Hong Kong racing from Sha Tin is Saturday morning at 4 a.m. EDT. Free PPs are available at Horse Racing Nation. For more free handicapping information, visit the Hong Kong Jockey Club website.
Race 1: 5 Solar River, 7 No Other Choice, 3 Always Fluke, 1 Autumn Vibes
Race 2: 14 Smart Trio, 1 Sunny Q, 12 Verbier, 5 Runjeet
Race 3: 11 Ka Ying Radiance, 10 Little Monster, 3 Ghorgan, 6 Genius Baby
Race 4: 1 Noisy Boy, 13 On The Lash, 4 Enthralled, 7 Super Goldendragon
Race 5: 5 Perfect Team, 2 Supreme Agility, 4 Chill Kaka, 13 Conrad The Great
Race 6: 1 Yee Cheong Glory, 8 Ka Ying Resilience, 12 Glaciated, 3 Elegant Life
Race 7: 1 Joyful Joy, 6 Master Lucky, 5 Gallant Design, 2 Lunar Dash
Race 8: 2 Stellar Express, 4 Colourful King, 7 Magic Control, 1 Beauty Waves
Race 9: 13 King Dance, 1 Talents Ambition, 3 Kaholo Angel, 8 Run Run Smart
Race 10: 6 Mr Incredible, 1 Gustosisimo, 2 Happy Index, 5 City Gold Banner
Race 11: 6 Circuit Champion, 4 Fit For Beauty, 7 Do Your Part, 9 Megastar Heart
Race 1 – Kam Tin River Handicap
No. 5 Solar River maps to lead comfortably, and the booking of Nichola Yuen with her 10-pound claim points to catch-me-if-you-can tactics. No. 7 No Other Choice may be able to come across from post 11 and position himself up there with blinkers on for the first time, having shown similar tactics in a recent trial. No. 3 Always Fluke has been knocking on the door since dropping to class 5 and remains firmly in the mix. No. 1 Autumn Vibes put the writing on the wall second-up for the Crawford stable with a narrow defeat into second.
Race 2 – Kam Tin River Handicap, div 2
No. 14 Smart Trio has no form to recommend, but it is only his second run for the Danny Shum stable and his map looks much cleaner than it did on his stable debut at Happy Valley. Post 2 and the switch to Badel are both eye-catching. No. 1 Sunny Q drops into class 5 for the first time and meets weak opposition, although post 12 gives him something to overcome. Purton taking the ride keeps him right in the mix. No. 12 Verbier maps for every chance from post 1 and comes off an encouraging third at the track and trip. No. 5 Runjeet turned in an improved run on stable debut for Douglas Whyte, beaten under a length into fourth, and looks to be on the right track now.
Race 3 – Lam Tsuen River Handicap
No. 11 Ka Ying Radiance has been crying out for a better post, and he gets one today in gate 7 after jumping from posts 12 and 14 in his two runs this season. His latest start showed he is ready to win, finishing a head away in second after being held up for most of the straight. No. 10 Little Monster won well two starts ago when leading throughout, but he was slow out last time, copped a check, pulled hard and raced wide. It was a run to forget, and post 3 can help turn his luck around. No. 3 Ghorgan is rarely beaten far and this is only his second start in class 4, where he looks well placed to break through. No. 6 Genius Baby closed off strongly into fifth in a slowly run race last start and post 2 gives him the chance to land the right run.
Race 4 – Nam Chung River Handicap
No. 1 Noisy Boy has not won for 524 days, but he ticks plenty of boxes today on the six-day back-up. He drops into class 4 for the first time, draws post 1 for Nichola Yuen and her 10-pound claim, and much more positive tactics look in order. No. 13 On The Lash was ridden by Yuen last start, but was trapped wide from an outside draw and endured a poor trip. Today looks different and, without much speed on paper, Hewitson should be able to find a more favorable position. No. 4 Enthralled has been consistent without winning this season and arrives off back-to-back placings. No. 7 Super Goldendragon has hit his straps recently, winning at big odds three starts back before proving that was no fluke with placings in two subsequent runs.
Race 5 – Ng Tung River Handicap
No. 5 Perfect Team finds a winnable race from post 1 and drops back to his pet distance after two runs over 1 1/8 miles. His first look in class 4 three starts ago, when he closed well into fifth, is the run to follow. No. 2 Supreme Agility returns to class 4 after a couple of runs in class 3 and is better placed, especially with Purton booked. The champion jockey rode him to his only win of the season so far. No. 4 Chill Kaka arrives off back-to-back placings, most recently a third over 1 1/8 miles, but the return to one mile suits him better and post 2 should allow him to map with every chance. No. 13 Conrad The Great has run some good races on the all-weather and the step up in distance looks timely. He has the speed to overcome post 11.
Race 6 – Lam Tsuen River Handicap, div 2
No. 1 Yee Cheong Glory returns to class 4, where he is always a threat with two wins and a third from five starts. He should relish coming into a low draw after starting from wide gates in his past three runs, while Bowman climbs back aboard and is one from one on him after winning aboard him in a similar race. No. 8 Ka Ying Resilience maps to lead easily and will take catching first-up after trialing well for his return. No. 12 Glaciated has not had a lot of luck in recent runs. He returns from a short break, has trialed okay and, from post 1, should get that all-important better run in transit. No. 3 Elegant Life is thriving and is hard to leave out on current form for Fownes and Moreira.
Race 7 – Sha Tau Kok River Handicap
No. 1 Joyful Joy created a good impression on debut, winning easily despite being unwanted in the betting. The three-year-old has top weight to defy now, but post 1 should allow him to map softly and with every chance. No. 6 Master Lucky will be up on the pace from post 4 in a race without much pressure and has a good shot at landing a second win for the term. No. 5 Gallant Design has been banging on the door for a win and is close, but post 14 is no help to his map. No. 2 Lunar Dash ran well first-up over six furlongs at his second start for the Crawford stable, and the step up in trip looks timely. He will get back from his gate, which is the query.
Race 8 – The Pearce Memorial Challenge Cup
No. 2 Stellar Express looks set to lead comfortably, and the return to this track and trip is the key to his chances after four unsuitable runs over six furlongs and at Happy Valley. No. 4 Colourful King needs things to fall into place given his profile, but there may not be much between him and Stellar Express beyond where they land in the run. The switch to Atzeni is interesting given his association with Stellar Express. No. 7 Magic Control is well down in the ratings now and is capable, while the return to this track and trip is positive. No. 1 Beauty Waves won this race last year and is always capable, but he is a hard horse to get right and the market will be telling.
Race 9 – Beas River Handicap
No. 13 King Dance turned in a no-show last start at his first look in class 3, with no apparent excuses. He was sent back to the trials and impressed by winning his heat well, while the switch back to the all-weather suits. He gets another look. No. 1 Talents Ambition draws nicely low but still needs to make use of it given his pattern of getting back in the run. He is still chasing a first win this season but has gone close on a few occasions. No. 3 Kaholo Angel tries the all-weather under race conditions for the first time, but Moreira taking the ride catches the eye and the extended ratings band suits. No. 8 Run Run Smart will lead from post 1 under Britney Wong and give a good sight.
Race 10 – Shek Sheung River Handicap
No. 6 Mr Incredible is a three-year-old headed higher after winning two of his three starts. This is a fresh test up into class 3 and 11 points higher in the ratings, which is not easy for a young horse still learning, but post 2 gives him every chance to measure up. Win, lose or draw, he has more to come next season. No. 1 Gustosisimo found himself in a race last start where the first three in the run controlled the tempo and did not give the others much chance. His fourth-place finish was full of merit. No. 2 Happy Index returns to Sha Tin after a couple of Happy Valley runs where wide posts made life difficult, but his efforts still carried merit. No. 5 City Gold Banner has not gone on with it in four runs since an impressive debut win over five furlongs, but his recent trial was a sharp piece of work and he may be ready to show up on race day again.
Race 11 – Tan Shan River Handicap
No. 6 Circuit Champion has shown good ability in four starts after being plagued by injury early in his career, winning twice and placing in the other two. Purton takes the ride for the first time and he looks ready to bounce back to winning ways second-up. No. 4 Fit For Beauty will relish an inside draw for the first time in a while and should not be posted wide as he was last start from post 14. It is a nice John Size ride for Ethan Brown. No. 7 Do Your Part has been ultra-consistent all season, yet to miss the frame in 10 starts with one win and nine placings. He switches back to Sha Tin after three goes at Happy Valley and has trialed well since. No. 9 Megastar Heart has needed both runs after a long layoff and post 2 gives him a cleaner map today. He can take a step forward.
Luke Middlebrook is a contributor at Idol Horse. After blogging about the sport for years, he spent eight years in Singapore as the resident expert at iRace Media, overseeing form and editorial content for racing in Hong Kong and Singapore. Coverage of the entire Hong Kong Thoroughbred season at Horse Racing Nation is made possible through a sponsorship by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.