Fownes to launch surprise attack with Viva Chaleur
HORSE racing enthusiasts need to set their alarm clock early on Sunday morning, when Sha Tin hosts an exciting and potentially informative 11-race programme.
The feature race on the card, the Group Three Bauhinia Sprint Trophy Handicap (8.35am) over the straight five furlongs, includes the some of the fastest local horses in training.
With the likes of former Group One Hong Kong Sprint winner Sky Field, up-and-coming speedster Cordyceps Six, fast-starting Nervous Witness, and last year’s winner Master Eight in opposition, it promises to be a great spectacle.
As for finding the winner, this fiendishly difficult puzzle looks too hard to call, although Super Wealthy – if he gets some luck in running – could sneak into a place.
More importantly for serious form book students will be the Lung Fu Shan Handicap (8.05am), a contest restricted to four-year-olds over a mile.
The majority of these contenders hold serious aspirations for the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, which starts with the Classic Mile at the end of the month.
The John Size and Zac Purton partnership are represented by Sweet Encounter who sets the standard, having won four of his five races, and is unlucky not to have remained unbeaten.
His upward trajectory – considered to have improved 32lbs by the handicapper since September – makes him difficult to oppose, but there are some potentially exciting gallopers going against him.
These runners are as follows: Royal Ascot’s Britannia Stakes winner Thesis; former Aidan O’Brien-trained Ivy League; Irish Group Two winner Atomic Beauty; and exciting filly Bon’s A Pearla, third in the Group One Australian Guineas and fancied by trainer David Hayes.
Take a chance, however, with French-bred VIVA CHALEUR, formerly known as Trident when trained by Andre Fabre, and runner-up to Perfect Power in the 2021 Group One Prix Morny.
Trainer Caspar Fownes has slowly but surely bought this son of Wootton Bassett to the boil. Both his two starts in Hong Kong have been eye-catching, and he looks ready to further enhance his high reputation.
POINTERS
Viva Chaleur 8.05am Sha Tin