Free betting tips for Happy Valley | The Hong Kong File
Our Hong Kong expert Graham Cunningham is back to mark your card for Wednesday's meeting at Happy Valley, live on Sky Sports Racing.
Golden goodbye as Britney spears first success
And just like that, the leading player on the the HK racing scene has left the stage.
Almost four years to the day since he recorded the first of sixteen Group race wins in the Celebration Cup, GOLDEN SIXTY was given a suitable send-off by the Sha Tin faithful on Sunday and the chance of finding another like him is remote.
But the spotlight now switches to new faces.
Britney Wong’s smile lit up a rain-lashed winner’s enclosure after Cheval Valiant showed brazen speed to give the 25-year-old apprentice her first hometown success.
Wunderbar returned from a long absence and knee surgery to make it five from six under Zac Purton, while Aussie star Brenton Avdulla gave The Golden Scenery a perfect ground-saving ride to land a low-key 2024 edition of the Celebration Cup.
Into the Valley
There aren’t many stars on show at Happy Valley’s midweek meeting and, though it’s a fiery Class 3 with plenty of intrigue, I’m struggling with the featured Causeway Bay Handicap at 3.50.
The trailblazing Youthful Spirits can put useful rivals in a heap of trouble when he lets rip around the city track’s 1000m course but his latest trial, albeit over 1200m on the AW, was underwhelming.
Midori Glory looked smart in a winning debut at the Valley only to drop out tamely on his second start, while the muscular Allgreektome was catching the eye last autumn but hasn’t been seen since and David Hayes expects him to need the run.
Logic suggests there could be better value among the earlier contests and Hayes has nominated SAMARKAND as his best chance of the night in the Central Handicap over 1650m at 2.10.
Upbeat Hayes feels Samar can
Aussie handler David Hayes
The Aussie handler has made a strong start, topping the trainers’ table with five winners and five seconds after five fixtures, and Samarkand returned with a fine effort when chasing up the progressive Helene Warrior over course and distance.
There isn’t much margin for error in this £200,000 handicap as I Can and Setanta were only just behind Samarkand, staying on strongly, two weeks ago.
But Samarkand deserves a small upgrade for that effort as he was close to a demanding pace from the off before battling on gamely once things got tough.
Stall 9 isn’t perfect but Zac Purton is aboard for the first time. Add in the fact that Hayes feels “Samarkand’s track work has really gone upwards since his first-up run” and his win and place claims look solid enough in a typically trappy Class 3.
Nebraskan ready to make his mark
Purton has been involved with two of the most appealing candidates for the North Point Handicap at 1.05 and offsetting a key draw is a key factor in assessing both NEBRASKAN and AEROINVINCIBLE.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but the champ asked Nebraskan a huge question over course and distance in July, pressing a strong pace out wide with zero cover from stall 11.
Purton faces a different question from gate 12 on Aeroinvincible, who has shown loads of ability at Sha Tin but can harm his chances by pulling hard.
All in all, I suspect we are looking at two horses who are inherently better than their current marks here.
It’s against my religion to go nap on horses drawn 12 over 1200m at the Valley, so the progressive Nebraskan and Andrea Atzeni top the short list, but I’ll have a small saver on Aeroinvincible just in case Zac works his magic this time.
Valiant to take the brave man’s route
Valley draw data shows that well over half of all 1200m races fall to horses drawn between 1-4 and that bodes well for a bold effort from MR VALIANT in a later division of the North Point Handicap at 3.15.
Hat-trick seeking New Power heads the overnight markets and will get every chance again from the inside alley, while Prime Mortar and Spicy Gold are also well berthed in 5 and 3.
However, Mr Valiant came good early last season and looked in good heart again under Avdulla over the minimum trip on his reappearance.
David Hall’s gelding came home nicely from a wide gate over the minimum that night and, with gate 2 and a return to 1200m here, he looks ready to return to his best.
Wednesday’s Valley Views
1.05: Nebraskan/Aeroinvincible
2.10: Samarkand (EW)
3.15: Mr Valiant (EW)
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