Hong Kong Racing Tips: Sweetie to give Ho and Shinn a Precious Valley winner
IT IS hoped the gods of fortune may finally smile on trainer Peter Ho and jockey Blake Shinn when they team up at Happy Valley.
They combine with PRECIOUS SWEETIE in the Jonquil Handicap – (Div I 12.15pm) and they’ll be hoping for an upturn in fortunes after a baron patch.
Ho is currently bottom of the trainers’ table with a lowly 11 winners.
Nothing has gone right for the stable all season, although there have been signs the pendulum is swinging in his favour with a couple of winners and few near misses in the past month.
Top Australian pilot Blake Shinn is in a similar position, having only just reached double figures, but finding an unenviable record of 38 seconds to his name.
Shinn rode Precious Sweetie for the first time when an eye-catching fourth to Trust Me in a competitive handicap over the straight five-furlong course at Sha Tin earlier this month.
That looks good form considering he was denied a clear run on two occasions during the contest.
Given it was his first race for over two months, he looks sure to improve on that performance and will appreciate the step up to six furlongs having won twice over the trip at Happy Valley.
A number of his rivals have questions marks to answer too.
Starlight is on a losing run of 23 races, Oversubscribed is yet to prove he stays six furlongs, while Hero Time has suffered numerous health issues, meaning Precious Sweetie can prove a value for money proposition.
POINTERS
Precious Sweetie (e/w) 12.15pm Happy Valley