By Wally Pyrah
SHA TIN in Hong Kong hosts a 10-race programme on Sunday, with half-a-dozen contests on turf and four races on the all-weather surface.
It hasn’t been easy for bettors in the territory recently, with numerous long-priced winners during the Chinese New Year Festival week, at both Sha Tin on Monday and Happy Valley on Thursday.
With only three winning favourites from 20 races at both tracks, and plenty of short-priced favourites sunk without trace, racing fans will be looking for some respite when the action starts at 5.00am.
The feature race on the card, the Class Two TVB Cup (8.40am), a handicap over seven furlongs, sees the well-handicapped GLOBAL HARMONY return to the track after blotting his copybook when refusing to race over the course and distance last month.
There is no doubt the New Zealand-bred gelding has any amount of ability when on song, highlighted when treating his rivals with disdain after coming from last to first and winning with plenty in hand at the beginning of the year.
With his quirky attitude before the entering the stalls, blinkers are equipped for the first time, as they have worked well in a couple of recent trials, and trainer David Hayes has booked his favourite jockey Zac Purton for the ride.
There are plenty of smart gallopers in opposition, including three-time course and distance winner Drombeg Banner, talented Atullibigeal, Alacrity, Find My Love and consistent Superb Boy, who will all appeal to their many supporters.
Global Harmony, however, looks far better than his present handicap mark and, provided Purton treats him with kid gloves when entering the stalls and gets off on level terms, he should be hard to beat.
POINTERS
Global Harmony 8.40am Sha Tin
