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Power lights up National Day grid

Golden Sixty may have departed but the buzz is back in HK racing after a National Day that produced several significant pointers.

Year-on-year turnover rose for the eighth meeting in a row and the heavily backed Packing Power had most of a 25,000-strong crowd cheering by making it three from three in commanding fashion under Zac Purton.

Danny Shum’s gelding was the latest four-year-old to stake his claim for the 2025 Classic Series and the hard-to-please Purton was clearly impressed, saying “what I liked most was the way he relaxed, just cruising along waiting for the signal.”

Irish imports shine as Pierre doubles up

Pierre Ng finished one behind his former boss Francis Lui in last year’s title race but HK’s hottest young handler has started where he left off and moved to the top of the table with a lucrative double from two smart Irish imports.

Pat Flynn sold John Moore the 2014 HK Derby winner Designs On Rome and the Waterford Handler has supplied Ng with a smashing sprinter in BEAUTY WAVES, who paid yet another compliment to emerging star Ka Ying Rising by landing the featured National Day Cup under Alexis Badel.

A triple winner for Ken Condon, DROMBEG BANNER has developed into a rugged 1400m front runner for the Ng team and his fifth all-the-way Sha Tin success under a finely judged ride from Andrea Atzeni took his HK prize money haul to £925,000.

Beauty Waves is on £1.1m and counting after a fourth win from twelve attempts, while Yorkshire handler Adrian Keatley has revealed that his Gimcrack third and Sirenia Stakes winner Symbol of Strength is another who has been sold to continue his career in HK.

Frankie and Vinnie on the Fun Bus

Frankie Lor and Vincent Ho haven’t had anything like the start to the season they were hoping for – with the former currently 0-45 and the latter 2-47 - but the local stars can have FUN N FUN TOGETHER in Sunday’s Chinese Recreation Club Cup at 8.00.

There’s a strong argument to suggest Vincent has ridden this gelding a little too aggressively on his last two starts, first when third over course and distance in July then when a faltering fourth on his reappearance.

Fun N Fun Together went head to head with heavily backed Storming Dragon from the off two weeks ago, charging through the first 800m almost as fast as the later Class 2 over the same trip, and it came as no surprise to see two patiently ridden longshots assert close home.

John Size supplies a key danger in Majestic Express, who took a marked step forward when running on strongly to bustle up rejuvenated front runner Cheval Valiant over 1000m here recently.

The extra 200m could unlock further progress but Fun N Fun Together is open to just as much improvement. A little more patience from Vincent will help and, provided his energy is rationed, this is a solid opportunity for him to open his account.

In Sky we Trust

Sugar Ball was the horse who took advantage of the strong pace that Fun N Fun Together helped force two weeks ago but it remains to be seen if having Purton aboard for the first time can help him follow up in the Pak Tam Au Handicap at 9.40.

My suspicion is that he could prove vulnerable after a 7lb hike and SKY TRUST with a RUN RUN TIMING saver looks the way to go here.

Sky Trust progressed steadily in his first season for Caspar Fownes, coming home strongly to score over this course and distance then travelling powerfully for a long way when a good third over 1650m at the Valley.

Still lightly raced and fresh from two encouraging trials, this likeable So You Think gelding looks sure to progress again this season and he’s well worth a chance to show that a mark of 56 underestimates him.

And 59 looks a fair mark for Run Run Timing, too.

Dennis Yip’s gelding went close in a race that’s worked out well on his final start last term and shaped better than the bare result when fifth behind Sugar Ball, racing wider than ideal under a claimer but doing enough to suggest he’s come back in good nick.

Give me One Moments In Time

Fast Network will be one of the warmest orders of the day when he bids to make it 3-3 in the Class 3 dash at 9.05 but Sunday’s feature is the finale at 10.50 and it looks every bit as competitive as you would expect for a race with around £300,000 on offer.

The fact that half the field for this Class 2 are unproven on Sha Tin’s dirt surface makes this a hard race to assess.

Six-time AW winner Adefill and progressive Capital Delight will attract plenty of support with good reason but the hard-running turf performer MOMENTS IN TIME is worth keeping an eye on.

Danny Shum’s gelding needs to be one of the best AW horses in town to defy a mark of 100 but he impressed again on his reappearance, only fading late after helping force a demanding pace at the Valley.

Hugh Bowman will need to be alert if he wants to get on the speed again but Moments In Time has a very likeable approach and the fact that he’s by Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky hints that he might handle dirt much better than most.

Divano the latest young improver

Progressive four-year-olds have been coming to the fore in the last two weeks and DIVANO is one of the next cabs off the rank when he reappears in the Sai Wan Shan Handicap at 10.15.

Francis Lui’s gelding recorded two victories and two places from four starts last term, making all for the wins then pulling clear of the rest when no match for the smart Bottomuptogether on his final start.

Sunday’s race doesn’t look especially strong by Class 3 standards and a 2lb rise for that final run looks very fair on Divano.

He tops the short list but this looks a race with saver and Quinella potential and, for all that he’s been turned over at short odds a few times, recent trial winner LADY’S CHOICE has several bits of form that bring him firmly into the reckoning after a break.

Sunday’s Sha Tin Selections

• 8.00: Fun N Fun Together
• 9.40: Sky Trust/Run Run Timing
• 10.15: Divano/Lady’s Choice

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