Rocket ready to dig out another win to close out season in style
HONG Kong’s racing season concludes today when Happy Valley hosts an action-packed nine-race programme to celebrate the season finale.
Expect plenty of entertainment along the way for the 20,000 plus racegoers who will witness international musical entertainment, a breathtaking fireworks display and a jockeys’ parade for racing fans.
There will also be the crowning of the Tony Cruz Award, for the top local jockey with the most victories during the season.
With only a few wins separating the ‘Poon Train’ Matthew Poon (36), Matthew Chadwick (35) and Derek Leung (34) going into the final meeting, it’s anyone’s guess who will pick up the prestigious trophy.
Getting back to the racing, jockey Hugh Bowman is finishing the season with a flourish, having ridden a handful of winners already this month, including a treble at the Valley last week.
The legendary Australian pilot, who is booked to take part alongside Karis Teetan in the Shergar Cup at Ascot next month, has a strong book of rides at the track, and none more so than ROCKET SPADE who lines up in the Sweet Orange Handicap (2.35pm) over the extended mile.
The Caspar Fownes-trained gelding will be looking to book-end the season having won over the course and distance on his seasonal reappearance back in September, and there are reasons to believe he can do so.
The son of Fastnet Rock has been saddled with either awkward or high draw numbers since Christmas, but this time gets to race from a favourable draw in gate four.
The last time he ran over the trip back in April, when drawn in an outside stall, he had to wait for a clear passage in the home straight before delivering a strong challenge in the closing stages and was unlucky not to catch winner Flying Fortress.
Trainer Fownes and Bowman have been one of the partnerships to follow this season, with 18 winners and a 16 percent win strike-rate.
Once again Fownes looks set to be crowned leading trainer at the Valley, currently with 26 winners to his name at the city track, three clear of his nearest pursuers Tony Cruz and Mark Newnham.
You can guarantee Fownes will want to make certain of securing top spot and end the season on a high at his favourite track with a winner.
Opposition includes course-and-distance specialist Highland Rahy, who has only failed to make the frame once in nine attempts this season, and will have the assistance of champion jockey Zac Purton in the saddle.
The five-year-old is a habitual frontrunner, but this time faces a tough task from the outside gate (12) if attempting to bounce out in front from the off.
With the likes of well-drawn pair Definitive and Good Luck Babe sure to push up on the rails from the start, Purton will face a dilemma of either using plenty of petrol to get to the front or sitting and suffering by taking a trail behind the leaders.
While all this is going on, Bowman is sure to be sitting patiently along the rails and biding his time before bursting onto the scene with hopefully a winning challenge in the closing stages.
POINTERS
Rocket Spade 2.35pm Happy Valley