Sing Dragon to hit the right notes in Golden Jubilee
SUNDAY’s feature race on the Sha Tin programme is the highly competitive Class Two Peninsula Golden Jubilee Challenge Cup (8.05 am), a handicap over six furlongs run on the all-weather surface.
A dozen of the quickest speedsters in the territory bursting out of the stalls and vying for positions before the first bend suggests that luck could play an important role in determining the result.
The likes of renowned front-runners and well-drawn pair, Majestic Knight and Full Credit, are likely to lead their rivals a merry dance but could cause problems for the likes of Whizz Kid and Call Me Glorious, who are drawn wide, berthed near the Shing Mun River.
Trainer John Size and James McDonald team up with the smart sprinter Raging Blizzard, who makes his debut on the dirt surface.
The son of Per Incanto was expected to win at Happy Valley recently, but a slow start cost him the race and now Size gambles on swift compensation by racing him on dirt.
He has always impressed in dirt trials throughout his short career and, providing McDonald can find a spot along the rails early on, he must have a huge chance.
Sitting ominously at the bottom of the handicap is the Mark Newnham-trained SING DRAGON, already a three-time winner on the surface but stepping out onto dirt for the first time this season.
His four runs on turf this current campaign have all been encouraging, especially against the likes of smart sprinter Wunderbar and prolific winner Copartner Prance, and on form, he looks well-treated.
Last season, in May for instance, he was beaten just over a length by rival and good yardstick Capital Delight and now finds himself 18 pounds better off in the handicap.
Don’t overlook BUNDLE OF CHARM, a winner twice on the surface from just three runs and likely to be flying at the finish in what will be a strongly run contest.
His handicap mark has dropped two pounds below his last win, and he could well cause a surprise.
POINTERS
Sing Dragon 8.05am Sha Tin
Bundle Of Charm (e/w) 8.05am Sha Tin