County can be crowned Monarch of the Valley
LOCALS in Hong Kong, buoyed by the recent Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, are sure to carry on with their celebrations and produce another bumper crowd at Happy Valley on Wednesday.
With a nine-race programme and plenty of popular gallopers on show, there is sure to be a fair bit of excitement and drama during the action.
Trainers Mark Newnham, David Hayes and Caspar Fownes have had their stables flying from the gates since the start of the season to gain a commanding early lead in the 2025/26 Trainers’ Championship, on nine, eight and seven winners respectively.
Newnham will be banking on Lunar Dash to compensate his supporters for two expensive defeats last season, and with jockey Zac Purton maintaining his confidence in the four-year-old, he could be hard to beat in division one of the Li Yuen Handicap (12.35pm) over six furlongs.
Expect plenty of improvement from stable companion Fortune Star following three encouraging trials in division two of the Man Cheung Handicap (1.05pm) over the extended mile, while course specialist Spicy Gold is fit and raring to go after his recent seasonal appearance in division one of the Harbour View Handicap (3.15pm) over six furlongs.
David Hayes will pin his hopes to in-form Star Contact with blinkers equipped again in the HKEX Cup (2.15pm) over the extended mile, while there is plenty of confidence behind up-in-class BIENVENUE in the second division of the Harbour View Handicap (3.50pm), again over six furlongs.
The son of Star Turn looked a different horse when returning to the track after the summer break last month and won with his head in his chest, despite suffering a wide journey throughout from the outside draw.
Even with his penalty, he carries 12 pounds less in the saddle now stepping up in class and should be ideally placed to withstand the late charge from obvious threat Storming Dragon. Trainer Caspar Fownes sends a raiding party of half-a-dozen gallopers to his favourite track, with three of them winners on their last start.
Fownes, who is not known as ‘King of the Valley for nothing, has a staggering record of 633 winners at Happy Valley, and has once again shown he has no peer at the iconic track with five winners and a 38%-win strike-rate after just two meetings at the city venue this season.
He will no doubt be hoping his improved speedster MONARCH COUNTY does not suffer another horror journey, after he was backed into favouritism but never saw any daylight down the home straight behind Storming Dragon recently.
The bottom-weight will seek to give his supporters swift compensation in division one of the Harbour View Handicap, and with the inside draw in his favour he has strong claims of atoning for last time.
Dangers are aplenty, including Sovereign Fund, who also suffered a desperate run in the same race as Monarch County last start, but whose body weight and condition seems to have dropped alarmingly since that contest, and Regal Gem who continues to improve with experience and is likely to make the frame again.
POINTERS
Monarch County 3.15pm Happy Valley
Bienvenue 3.50pm Happy Valley