Hong Kong racing is on a high after taking out both the international Group Ones on Sunday in Singapore, but it’s back to the bread and butter business of Happy Valley on Wednesday.
Hong Kong-based horses have steadily been winning their share of internationals overseas in the last decade but two on one day had not been done before.
But if there was a lesson from the wins of Military Attack and Lucky Nine, it had to be the importance of barriers at Kranji racecourse and back to the C course at Happy Valley, they’ll be just as vital.
One horse which has struggled with bad draws this campaign is John Size-trained Croesus, jumping from two elevens, a ten and a twelve in his last four runs. Finally, things have swung his way and he looks the one to beat in the fifth from barrier two. Tommy Berry keeps building on the good impression that started with a Group One on his first day and is the lucky recipient of the better draw for Croesus, with Douglas Whyte electing not to get down to a lightish weight, and taking the ride on Demokles in the race – which has drawn 12.
Whyte has also strayed from the Size stable one race earlier, giving a lead for punters with his booking for nine-year-old Fluke, who opposes Size’s three-year-old, Sight Lover.
With form figures of 13,8,12 and 9, Fluke might not seem obvious but those races have all been in Class 3 at Sha Tin, where Fluke has been a poor performer all his career.
He drops into Class Four, over the only course and distance where he has won and always from low draws. His most recent Class 4 run was a win in December and he looks a major improver with the same scenario.
By Nathan Mody
