SHA TIN hosts a highly competitive and fiendishly difficult 10-race card on Sunday, featuring the Group Three Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (8.05am), a handicap over five furlongs, worth around £420,000 in prize money.
At the top of the handicap are the likes of established speedsters Victor The Winner, Super Wealthy and Duke Wai, taking on some progressive sprinters, namely Packing Treadmill, Seasons Wit and Invincible Sage.
Top-weight Victor The Winner has locked horns with the world’s top-rated sprinter Lucky Sweynesse on a number of occasions this season, and did beat him when receiving 20lbs in September, but faces an imponderable, racing over the straight five-furlong course at Sha Tin for the first time in his 12-race career.
Old campaigner DUKE WAI, closely matched with the top-weight on last month’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint form, finished a dead-heat third in this corresponding race last season when getting no luck in the closing stages.
Having been a previous three-time course and distance winner, he is worth taking a chance with at attractive odds, and especially with the Pierre Ng stable showing no signs of faltering when it comes to sending out winners.
The likes of renowned strong-finisher Flying Ace is worth a second look, especially with the end-to-end blistering gallop likely to suit him, while Packing Treadmill, Seasons Wit and Invincible Sage, although needing to improve further on current form, are all capable of doing so.
POINTERS
Duke Wai (e/w) 8.05am Sha Tin
