Purton and Shum hope to print the Christmas Cash at Sha Tin
RACING in Hong Kong has come thick and fast over the Christmas and New Year period – five meetings in the past fortnight – and resumes again at Sha Tin on Saturday with a 10-race programme.
With a mixed bag of action, including three on the all-weather surface and seven on turf, racing enthusiasts will have plenty to choose from in the hope they can find a couple of winners to help pay for the forthcoming New Year celebrations.
It is all change now at the top of the table in the trainers’ title race, with Caspar Fownes (27) taking a two-winner lead over long-time leader Mark Newnham (25) following a double at Happy Valley on Tuesday, and with Danny Shum (24) hanging on to their shirt tails and close-up behind.
Shum sends a strong raiding party of nine gallopers to the track with the likes of Reliable Profit and ALLCASH worth paying close attention to in the Tai Long Au Handicap (9.10am) over the extended mile on the all-weather surface.
Ultra-consistent Reliable Profit finished just over a length in front of Allcash when just denied by Another World over the course and distance earlier this month, but it is the latter that can be considered a desperately unlucky loser.
On that occasion the grey five-year-old found himself all dressed up and nowhere to go down the home straight and did well to finish third.
With another good gate five to help him on his way, pilot Zac Purton will be hoping not to find himself behind a wall of horses again, and provided he gets a clear run, will be difficult to beat.
Purton also resumes his partnership with the John Size-trained SZERYNG, who was another who never saw daylight and never tested behind Sky Joy last month.
Supporters of the four-year-old would have been screaming with frustration on the occasion and will be hoping their jockey can overcome an outside draw (13) and compensate them for that loss.
POINTERS
Allcash 9.10am Sha Tin
Szeryng 9.45am Sha Tin