Hong Kong Racing Tips: Throw out the formbook and chance well drawn Blissful Star March 29, 2022 FORMBOOK students will tell you the second division of the Hap Mun Bay Handicap (2.45pm) over six furlongs is a match between the Zac Purton-ridden Thunderstrike and Joao Moreira’s mount Fiery Diamond. Both jockeys are riding at their peak of their powers at present, with Purton currently leading his arch-rival by 95 winners to 92 [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Lightning can strike twice for Majestic Shum and Teetan March 29, 2022 PUNTERS didn’t find it easy at Sha Tin last Sunday when three out of four odds-on favourites were sunk, leaving the majority of multiple and exotic wagers consigned to the litterbins and bettors left stony-faced. It’s likely not to get any easier today with Sha Tin hosting an eight-race programme on the all-weather surface, something [...]
Opinion: Crypto brands’ sporting land-grab is only just beginning March 29, 2022 As Lionel Messi and Fifa become the latest to do huge deals with cryptocurrency and blockchain-related brands, sports sponsorship expert Henry Nash of Octagon assesses the major new player in the market. I suspect I wasn’t alone in thinking the Nielsen 2022 Global Sports Marketing Report would be a story of Covid’s brutal impact on [...]
EP: 121 Dubai, Doncaster, Kelso & Hong Kong March 25, 2022 There’s a really good mix of racing to look forward to this weekend as the new flat racing season gets underway in the UK. The Lincoln Handicap is the feature race at Doncaster on Saturday, plus it’s a magical night of racing at Meydan racecourse where the Dubai World Cup features a host of international [...]
Life is definitely Good for Dubai favourite backers March 24, 2022 Bill Esdaile’s Dubai World Cup 1-2-3: 1. Life Is Good 2. Hot Rod Charlie 3. Chuwa Wizard WHILE it may no longer be the world’s richest race, the Dubai World Cup (4.30pm) is still a huge draw, and this looks a top-class renewal of the £8.8 million spectacle at Meydan. Form from the best middle [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Charm can give consistent Lui another Win at the Valley March 23, 2022 TRAINER Francis Lui’s stable has been a model of consistency in Hong Kong this season, and with 40 winners already on the scoresheet, he currently sits fourth in the trainers’ championship table. Lui has visited the winners’ circle on a regular basis over the past few weeks, with four winners at the last three meetings, [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Teetan poised for herculean effort on Packing Award March 23, 2022 JOCKEY Karis Teetan is fancied to continue his run of good form when arriving at Happy Valley with a full-book of rides on today’s nine-race programme. Teetan, who needs one more winner to reach his half century for the season, had a day to remember at Sha Tin last Sunday, as he produced Romantic Warrior [...]
EP: 120 Hong Kong Derby Special March 18, 2022 Hong Kong racing expert Wally Pyrah discusses Sunday’s prestigious Hong Kong Derby race meeting at Sha Tin racecourse where the feature race, run over a mile and a quarter, takes place at 8.40am UK time. Local rivals California Spangle & Romantic Warrior head a 14 strong field for one of the major events in Hong [...]
NO DESERTING GALVIN IN GOLD CUP March 17, 2022 Bill Esdaile’s Gold Cup 1-2-3 Galvin Protektorat Royal Pagaille WEDNESDAY’S deluge at Cheltenham has meant the ground for today’s Gold Cup (3.30pm) will be on the soft side and whichever way you look at it, the 3m2f trip is going to take some getting. With that in mind, you’ve got to be looking for horses [...]
Irish pair Banbridge and I A Connect can go well in the Martin Pipe March 17, 2022 ALL THE talk in the build-up to the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (5.30pm) has been around last season’s runner-up Langer Dan who is back attempting to go one better off just a 2lbs higher mark. Dan Skelton’s six-year-old bumped into Galopin Des Champs this day 12 months ago and actually did well to get as close as he did when [...]