Free betting tips for Sha Tin | The Hong Kong File
Our Hong Kong expert Graham Cunningham is back to mark your card for Saturday's meeting at Sha Tin, live on Sky Sports Racing.
Karis joins 700 Club as Destiny calls for Andrea
Karis Teetan enrolled one of the most exclusive clubs in Asian racing at Happy Valley on Wednesday on a night when Andrea Atzeni also gave his season a boost.
Teetan has called HK his home for over a decade now and the popular Mauritian recorded his 700th local success - emulating Douglas Whyte, Zac Purton, Joao Moreira, Tony Cruz and Brett Prebble – when storming through to score on Speedstar.
Winning Steps staged a similar swoop to seal a Karis double, while Atzeni bagged his first brace of the season highlighted by a ride of rare finesse which saw him produce mercurial File fancy Beauty Destiny to nail Zac Purton and Storming Dragon on the line.
Wunder aims to raise the Bar again
A few big reputations are on the line during a strong Saturday card at Sha Tin and WUNDERBAR is the potential star of the show in a valuable Class 2 dash at 7.35.
Some punters will look at this gelding’s record – with two verdicts over emerging star Ka Ying Rising last term and a tidy defeat of the useful Bottomuptogether last month – and hit the banker button.
But alternative facts are back in the news this week and a few of them are worth considering ahead of this £285,000 dash.
Wunderbar steps down from 1200m to 1000m here and does so with John Size conceding that he’s “running to keep him going” due to a lack of 1200m options.
And it looks like punters are going to have to trade at 1.5 or shorter to side with a horse whose six wins from seven starts have been gained by a time margin of just 0.37secs.
Sorted for Magic and Whizz
Hand on heart, I suspect the smooth-travelling jolly will handle the step down in trip and float to another narrow success.
But I don’t want to back him at such skinny odds and a split stakes play between MAGIC CONTROL and WHIZZ KID looks a viable route for those prepared to shoot for an upset.
Magic Control was a G3 winner in Australia and has made a fine start to his HK career, winning a Class 3 in tidy style from the front on his reappearance then finding only Beauty Waves too good in the G3 National Day Cup with Whizz Kid just behind in third.
Both horses should be cherry ripe for Saturday’s test. They won’t be the only ones but having two in form and proven 1000m performers on your side against a field who are all best known for their exploits over further doesn’t seem a bad strategy.
Bottom’s up for the Cup
The featured Panasonic Cup (8.05) always attracts a strong field but this year’s edition is a crackerjack, with several improving four-year-olds seeking to book a ticket for the 2025 Classic Series and bang-in-form older horses like Drombeg Banner, Green N White and Sunlight Power seeking to keep them at bay.
Purton can’t do the weight on Packing Hermod, who has been dominant in winning three from three at a lower level, while Rubylot and Green N White have both done File followers a favour and can produce potent finishes off a true pace.
But the aforementioned BOTTUMUPTOGETHER looks a fair win and place call to take the step up to 1400m in his enthusiastic stride.
Frankie Lor’s gelding came out firing by winning his first three in commanding style last season and he’s progressed again despite being run down late by Rubylot and Wunderbar in two runs this term.
Bottomuptogether finished clear of the remainder in both those defeats and is bred to have every chance of staying this extra 200m. Add in the fact that the Lor barn has clicked into gear recently (and a first-time tongue tie) and this likeable gelding has plenty in his favour.
Brilliant a Savvy choice
Lor supplies another horse to note on Saturday’s card, while Jamie Richards sends out a progressive youngster who should be going close, too.
SAVVY BRILLIANT was badly baulked at the start on his debut but made amends in style up at 1200m recently. He travelled sweetly in a truly-run race that day, clocking a time that compared well with those of Wunderbar and Bottomuptogether later on the same card, and the 9.15 looks a good slot for him.
Richards is now 1-8 for the season after Storming Dragon’s last-gasp midweek defeat but JUBILANT WINNER and Purton could be the ones to arrest the slide in a winnable Class 4 at 8.40.
Legend St Paul’s looks prime danger for Lor after a promising debut but Jubilant Winner has progressed well in three starts and the way he travelled when second over course and distance last month suggests he’s better than a mark of 54 suggests.
Saturday’s Sha Tin Selections
- 7.35: Magic Wonder/Whizz Kid
- 8.05: Bottomuptogether (EW)
- 8.40: Jubilant Winner
- 9.15: Savvy Brilliant
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