By Ed Culham
BEST advice on the ten-race card at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on Sunday is to support in-form jockey Silvestre de Sousa, who can’t stop riding winners at present.
The former UK Champion is in the middle of a purple patch, having completed a treble at Happy Valley on Wednesday and homing in on second-placed Vincent Ho in the Jockeys’ Championship race.
With 22 winners to his name, and now only two behind Ho, De Sousa is one of the hottest jockeys in town at present, highlighted by his riding of winners at four of his last five meetings.
With his card fully booked in the ten races, De Sousa will be relishing the task of making further in-roads into Ho’s present score and has a couple of clear-cut chances to help him along the way.
De Sousa is reunited with the Frankie Lor-trained STAND UP, who looks set for compensation in the Lukfook Jewellery Heirloom Fortune Collections Handicap (8.05am) over six furlongs on the all-weather surface.
The former Australian galloper had excuses when overrun in the final furlong by Ice Legend a fortnight ago, but is ideally drawn for a dream passage this time.
Later in the programme, De Sousa climbs aboard the Ricky Yiu-trained JOLLY RULER who gets all the favours in the Lukfook Jewellery PT Graceful Collection Handicap (9.10am) over six furlongs, again on the all-weather surface.
This former UK galloper was a winner on the surface in July, beating prolific winner Super Win Dragon at level weights. The runner-up was subsequently unbeaten in all three-races this season.
With an inside draw a bonus – ignore his latest effort from a wide draw last month – he has everything going for him, and could pop-up at good odds.
POINTERS
Stand Up 8.05am Sha Tin
Jolly Ruler (e/w) 9.10am Sha Tin
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