By Wally Pyrah
HONG Kong racing enthusiasts can look forward to a rain-free nine-race programme at Happy Valley today, with a number of highly competitive handicaps on show.
A rogue lightning storm scuppered calculations at Sha Tin last Sunday, with numerous jockeys commenting that a change to a soft surface during racing had contributed to their gallopers running below form.
There should be no such worries at the city track this week, with conditions likely to ride on the quick side of good and, judged by previous results on the ‘B’ track, favouring gallopers racing near the early pace from the off.
Results didn’t go Champion Jockey Zac Purton’s way last week, with just one victory from 14 rides and a handful of costly beaten favourites amongst them.
Having ridden 13 winners over the past month, the Zac-Man will be focused in getting back into the limelight and has eight fancied rides on the card.
Once upon a time, Purton and trainer Danny Shum were the go-to combination on the Hong Kong racing scene, but times have changed and Purton has been far more selective in picking his rides from the stable in the past few seasons.
Nevertheless, the partnership has been in sparkling form this season, with 10 wins and six places from just 31 rides, and they are likely to improve that record with a couple of good chances.
Last-start winner MOMENTS IN TIME lines up in the feature race on the card, the Class Two Geranium Handicap (12.40pm) over the extended mile.
With the likes of course-specialist Telecom Fighters, Mr Ascendency, Galaxy Witness and Outgate in opposition, this is a tricky race to call, but there are reasons to believe the four-year-old is now in peak condition and ready to strike again.
This former Group One winner from Chile has taken time to acclimatize since arriving in his new surroundings last July, but finally got his act together when running away from opposition with a claimer aboard over nine furlongs last month.
His subsequent trackwork with stable companion and champion Romantic Warrior has been hugely impressive, and he now looks the real deal.
Purton takes over from another claimer when he climbs aboard SPORTS LEGEND in the Oncidium Handicap (3.50pm) over six furlongs.
This former smart Australian galloper turned his latest race into a one-horse affair when coming home alone in the closing stages, with his pilot Jerry Chung looking at the large TV screen before the winning line.
Now up in class and carrying a hefty penalty, he will find this tougher, but with Purton doing the steering, he could still be difficult to catch.
In the same race, keep an eye on top-weight ASTROLOGER who has the eye-catching booking of Hugh Bowman in the saddle.
The five-year-old has no recent form to recommend him, but is now five pounds below his last winning mark, and there have been signs of a revival in his last couple of runs.
POINTERS
Moments In Time 12.40pm Happy Valley
Sports Legend 3.50pm Happy Valley
Astrologer (e/w) 3.50pm Happy Valley
