Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing at Sha Tin on Sunday, September 1st.
Today is the first meeting of the new Hong Kong racing season, with 10 races on the card to get stuck into.
We've previewed every race on the card below!
Sha Tin Racing Tips: Sunday, September 1st
Best Bet: Race 9 - (7) Winning Method
There's nothing quite like kicking off the new season with a Class 5 over the mile! This is a low race. (3) Good Runners has the best recent form, with two minor placings from his past two starts. He should have plenty of residual fitness for today's race and Zac Purton is a notable jockey booking. (4) Regency Gem has only had one start in Class 5 and although he didn't do much, he's trialled well twice leading into today's run. (2) Le Panache is Douglas Whyte's first runner as a trainer. These types of horses can often improve out of sight for new trainers so it wouldn't shock anyone to see him come out and win.
(3) Good Runners Way
$2.10
This is an even lower race than the first and we're really throwing some darts here in the hope of striking the bullseye. (13) Adonis has changed stables from Peter Ho to Douglas Whyte and I think that's a big positive. He's shown glimpses recently that he's up to winning a race and I'm hoping the stable change will be the difference. (12) Richcity Fortune will be ready to win this fresh. He won over track and distance three starts ago and he gets the 4.5kg claim for Alfie Chan here so he'll go straight to the lead and give them something to chase. (7) Never Better draws poorly but $8.00 looks a decent price for a Zac Purton runner. He's a winner of just two of his 49 starts but his past two efforts have been good. (6) My Dear has his first start at Sha Tin, could improve.
Now this is a proper race. We see the return of the promising (5) Regency Legend who is a winner of five of his six career starts to date. He's had a really decent spell after he only just managed to get his head in front last time we saw him, but I think the time off will really have benefited this horse. He's three from three at the track and distance and gets in with 54kg here - a weight Zac Purton doesn't ride often. For him to be making this weight on day one of the new season is a big hint. (1) Wishful Thinker has a good fresh record and a good record at the track and distance. He looks a danger if the favourite underperforms.
Really competitive race. I'm interested in backing the one at the top of the weights and the one at the bottom of the weights. (1) Bingo should jump straight to the lead here with the apprentice on and give them all something to chase. He won over track and distance back in February when carrying the light weight to victory using those tactics. He carries more weight today than what he did on that occasion but if he can get across from the outside gate he should give a good sight. (14) Telecom Rocket should be fit for this. His last two starts were both good and they were both over 1400m. He's won a trial leading into this and gets a positive jockey change with Karis Teetan taking over.
Also backing: (1) Bingo $13
(14) Telecom Rocket
$7.00
Two horses stand out for me here. (6) Sunshine Warrior hasn't placed in any of his four career starts but he's been butchered in a couple of those and a win is well within his grasp here. He was caught four-wide without cover last start so was entitled to drop out like he did, and prior to that he was beaten less than a length after recording a 22.40sec final sectional when starting from the widest barrier. Drawn perfectly today and can win. (2) Pearl Champion is another worth having something on. Blake Shinn takes the ride and he's another that came from the back of the field last start to charge home into 2nd. His final sectional wasn't quite as good as what we've seen Sunshine Warrior do but he's drawn soft in barrier 2 and can go close at each way odds.
Value: (2) Pearl Champion $7.00
(6) Sunshine Warrior
$4.00
Good little race this one. There's not much splitting (1) Dancing Fighter and (2) Allied Agility. Both horses won on their debuts over this track and distance and both suffered defeat at their second starts. They trialled alongside each other in the lead up to today's race and went to the line locked together. It's very hard to say one trialled better than the other, although Zac did give his horse a good wrap after the trial, which is rare for him to do. Both will go forward and share the lead here. Allied Agility probably draws a touch better in barrier 13 but Dancing Fighter should have no problem getting across to sit alongside him on the grandstand rail. Going to side with the favourite Dancing Fighter and will be saving on Allied Agility. (4) Ka Ying Master is the other chance. He won his only start to date and certainly isn't without hope.
(1) Dancing Fighter
$2.10
Another good little race. Going to stick with (3) Golden Sixty to upset the favourite (6) Mr Croissant. Golden Sixty won his first three career starts, which were all at this track and distance, before failing when stepping up to 1400m last time we saw him. That was his first preparation so maybe he'd also had enough by then. These two horses have met before - Golden Sixty won by 0.5L. They basically carry the same weight relative to each other today, but the big difference is Jack Wong rode Mr Croissant that day, but Zac Purton rides him today. It should be a good little contest, but I thought the favourite was a touch too short.(4) Happy And Fun and (9) Shimmer And Shine add some more interest outside the top two.
Another very competitive race. I'm fairly interested to see the Hong Kong debut of (11) Playa Du Puente, who won three of his four starts in Ireland, including a Listed success last time we saw him. He's trialled once before today's race and it was fairly encouraging. Moreira goes on which is a positive sign and he looks an enticing each way bet at $8.50. Another runner I'm interested to see is (5) Easy Go Easy Win who is trained by Douglas Whyte and ridden by Zac Purton - who would have thought we'd ever see the day that combo teamed up!
(11) Playa Du Puente
$8.50
(7) Winning Method will be winning this. he bumped into Aethero on debut (who could be absolutely anything this season) and followed that up with two victories with a combined winning margin of 7.8L. All he has to do is reproduce those efforts to be winning this.
(8) Beauty Energy should be hard to beat in the final race of the day. He's won two of his past three starts and the other was a 2.7L 4th where he came from last on the bend. He's got a decent record at the track and distance and if he's within striking distance on the turn he should be fighting out the finish. (4) Private Rocket makes its stable debut for Douglas Whyte and he was a winner over the track and distance two starts ago. If he improves under Whyte's training then he'll be very competitive. (5) Cordyceps is consistent and can run well.
