Hong Kong Racing Tips: Chadwick to keep Passion’s flame burning
MANY of Joao Moreira’s followers will be whetting their lips in anticipation when the reigning Champion Jockey arrives for an eight-race card at Happy Valley on Wednesday.
The ‘Magic Man’, currently trailing his arch-rival Zac Purton by nine winners in the jockeys’ championship, will be hoping to have made a sizable dent in that total come the end of the day’s action.
With his card marked in seven of the eight races, and most at the forefront of the betting, you can guarantee his supporters will be putting his rides in all sorts of multiples with the hope of him at least riding a treble.
Both We The South in the Colinton Handicap (11.15am) over five furlongs, and fast-improving Dr Winning in the Stockbridge Handicap (11.45am) over the extended mile should oblige, but expect the majority of his remaining rides, notably last-start winner Romantic Warrior in the Murrayfield Handicap (1.45pm) over six furlongs, to offer very little value, especially with so much running-up money supporting them.
Racing is back on the dreaded C+3 track where horses drawn low in both six furlong and extended mile races have a decided advantage over their rivals with double-figure numbers.
Moreira will have been pleased to see his ride, Drops Of God, has a low draw in four in the finale, the Bruntsfield Handicap (2.50pm) over six furlongs, after the talented but sometimes frustrating galloper couldn’t overcome an awkward draw behind stable companion Sight Success a fortnight ago.
John Size, trainer of both Drops Of God and Sight Success, makes the picture even more cloudy by also saddling impressive last start winner Scores Of Fun who has the prime inside stall and Zac Purton in the saddle.
Purton has already ridden a winner for Size this season and is certainly capable of surprising his better fancied stablemates, although a close eye on the odds board will give you a good idea where the stable money is going.
Another horse who has once again been lucky with a low draw is rejuvenated FLAMING PASSION, who is mapped for an ideal journey in Division One of the Murrayfield Handicap (1.15pm) over six furlongs.
Trainer Frankie Lor can’t stop saddling winners at present and has visited the winners’ circle seven times in the past fortnight.
He looks to have found the key to this formerly frustrating character, who finally got his head in front with his ears pricked over the course and distance last month.
A seven-pound penalty doesn’t do him justice and, with in-form Matthew Chadwick resuming his winning partnership, he is going to be hard to beat.
With the likes of fast-starting and well-drawn Fire Ball with young seven-pound claimer Alfie Chan aboard and the David Hayes-Purton partnership, represented by the inexperienced but improving Ka Ying Spirit, in opposition, this won’t be so easy, but Flaming Passion is capable of proving too strong in the closing stages.
POINTERS
Flaming Passion 1.15pm Happy Valley