Selections and analysis for Wednesday's (30/10/24) 08-race fixture at Happy Valley.
Race 1: #1 Mighty Steed, #7 Can't Go Wong, #5 Enshine, #2 Escape Route
Race 2: #3 Charmander, #9 Medic Elite, #1 Kasa Papa, #2 Super Wise Dragon
Race 3: #5 Circuit Duffy, #8 Team Happy, #9 Telecom Power, #1 High Percentage
Race 4: #3 Speedy Fortune, #2 Parent's Love, #6 Ace Talent, #4 Dan Attack
Race 5: #1 Enjoy Golf, #5 Sixth Generation, #10 Super Baby, #8 Strongest Boy
Race 6: #6 Glory Cloud, #5 Triumphant More, #3 Happy Soul, #4 Golden Rise
Race 7: #11 Super Unicorn, #1 Helene Warrior, #6 I Can, #9 Daring Pursuit
Race 8: #9 Swift Ascend, #3 Divano, #10 Scotch Tycoon, #4 Gustosisimo
Race 1 - BEDFORD HANDICAP
#1 Mighty Steed has shown potential in Class 3 and now finds himself well-suited dropping into Class 4 for the first time in a moderate field. #7 Can't Go Wong, who tends to perform reliably even without frequent wins, should be primed to run well third-up. #5 Enshine should improve second-up from barrier 1, stepping up in distance after needing the run on debut over an unsuitable 1200m. #2 Escape Route boasts a solid record in this grade, with one win and a third from three starts, and although he might benefit from extra distance, the drop in class keeps him competitive.
Race 2 - CHEONG WAN HANDICAP
#3 Charmander has shown marked improvement since joining David Hall's yard, winning two of his three starts this season and finishing second in the other. #9 Medic Elite returns to his preferred track and always commands respect here; though he finished 12th last start, he was beaten by less than three lengths after being held up from the 150m mark. #1 Kasa Papa looks poised to win in this grade soon, as evidenced by his narrow defeat into second on his first appearance in Class 5. #2 Super Wise Dragon returns for his second attempt in Class 5 and should be competitive if he stays sound, having pulled up as a 'roarer' on multiple occasions.
Race 3 - THE CHINESE GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CUP (HANDICAP)
#5 Circuit Duffy could have the ability to make a winning debut for Frankie Lor, having shown promise in his trials and with Zac Purton aboard. This evenly matched Class 4 event lacks a clear standout, which gives him a decent chance to make his mark first-up. #8 Team Happy has shown consistency in his three runs this season, including a first-up win, and his on-pace style should position him favourably again. #9 Telecom Power has shown steady improvement, his last-start seventh catching the eye after covering extra ground from a wide draw, and he looks set to take another step forward. #1 High Percentage resumed last start after a bleeding attack and clearly needed the run. Now second-up, he benefits from barrier 1, which should provide him with every chance to bounce back.
Race 4 - CHEUNG SHUN HANDICAP
#3 Speedy Fortune turned in an eye-catching first-up run for the David Eustace stable, finishing a strong second. He looks ready to go one better this time. #2 Parent's Love has been knocking on the door since dropping to Class 5, finishing in the placings each time. #6 Ace Talent had veterinary issues last start when sent off as favourite, pulling up with mucus in his trachea, but he has since trialled well and should rebound with some luck from a wide gate. #4 Dan Attack has the ability to win in this grade, although he can be hard to catch. He benefits from the skilled hands of Hugh Bowman in the saddle.
Race 5 - BEDFORD HANDICAP
#1 Enjoy Golf makes his Happy Valley debut with solid Sha Tin form that reads well for a race of this calibre. In a wide-open contest, he is a leading contender. #5 Sixth Generation, now third-up, should appreciate getting back to his preferred course and distance after two fair runs at Sha Tin. Barrier 1 will ensure a solid chance to finish in the money. #10 Super Baby will likely take up the running here and, with limited speed in the race, may have a chance to control the pace to suit. #8 Strongest Boy took a step forward second-up when returning to his favoured track, indicating he could progress further here.
Race 6 - FAT TSEUNG HANDICAP
#6 Glory Cloud returns for his third start this season after an eye-catching third to Spicy Gold first-up, though his wide draw hindered his progress last time out. #5 Triumphant More, on debut for Frankie Lor, appears well-prepared following a series of solid trials, suggesting readiness for a bold first-up showing. #3 Happy Soul endured a tough trip last start, racing wide and without cover; an inside gate this time gives him every chance to regain his earlier first-up form. #4 Golden Rise had no luck first-up, where he was held up late from a wide draw and unable to be fully tested. He has a tricky gate to navigate.
Race 7 - FIFE HANDICAP
#11 Super Unicorn smashed his maiden last start in fantastic style, putting over five lengths on his rivals. This is a tougher assignment, now 12 points higher in the handicap and into Class 3, but with the penny dropped, he should have more to offer, especially having drawn well low in gate 2. #1 Helene Warrior returns after his first-up win in mid-September, aiming to continue his progress towards the Four-Year-Old Classic Series. #6 I Can drew an inside gate for once last start and made full use of it, securing another win. He remains a top chance here for in-form Pierre Ng, especially as he has drawn low again. #9 Daring Pursuit kicks off his season as a last-start winner at the top of Class 4 and now tests his mettle in Class 3 for the first time, but he should rise to the occasion.
Race 8 - HING YIP HANDICAP
#9 Swift Ascend broke through stylishly on the class drop into Class 4 last start, registering David Eustace's first Hong Kong win. Banking on him having held his form, he should be able to build on that success, despite the return to Class 3. #3 Divano comes to Happy Valley for the first time. The talented France Lui-trained 4YO was beaten as a short-priced favourite first-up, but his run into third was still very good. This race appears much weaker than his Sha Tin contests. #10 Scotch Tycoon is well-positioned to lead from barrier 1, where he should find the front comfortably. With this setup, he'll prove tough to catch and could take some running down. #4 Gustosisimo was only narrowly denied victory first-up at this course and distance, his first run for trainer Tony Cruz.
