Hong Kong Racing Tips: Hong Kong Bet can Cruz to victory in Valley feature
IT WILL be very much a case of ‘blink and you will miss it’ when some of the quickest horses in Hong Kong line-up in the main event of the afternoon, the £200,000 Hing Man Handicap (3.50pm) over five furlongs.
With the speed likely to be frenetic in the early stages, luck will surely play an important role in the result, especially with jockeys desperate to find good positions before turning into the short home straight.
The John Moore-trained Stronger will probably be the market leader, having been an impressive winner over course and distance in February and he is ideally drawn to sit just behind the early pace from the off.
He did, however, subsequently fail to land a blow under a hefty 10lb penalty at Sha Tin the following month and could be handicapped up to his best.
Hat-trick-seeking This Is Class is another who will be near the forefront of the betting having spread-eagled his rivals in impressive fashion over the last couple of months.
Both his wins were over six furlongs, though, and this drop down to the minimum distance looks a negative too, considering he was beaten twice at the trip earlier in his career.
Another worry is his double-figure draw.
With so much speed early in the race, he is likely to have a wide journey throughout and is a risky proposition at his likely short odds.
The best advice could be to support the Tony Cruz-trained HONG KONG BET who is guaranteed to be in top condition following just three runs, all over six furlongs, this season.
This son of Smart Missile has an impressive course and distance record, with two wins and four places from just six runs in his first season in Hong Kong.
He is drawn to get a trouble-free run along the rails throughout the contest and then can hopefully prove too strong for his rivals in the closing stages.
POINTERS
Hong Kong Bet 3.50pm Happy Valley