YOU CAN bet your bottom dollar plenty of Sunday racegoers at Sha Tin will be scrambling to put some of their hard earned on SPIRIT OF PEACE in the second division of the Cox’s Handicap (9.40am) over seven furlongs.
The John Size-trained son of Harry Angel looks a winner without a penalty following his desperately unlucky journey when rearing as the stalls opened and missing the start by five lengths on his last outing over the course and distance in March.
Despite that early setback and still being plum last with little over a furlong to run, he showed an explosive finishing burst to fly down the centre of the track, ultimately placing third and beaten less than two lengths.
He would clearly have won without that mishap and now with a hood equipped for the first time to make him concentrate, he will be hard to beat.
Perhaps his biggest threat could be Max Que, who just came up short on his last start, while the well-handicapped Leslie and improving Dazzling Fit have frame chances.
In the following contest, the Caspar Fownes-trained FAMILY JEWEL makes a quick seven-day back up after running out a convincing winner over a mile on FWD Champions Day last Sunday.
The fact he has been sent off favourite in all of his last six starts points to him being well regarded and his trainer had serious aspirations about this four-year-old becoming a Hong Kong Derby contender earlier in the season.
He has needed time to adapt and improve with experience however, and the signs last time were that Fownes’ patient approach could be starting to pay dividends, as he quickened up nicely between rivals and shot clear at the finish.
He didn’t look to be stopping at the line either so the step up in distance here is a serious plus to his chances and he will surely be contesting higher grade contests in the near future.
Enthralled, Packing Turbine and recent winner Winning Wing all look strong opposition, but if Family Jewel is as good as his trainer believes then he will be hard to stop.
POINTERS
Spirit Of Peace 9.40am Sha Tin
Family Jewel 10.15am Sha Tin
