Spirit and Heart both Superb chances at Sha Tin
LOCAL media in Hong Kong continue to highlight the battle for the trainers’ title race with Caspar Fownes five winners in front of Danny Shum and six ahead of Mark Newnham, with just four meetings left in the season.
Fownes, however, sends a strong party of eight gallopers to Sha Tin and looks likely to be celebrating by the end of the action with an unassailable lead and his fifth championship trophy in the bag.
The likes of Verbier in the six-furlong Swain Cup Handicap (9.30am) and Pejibaye in the six-furlong Chan Trophy Handicap (11.40am) are both strong fancies and look likely to add the stable’s current 66 winners’ tally.
Stable companion TANG HEART is another strong candidate for success, having caught the eye in both his two races to date and is sure to relish the step up in distance in the seven-furlong Lee Trophy Handicap (2.20pm), having won over the trip back in Australia.
Opposition includes the top-weight Chill Easy, he was a runaway winner on his last start but must shoulder a hefty 10 pounds penalty for that success and is drawn the outside gate of 14.
All’s Well and Refusetobeenglish are well handicapped on their best form and make sure to note Sugar Goodson. A former inmate from Gordon Elliot’s stable in Ireland, a winner of his only race over a mile at Navan, when beating subsequent Epsom Derby-placed James J Braddock on soft going.
Earlier in the card, SUPERB SPIRIT is likely to complete a hat-trick in the six-furlong Philip Chen Trophy (1.45pm).
This son of Zousain has looked the real deal in recent times and won with plenty in hand over the course and distance last month.
With both his victories on a soft surface, there are no fears about the ground, and he still looks fairly treated in the handicap.
His biggest threat may come from newcomer Solid State, who cost a whopping £900,000 as a yearling in Australia, and since arriving in Hong Kong has caught the eye of work watchers with some impressive trials.
POINTERS
Superb Spirit 1.45pm Sha Tin
Tang Heart 2.20pm Sha Tin