Callan has Spirit to show them who’s the daddy

Chung Wah Spirit
9.35 Sha Tin
1pt win

If good things come in threes then the irrepressible Neil Callan could be in for a rewarding Saturday at Sha Tin.

Liverpool’s march to the Champions League semi-final meant the Irishman was in chipper form even before his wife Trish gave birth to their fourth son Will this week and Chung Wah Spirit can keep Callan smiling with a bold effort in the aptly-named Empowering Youth Handicap at 9.35.

Big Bang Bong is the obvious starting point for this 1400m contest. John Size’s gelding looks bound to go well under Joao Moreira after a solid third in a deeper race, but Chung Wah Spirit was only just behind in sixth despite being left with plenty to do in a steadily-run affair.

True, the barrier ballot has been kinder to Big Bang Bong, but Chung Wah Spirit tends to be ridden patiently wherever he’s drawn and Dennis Yip’s gelding looks fair value at around 7-1 if he gets the race run more to suit this time.

The other feature races on the card feature some highly progressive young horses, though whether there will be any value in going with the crowd is another matter.

Useful AW sprinter Ugly Warrior is very much the one to beat in the 10.10 but looks poised to start a shade of odds against at best, while Harmony Hero’s striking success here three weeks ago will make him a similarly warm order for the finale at 10.45.

The well-handicapped Happy Meteor might just give hot favourite Handsome Bo Bo more of a race than the market suggests in the 9.05, but the other interesting horse on Saturday’s card will jump much earlier than ideal for most European viewers.

Time will tell whether Goodluck Goodluck is so good they named him twice, but this strapping youngster travelled powerfully for a long way on his debut and two subsequent morning trials give him the look of a horse who could prove well worth noting in the opener at 6.00.

Members can read the latest exclusive tipping content such as Pricewise and Paul Kealy from 8pm daily on racingpost.com