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

Wide Blue Yonder
8.35 Sha Tin
2pts win

Capital Legend
9.10 Sha Tin
2pts win

Golden Express
9.45 Sha Tin
2pts win

John Size can extend his lead in the trainers’ championship with another strong hand, headed by Golden Express in the Class 3 6f sprint handicap (9.45) on a ten-race card at Sha Tin on Friday.

With six stables having 30 wins or more, success at the top end has been shared around, but Size is usually at his strongest in the latter stages of the season when his younger imports are still climbing the grades.  Size, on 41 wins, is expected to pull away from his rivals, and Golden Express is typical of the type who can prove invaluable in his quest.

An impressive winner of his only start in Queensland, the four-year-old has been consistent without winning in three starts locally. From what he has produced so far, Golden Express looks best suited to 6f, as well as needing a good draw.

In stall two, he gets just that, so expect Zac Purton to have him travelling in the box seat before launching him in the home straight. The gelding’s last-start fifth was eyecatching as he was dropped out from a wide gate (ten) before rattling home to be beaten three-quarters of a length. The promise he has displayed should finally be realised in this competitive race.  

Dragon’s Luck has been a real discovery, winning three of his four starts, each time making all, and although it will be a challenge from stall 11, his new partner Hugh Bowman might feel obliged to use his early speed, even under top weight.

Bowman is back on the David Hayes-trained Wide Blue Yonder, who is selected to land an overdue win in the Class 4 7f handicap (8.35) after a couple of promising efforts. Best of his recent runs was a narrow second to the talented Unpresuming over course and distance in January.

Hayes has called for blinkers for the first time, which may be a big help to the four-year-old, who also has the benefit of an attractive inside draw (two). Purton’s mount Publicist is next best in a tricky race.

Vincent Ho, still basking in the glory of Golden Sixty’s great recent win, is only two away from his 500th Hong Kong winner and the Caspar Fownes-trained Capital Legend should get him closer to the milestone by taking the Class 3 7f handicap (9.10) in which the Britannia winner Thesis is the danger.

Sha Tin Placepot

7.00
4 Flying Mojito
12 Go Go Sixteen

7.35
4 Innoconstruction
8 Hong Kong Hall

8.05
3 Circuit Stellar
9 Amazing Victory

8.35
5 Publicist
7 Wide Blue Yonder

9.10
2 Capital Legend
4 Thesis

9.45
1 Dragon’s Luck
6 Golden Express

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.

Sign up to the Tote here. Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.