Happy Valley Betting Tips: Our trader talks Hong Kong racing
Published:
Whilethe stables might be shut in the UK and Ireland, the racing is still goingstrong in Hong Kong.
Our man Mark Underhill has given us his insight on everything worth knowing from Happy Valley…
Top Jockeys
Joao Moreira rode a treble on Sunday’s card at Sha Tin toextend his lead over Zac Purton, who notched a single success onthat card, in the race for the Hong Kong jockeys’ title to 101 to 97.
The pair have been crowned Champion Jockey in HongKong three times each in the last six seasons. Both have a full book of ninerides on Wednesday’s card as they continue to battle for this season’stitle.
Elsewhere,Francis Lui and Ricky Yiu currently share the lead in the Hong Kong trainers’ standings for the 2019-2020 season with 47 winners apiece.
On a card of nine handicaps the final race of theday is the highest quality contest. Three of the runners in this nine-furlongclass two ran in the Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin last time out.
Reliable Team faring better than both Amazing Beats (8th)and Private Secretary (13th), when finishing a creditable fifth of 14 beatenjust four and a half lengths in a race worth over £1.1 million to the winner.
Frankie Lor’s four-year-old has won three of hissix previous starts at Happy Valley and has only finished out of the firstthree here once. But having dropped in grade and with a decent draw in stallfour he should go well.
Seven-year-old gelding Helene Charisma isa dual course and distance winner here. He will be familiar to some Europeanracing fans having won the 2016 Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris at Saint-Cloud,racing Pia Brandt under his previous name of Mont Ormel.
He beat the top-class Cloth Of Stars into thirdthat day, but has won only three of his 40 starts since being sold to race inHong Kong. Righteous Doctrine has won Sha Tin handicaps underJoao Moreira on his two most recent start.
However, both of those wins came on the all-weatherand the gelding has finished unplaced in all seven of his previous turf runs inHong Kong – so he looks opposable on his Happy Valley debut here.
Moreira switches to eleven-time Hong Kong Champion Trainer John Size’s Enrichment who is currently on a 17-race losing streak. Although he’s been running well of late having finished second at Sha Tin on his two most recent outings win his sole career win coming on the last occasion that he was ridden by Moreira.
Joao Moreira booked rides: Galaxy Racer (11.45), MonkeyJewellery (12.15), Triumphant Horse (12.45), Victory Mastery (1.15), SuperWinner (1.45), Californiadeepshot (2.15), Heavenly Thought (2.45), MeridianGenius (3.15), Enrichment (3.50)
Zac Purton booked rides: Virtus Star (11.45), Compassion Spirit (12.15), Tung Wah Glory (12.45), Shanghai Master (1.15), Magic Supreme (1.45), Shouson (2.15), Jolly Honour (2.45), Island Shine (3.15), Dances With Dragon (3.50)
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication.
