellent rides- Mount Victory, perhaps Travel Brand and Demon Demon, and then winning chances again with Genuine Leader and Good Boy Boy. With his confidence at such a high after winning the Jockeys Super Series in Japan on the weekend and his upcoming nuptials to Nicole- nuptials???- you can bet that the boy will, as Tony Cruz would say, be putting the metal to the pedal and going all out to catch up with Dougie Whyte who now has a good break in the Jockeys Premiership.
Some might say, nah, why should he care? Well, I’d say, ‘cos he does and he has got this far with zero support from some of the main stables and has something to prove despite loyal fans of his like the bloke here.
To me, it’s all good for racing and provides something for newbies to do like Twihards who either followed Team Jacob or Team Edward. I don’t really care as long as I get to play with Team Bella. That Kristen Stewart is so cool, she is damn hot. But I digress…
The Zac Attack apart, Dougie Whyte is back on the very impressive last-start winner for Tony Cruz in Seasons Star. Though its first start win at Shatin looked a weak effort, it was a different horse when drawn barrier 12, taken to the outside by The Durban Turban and which stormed down the outside to win like some turbo-charged Terminator. Can it repeat this performance?
Seasons Star runs over 1000 meters again, is drawn barrier nine, has Whyte aboard again and tackles the tight C+3 course where you need to go like the clappers. It will also be at very short odds along with another last start winner in Gary Ng’s Romantic City which led all the way at its last start.
Nothing whatsoever to do with anything.
Frankly, I think it surprised the trainer as the jockey looked somewhat puzzled and didn’t seem to know how to pose for the cameras as the horse won so easily- its first win in almost a year. Yes, Gary Ng, below, only knows how to train sprinters, say some, to which all I can say is, can he train at all? Same goes for a number of those holding trainers licenses.
Oh, give me a fucking break about them being “battlers”, you moronic hypocrites: You’re either good or you’re not and we are all “battlers” in one way or another as we try to make sense as to why we’re here surrounded by turkeys when we should be soaring with eagles.
As for Seasons Star, though I cannot see it not running in the top three, I can see the words UPSET flashing in neon lights and this is the type of banker material that can upset the best laid plans and have many Six Ups bite the dust. I also think the horse is looking for longer and might be better with a short spell and see how it does around the turn over 1200 metres at Shatin.
Cruzy also has Cape Canaveral entered in Race 7 which apparently is a leg of that dumb sponsorship event no one understands, let alone cares about- the 1010 Million Challenge where punters like us are not even eligible to be part of this challenge. Then again, after seeing the 1010 ad campaign, this daft promotion follows their other marketing and creative follies bergere.
Other than the above, it’s All Quiet On The Waterfront while I wait for mates to arrive, and show all the other eager for beavers some happy hunting grounds where many buffalos roam.
On the subject of racing, I wonder why Tye Angland always does his best, gets them home and doesn’t keep the rides. He is VERY good and deserves better treatment instead of being looked at as some pinch hitter. Being the tallest jockey in town, perhaps he should stomp on a few trainers?
Other than that, Race 8 has a number of horses- around ten!- racing outta their grade and with even apprentices claiming two pounds over. It’s farcical. The Zac Attack on Good Boy Boy should win this race for another good boy boy in trainer Paul O’Sullivan, but if some of the local boys, inspired by the cowboys riding in The Japan Cup, decide to scream, “Geronimo” and charge, well, it could be a mess.
Elsewhere, keep an eye out on first-starter Bullish Boy in Race 4 which has trialed and won at the Valley. I also doubt that Enthusing can win over 1800 meters carrying topweight -and on the C+3 course plus it will be under the odds. And as always, the first two races should be watched and not stirred just to see if the track could be playing tricks with one’s speed maps, homework and mail from a hundred bad sources. Speaking of which, to me, there’s no time for useless tips and “mail” when all one needs is a spanking good female.
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WTF PHOTO OF THE DAY
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