Our Hong Kong expert Graham Cunningham takes a look at Wednesday's Happy Valley card live on Sky Sports Racing.
Light Years abuzz as Eustace hits 30
Out with the old, in with the new.
The last few days have illustrated how HK racing’s training sands are shifting, with veteran homegrown handler Benno Yung revealing he will retire next month and Englishman abroad David Eustace making another notable statement in his debut season.
Eustace has taken to his new home like a duck to water, saddling 30 winners and lying just outside the top half of the table despite having saddled fewer runners (303) than all bar two of HK’s 22 handlers.
File favourite LIGHT YEARS CHARM was shunned as a yearling in Australia, changing hands for a mere £1,800, but the muscular four-year-old is thriving in his new home and took his HK earnings past £720,000 on Sunday by sweeping from last to first on his Class 2 debut under Zac Purton.
Eustace feels “it’s hard to know what the ceiling is” for Light Years Charm but could be tempted to take another step towards finding out in another valuable Class 2 handicap on July 1st.
And the ceiling for Eustace is an equally interesting topic.
Backing up a strong first HK season can be tough but Eustace, still only 32 with a global education behind him, looks to have all the makings of a top six handler sooner rather than later.
Steps ready to reach for the stars
Those who can’t resist Sha Tin skinny ‘uns suffered on Sunday – Light Years Was the sole winning favourite on a ten-race card – but MAJESTIC EXPRESS saved the day for File fancies by getting up right on the line under Brenton Avdulla in the 1000m dash.
Happy Valley offers nine chances for chalk eaters to recover losses on Wednesday and the Light Years Charm form receives another notable airing when the prolific Hong Lok Golf heads across town for the first time in the featured Cheung Sha Handicap at 2.10.
Chris So’s gelding has won five from six at Sha Tin in his first season, getting the better of a good duel with LYC over 1400m in April then staying on powerfully on his mile debut to get the better of Pray For Mir and Steps Ahead on his latest start.
Pray For Mir polished that form with a G3 win from way out of the handicap recently and So sums up Hong Lok Golf’s chance of handling the Valley by saying “If you never try, you never know.”
Good luck to the popular homegrown handler but it looks like Hong Lok Golf is going to start at around 2-1 or shorter to defy another 7lb hike and, if that’s the case, I’ll be tempted to side with a couple of bang-in-form youngsters against him.
Step forward, preferably in this order, STEPS AHEAD and EMBRACES.
Steps Ahead has been a model of consistent progression over the last year or so, winning three times and going down fighting on both his last two starts, most recently when reeled in close home by Hong Lok Golf last month.
A 7lb pull for three parts of a length is handy, while Steps Ahead’s easy-going style suggests the Valley ought to suit him from a good draw under Andrea Atzeni.
Anything around 9-2 would represent fair value for such a likeable customer, but Embraces did the File a big favour by swooping late in Class 3 company over course and distance last time and he’s an appealing saver option from the foot of the weights.
There’s that most magnificent Chateau
Predicting how HK markets will develop overnight is fraught with risk but taking two against the field for the closing Cheung Sheung Handicap at 3.50 might be the way to go again.
King Miles is bound to attract again as he bids to break a run of three seconds under Purton but stall 10 is a tepid 4-110 when the rail is in the B position over 1200m at the Valley and Francis Lui’s gelding doesn’t find a right lot when things get tough.
Former Mill Reef winner Wings Of War should run a fair race from gate 9 under Hugh Bowman but CHATEAUNEUF and SOVEREIGN FUND – preferably in that order - are the pair who make most appeal here.
Chateauneuf has been holding his form very well after a busy season, bounding clear of King Miles here last month then finishing an excellent second after having to work hard from gate 11 on his latest start.
David Hayes’s decision to add the smart 7lb claimer Ellis Wong to the mix for the first time looks a canny move to ease the topweight’s burden, while Sovereign Fund has gone very close on his last two starts and still looks fairly treated as he bids for a second HK success.
Wednesday’s Valley Views
2.10: Steps Ahead/Embraces
3.50: Chateauneuf/Sovereign Fund
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