Hong Kong racing tips: Jim McGrath with three selections at Sha Tin on Sunday

Sunstrider
7.00 Sha Tin
2pts win

Five G Patch
9.05 Sha Tin
2pts win

Ka Ying Rising
10.10 Sha Tin
2pts win

Five G Patch, who has emerged as a budding talent in the local staying ranks, can register his most significant win yet in the Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (9.05) over 1m4f, the feature on an 11-race card at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Tony Cruz is backing him up just a week after his solid sixth behind Romantic Warrior in the Group 1 QEII Cup over 1m2f, and the trainer expects improvement from his six-year-old, who was fifth behind Straight Arron (beaten two lengths) in this race a year ago.

The key here is that the Queen Mother Memorial Cup is a handicap, hence Five G Patch, as well as the four-year-old Unbelievable, receive 17lb and 20lb respectively from dual champion stayer Russian Emperor.

Five G Patch, by Camelot out of a Darshaan mare, was bought as a long-term prospect for the Melbourne Cup by original owner Lloyd Williams after racing as Collins Street when winning both his starts in Ireland for Joseph O’Brien. 

He is 2-22 in Hong Kong, with both wins coming over 1m2f. He is an in-form stayer who will relish the trip and the expected yielding conditions, and with Harry Bentley back on board he should go close. 

Russian Emperor bypassed Champions Day for this race, which acts as a nice prep for the Group 1 Champions & Chater Cup on May 26.  He obviously must be respected under Hugh Bowman, even if he is shouldering top weight from an awkward draw (ten of 12).

But a more feasible danger is the Frankie Lor-trained Hong Kong Derby fifth Unbelievable, who as Bertinelli won a strong handicap at Newbury for Aidan O’Brien and finished third behind Desert Hero in last year's King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot prior to arriving in Hong Kong.

The David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising has an excellent chance of posting his third win on the trot when tackling the Class 2 6f handicap (10.10) under Zac Purton, who will be a busy boy with rides in ten of the 11 races.

Purton's best mount is arguably Sunstrider for David Hall in the Class 3 1m1f handicap (7.00). The four-year-old caught the eye when finishing strongly to take fourth behind Holy Lake over a mile on his last start. The extra furlong here is going to suit the son of Highland Reel.

Sha Tin Placepot perm

8.00
2 Aestheticism
4 Flying Mojito

8.35
7 Call Me Supreme
8 Storming Dragon 

9.05
4 Five G Patch
11 Unbelievable 

9.35
2 Victory Moments
3 Capital Delight 

10.10
8 Ka Ying Rising
9 Reward Smile 

10.45
3 Superb Kid
9 Super Goldi 

2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 64 lines

Bets can be placed into Hong Kong pools with the Tote. The first race at Sha Tin on Sunday is at 11.40am

Happy Valley card

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