Hong Kong racing tips: Jim McGrath has three selections at Happy Valley

Eighteen Palms
1.15 Happy Valley
2pts win

A Americ Te Specso
1.45 Happy Valley
2pts win

Red Lion
2.15 Happy Valley
2pts win

Hugh Bowman continues to make an impact in Hong Kong, attracting the support of several trainers including championship leader John Size, who has booked him for the promising Red Lion in the Class 3 6f handicap (2.15) at Happy Valley.

Since announcing that he will remain for the duration of the current term, Bowman has been consistently firing in the winners, moving into fourth in the jockeys’ championship on 24 as the season reaches its halfway point.

Size has snapped up the services of Winx’s rider and there is more success on the horizon for the trainer-jockey combination.

Red Lion, an Irish import with great potential, looks the best of their chances on the nine-race card as he drops back in distance following two outings over 7f. Taking into account his promising second for visiting rider Jamie Kah two months ago, the four-year-old looks ideally suited.

Before export, Red Lion won two races in Ireland for Andy Slattery, including a handicap at the Curragh, and finished seventh in the Britannia at last year's Royal Ascot, traditionally a showcase for potential Hong Kong purchases. Lucky Eight looks his main danger.

Bowman and Size can also claim the earlier Class 4 6f handicap (1.45) with the lightly raced A Americ Te Specso, who looked a future winner two starts back when a solid third for Zac Purton in a similar race at Sha Tin.

Purton has preferred Rattan Kingdom this time but the five-year-old has crept up in the weights following two wins and two placings in this grade and he is drawn in stall six immediately on the outside of A Americ Te Specso in five, which will make for an interesting tussle to the first turn.

Purton, who dominates the title race with 90 wins on the board – almost double the total of nearest rival Vincent Ho (46) – is tipped to take the Class 4 handicap (1.15) over 1m½f on the Danny Shum-trained Eighteen Palms.

The four-year-old ran an even race over course and distance to finish third on his only start, and he should go very close from stall one. The capable Gallant Hero will be running on late and looks the main threat to the selection.

Happy Valley Placepot perm

12.15
2 Ready Player One
7 Sunny Delight

12.45
2 Star Ascension
3 Victory Scholars

1.15
7 Eighteen Palms
11 Gallant Hero

1.45
1 Rattan Kingdom
7 A Americ Te Specso

2.15
2 Red Lion
6 Lucky Eight

2.50
4 Nimble Nimbus
8 Jumbo Legend

2x2x2x2x2x2 = 64

Bets can be placed into HK pools with the Tote. The first race at Happy Valley on Wednesday is at 10.45am.

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