Hong Kong racing tips: Jim McGrath with three Saturday fancies at Sha Tin

Invincible Sage
6.00 Sha Tin
2pts win

Noble Pursuit
7.35 Sha Tin
2pts win

Viva Chaleur
9.10 Sha Tin
2pts win

Hugh Bowman can bounce straight back into the winner’s list after a five-day suspension with an attractive book of eight rides, headed by the improving Noble Pursuit in the Class 4 7f handicap (7.35) at Sha Tin on Saturday.

While Bowman was on the sidelines, Zac Purton overtook him in the jockeys’ championship to lead 22-20, but that could change again on this interesting ten-race card, in which both riders have numerous opportunities.

Noble Pursuit impressed when doing it the hard way from a wide draw on his last outing, rattling home strongly to win snugly over course and distance, for which he has gone up six points in the ratings.

The four-year-old, bought for NZ $350,000 at a Ready-to-Run sale, has a staying pedigree and could easily develop into a nice prospect for better races later in the season. With 9st 9lb top weight, and drawn wide in 11, his potential can be measured by how he performs here.

Purton is an interesting first-time booking for the John Size-trained Chateau, who won a Listed race at Newbury and finished fourth in the Group 2 Gimcrack for Andrew Balding, yet is 0-9 and so far has shown very little in Hong Kong.

Bowman is on another promising type in Invincible Sage in the Class 3 5f sprint handicap (6.00) and he, too, must cope with top weight if he is to make it consecutive wins, which, in all probability,  he will.

At his most recent start, the David Hall-trained Invincible Sage was taken back to last from gate 1, which is an awkward draw on the straight course, yet he could have been called the winner as soon as he started to make ground on the leaders.

He picked them up easily and cruised home by just over one length, for which he has gone up 7lb in the handicap. He is set to win again, with newcomer Golden Darci, trained by Tony Cruz, a possible danger on his first start.

Caspar Fownes, who trains Noble Pursuit, also has strong claims with the untapped Viva Chaleur, another for Bowman, in the Class 3f 6f sprint handicap (9.10), in which the one-time Group 1 Prix Morny runner-up will have Beauty Waves to beat, while the featured Panasonic Cup (3.05) looks a trappy contest in which Red Lion appeals.

Sha Tin Placepot perm

7.00
9 Master Of Fortune
10 Precise Express

7.35
1 Noble Pursuit
4 Chateau

8.05
1 Tuchel
3 Red Lion

8.35
8 Aestheticism
10 Northern Beast

9.10
2 Viva Chaleur
7 Beauty Waves

9.45
3 Joyful Hunter
6 Flying Mojito

2x2x2x2x2x2 = 64 lines

Bets can be placed into Hong Kong pools with the Tote. The first race at Sha Tin on Saturday is at 5.00am

Sha Tin card

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