Promising and in-demand ten-pound claiming apprentice Alvin “The Chipmunk” Ng has his baptism of fire when he tackles the idiosyncratic Happy Valley track for the first time tomorrow.
Even senior jockeys new to Hong Kong have had a hard time conquering this tight-as-leotards track and where barrier draws are extremely important.
For example, draw an outside barrier draw in a sprint race and you might as well forget even looking at the horse as having a winning chance.
Apart from Douglas Whyte and Brett Prebble, few have truly mastered it.
Will “The Chipmunk”?
Eventually, certainly.
Tomorrow, it will almost be a serious dress rehearsal.
Well, to us, his best chance appears to be in race 4, and, perhaps, race 6 on Hinyuen Paladin and which he has won before at Shatin.
Though the horror barrier draw of 11 is a huge hurdle to overcome and where one needs the incredible reflex actions of Douglas Whyte.
But the light weight might make him able to cross the field with some ease.
Can it win? Hmmm. Place. Maybe. Or it will be stuck out wide and be heading to the nearest McDonald’s.
It’s a tough race and with us looking at Vintage Hussler and the untapped Green Zone.
The over-the-top disqualification of Green Birdie by the Stewards in Japan might have let him down on the weekend.
Perhaps something else green – Green Zone – will make amends for jockey Tye Angland.
In fact, Angland – one of the tallest jockeys riding in the world – has an interesting book of value rides.
Apart from him and “The Chipmunk,” we’ll be looking at several horses ridden by Brett Prebble, while still playing a “stalking” game when it comes to following Douglas Whyte who we see as coming away from the meeting with one winning ride. Maybe.
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