Booming is the business as season draws to a close

Garlic Yeah
7.30 Sha Tin
1pt win

Booming Delight
9.05 Sha Tin
1pt win

Chung Wah Spirit
9.40 Sha Tin
1pt each-way

What would you do if there was no racing for seven weeks in the height of summer?

Hong Kong punters have a simple response – which involves hitting the bet button harder than ever on the last day of term – and turnover for an 11-race season finale at Sha Tin live on RUK and ATR on Sunday could well nudge the £200 million mark.

It’s been a strange campaign in some ways. The most popular horse around is no more after Rapper Dragon sustained fatal injuries in May.

The heir to his crown is in the doghouse after the mercurial Pakistan Star pulled himself up on his latest start, while the retirement of local warriors like Able Friend, Aerovelocity and Designs On Rome leaves a tough void to fill.

It’s “as you were” for the human stars.

The two Johns – Moore and Size – still dominate the trainers’ table, while Joao Moreira, Zac Purton and Neil Callan are the top three in the jockeys’ championship.

Callan’s 46 winners leaves him well shy of the big two, but the irrepressible Irishman can count his cut of a cool £6m in seasonal prize-money as he heads to Greece for his jollies and Fionesay might just send him off with a winner in the 5.15.

The strong-travelling Booming Delight (Out And About in his Haggas days) has adapted to Hong Kong much better than some European imports, capturing four wins and £600,000 in prize-money while doing no more than necessary in front.

He can repeat the dose against improving Beat The Clock and former Sir Mark Prescott galloper Time Warp in the feature at 9.05, while that man Purton is aboard two of the better bets on the card.

Consistent middle-distance handicapper Garlic Yeah goes sweetly for the Aussie and shaped as if still well treated on his latest start, racing freely in front over 2200m only to be worn down late by Purton aboard bang-in-form Best Reward.

This step back to 1800m looks ideal and the return of Purton adds to belief that another bold effort is on the cards in the 7.30.

There is a strong Euro feel to the 9.40, with Chesham winner Sunny Way (formerly Suits You) heading the weights and the freewheeling Calculation (Drake Passage when with John Oxx) a very interesting newcomer after making a good impression in barrier trials.

However, Purton has struck up a good relationship with Chung Wah Spirit, a lightly-raced gelding who travels sweetly and still looks on a good mark based on his last two efforts at this level.