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

Sky Vino  
1.15 Sha Tin
2pts win

Capital Delight 
1.45 Sha Tin
2pts win

Mask Rider  
2.15 Sha Tin
2pts win

Hugh Bowman can capitalise on the absence of arch-rival Zac Purton and three other jockeys when taking eight attractive rides, headed by Sky Vino in the Class 4 1m½f handicap (1.15), on an all-dirt card at Sha Tin. 

The riding ranks were decimated by two separate incidents on Sunday — Purton, Angus Chung and Keith Yeung were all injured in a horror pile-up in one race, while Vincent Ho suffered a head injury when clipping heels and falling close home in another. 

It means that only 15 jockeys will compete on the nine-race card, and looking ahead the Hong Kong Jockey Club are flying in Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle for the weekend to bolster the ranks. 

They also lifted suspensions on Andrea Atzeni and Alexis Badel. Purton is expected to be sidelined for at least four weeks and will miss the ride on Ka Ying Rising in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup on February 23, and surely Bowman will be on the shortlist as a possible replacement. 

With the entire card given over to races on the all-weather track, it will pay to stick to established dirt specialists, a description that may not fit the Caspar Fownes-trained Sky Vino. Not yet anyway. 

The three-year-old Australian import has never raced on dirt but he finished second in a 6f trial on the surface at Sha Tin last month. More tellingly, perhaps, he's a son of Vino Rosso (by Curlin), a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, so he has the pedigree for the job. Precision Goal, although drawn wide, is the danger. 

Fownes is also responsible for Capital Delight, who is the one to beat in the Class 2 6f handicap (1.45). Three of the gelding’s four local wins have been on dirt and he looked unlucky two starts back as he clipped heels when laying in. 

The drop back in distance is going to suit him and Brenton Avdulla should prove an able substitute for the injured Ho. In-form Luke Ferraris is aboard Full Credit, who gives the impression he's still ahead of the handicapper. He looks next best. 

Mask Rider, a shock 27-1 winner on his local debut, can follow up over course and distance in the Class 3 6f handicap (2.15). He has gone up 8lb but that looks unlikely to stop him. Mojave Desert, another Ferraris mount, is racing well and will give a good sight.

Sha Tin Placepot perm

12.15
3 Reliable Profit
9 Forever Folks 

12.45
6 Fortune Warrior
7 Vulcanus 

1.15
8 Sky Vino
12 Precision Goal 

1.45
4 Full Credit
5 Capital Delight 

2.15
2 Mask Rider
9 Mojave Desert 

2.50
7 Glorious Success
11 New Forest 

2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 64 lines

Bets can be placed into Hong Kong pools with the Tote. The first race at Sha Tin on Wednesday is at 10.45am.

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