It’s Happy Valley, it’s always about good barriers – and if drawn out wide, the gods are not smiling down at you.
Plus, with racing on the C+3 courses, horses better be on the speed.
Of course, to make matters more complicated, there’s the pissy weather with which to contend and if and how and when this might affect track conditions.
So, as always, The Guru will sit out the first two races and go walkies and watch the racing pattern.
In Race 3, the obvious banker – and most likely, winner – is the Caspar Fownes-trained and Brett Prebble-ridden Snitzel Kid.
In fact, I reckon, this combination can go close to winning on Peppermint in Race 5 and with Viva Guy and Travel Guide able to run into the placings.
There is Many Gains in Race 6 – though this one is creeping up the handicaps.
Moneymaker and the enigmatic Surfer Boy re-united with Howard Y T Cheng make appeal.
Green Zone in Race 7 which ran a bolter for Tye Angland last week despite being drawn and over an unsuitable 1000 metres.
This time, with Angland suspended, Prebble jumps on board and for the first time since its short career in Hong Kong, it’s drawn a decent barrier – Barrier 3.
Having seen it race as Sparkle in Australia and where Angland was is regular jockey, we still reckon the horse is better at Shatin.
It also meets a pretty tough looking field – though, like women, looks can be deceiving.
There are three horses for it to beat – Aerosa, Happy Yeah Yeah and Cyndi Lauper.
Sorry, Time After Time.
All in all, it doesn’t look like being a tough meeting, but aren’t these famous words we have lived to choke on before.
For The Guru, I’ll take a good 2X1, 3X1 and even a 4X1 quinella/place roll up using the Fownes-Prebble horses mentioned as bankers.
The Jockeys Challenge?
Brett Prebble should win it pretty easily.
He has a great book of rides and with Snitzel Kid, Peppermint, perhaps Green Zone and Great Achievement all able to salute.
Despite his four-timer at the last meeting, we cannot see Whyte upsetting the Prebble apple cart this time.
He might have one decent chance for John Size in Race 6 aboard Moneymaker and possibly Healthy Contender for Derek Cruz in Race 2, but that’s really about it.
Happy Yeah Yeah in Race 7 has a chance but it has a shithouse barrier draw.
Chater Power in Race 3 and Tres Magnifique in the last? Eh.
Win, lose or draw, I’ll sit back and watch all the frauliens in the Beer Garden frolic and let it all hang out.
I’ll be there holding on to my huge German sausage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tndlUh0ysk
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