WITH a public holiday in China and Hong Kong on Wednesday, a huge crowd is likely to attend the Hong Kong Reunification Race Day at Sha Tin, which begins at 9.00am UK time.
This highly competitive 11-race programme features the Hong Kong Reunification Cup, a seven-furlong handicap with a start time of 11.00am, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup, a five-furlong handicap, due off at 12.05pm.
With plenty of live music from local stars and prizes galore on offer during the meeting, racing fans will be in their element, enjoying themselves and hoping to find a few winners along the way.
It may pay to follow the fortunes of popular local jockey Vincent Ho, who has his card marked in eight of the 11 races.
Ho suffered a life-threatening injury back in February last year and didn’t return to the saddle for more than seven months due to both the mental and physical scars.
For most of the season, Ho has picked his rides sparingly but has still managed to chalk up 35 wins and currently lies joint sixth in the jockeys’ championship table.
The 36-year-old has a couple of rides on the card for his main source of winners, trainer Francis Lui, with the partnership enjoying 16 wins together this season.
They notably team up with INVINCIBLE SHIELD in the main event at 11.00am, and there are reasons to believe the five-year-old has everything in his favour.
The son of I Am Invincible has looked to be crying out for a step back up in distance. He has won over seven furlongs in the past and has produced a series of strong finishes over six furlongs despite repeatedly running into trouble in the closing stages.
Down in class after an interrupted passage in a Group Three contest last time and drawn in the favoured gate one, he should be able to sit closer to the early pace and deliver a winning challenge down the home straight.
Opposition is obviously strong with the likes of Storm Rider, Top Dragon, Ka Ying Attack and Public Attention in the line-up.
The latter looks ready for another step up in distance and, with the Brett Crawford stable presently in top form, rates the principal threat.
Ho also picks up an eye-catching ride for the Caspar Fownes stable in the other trophy race at 12.05pm.
With retained rider ‘Magic Man’ Joao Moreira suspended, championship-leading trainer Fownes has booked Ho to partner DANCING CLASSICS, who is guaranteed to improve on a recent Happy Valley performance after a seven-month break.
The former course and distance winner did not get the run of the race at the city track, and that form can be upgraded.
His trial form leading into that contest looked hugely encouraging, and the icing on the cake is that Hong Kong superstar singer and owner Aaron Kwok will be in attendance.
That guarantees the five-year-old will be spot on for this contest and, hopefully, give the owner’s many thousands of fans plenty to cheer about.
POINTERS
Invincible Shield 11.00am Sha Tin
Dancing Classics 12.05pm Sha Tin
