By Ed Culham
AFTER a fortnight’s rest to allow for track surface improvements, racing returns to Hong Kong’s inner-city track, Happy Valley, for their regular midweek slot with another competitive nine-race programme.
Rain has been the talk of the town among regular racegoers in the past 10 days or so, with incessant downpours and thunderstorms causing mayhem and shock results on race days at Sha Tin.
It doesn’t look like much respite can be expected at the Valley, with showers forecast again during the action, although they aren’t predicted to be as bad as in recent times.
The local racing enthusiasts will be hoping the rain stays away earlier in the programme, when last season’s £380,000 sales purchase, ROMANTIC LAOS, lines up in division one of the Tathong Channel Handicap (12.15pm) over the extended mile.
The New Zealand-bred galloper can be considered a winner without a penalty, after getting into all sorts of trouble before finishing strongly but too late to catch Invincible Missile on his first attempt over a mile last month.
A more favourable inside draw this time will allow his jockey, Zac Purton, plenty of options to be in the right place at the right time, and, despite carrying top-weight, the Jamie Richard-trained four-year-old should have too much speed for his rivals in the closing stages.
Brazilian pilot Ruan Maia will wave goodbye to Hong Kong after climbing aboard Above All for his last ride in division two of the Siu Sai Wan Handicap (2.15pm) over six furlongs.
With the likes of South American riders, Joao Moreira, Vagner Borges and Silvestre de Sousa having already departed the territory, Maia was the last Brazilian on the jockeys’ roster, but has found himself out of favour since the beginning of the year.
With only seven wins from over 200 rides this season and no victories since January, it’s understandable the 35-year-old is looking to pastures new to get his career back on track.
Three-time winner Above All finally showed a glimmer of hope after being out of sorts this season, when placed over the course and distance last month.
With an inside draw again in his favour, and the likelihood of showers improving his winning claims – has previously won on a soft surface – he has a chance of sending Maia out in a blaze of glory, but he has last-start winner SNOWALOT standing in his way.
The David Hayes-trained five-year-old produced a convincing performance and could be named the winner a long way out, when storming away from his rivals over the course and distance last month.
A seven-pound penalty obviously makes life tougher, but this son of Contributer has progressed throughout the season and is clearly capable of improving again.
With main danger One For All housed in the outside gate number 12, meaning he will probably be forced to work too hard to get into his preferred position of dictating the pace, Snowalot should be perfectly placed, biding his time in midfield, before making his bid for glory down the home straight.
POINTERS
Romantic Laos 12.15pm Happy Valley
Snowalot 2.15pm Happy Valley
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