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

Lady's Choice
11.05 Sha Tin
2pts win

Lucky Sweynesse
12.05 Sha Tin
2pts win

Youthful Deal
12.40 Sha Tin
2pts win

Sprinting star Lucky Sweynesse bids for his eighth win of the season when he shoulders topweight in the Group 3 Sha Tin Vase (12.05) at today's twilight meeting in Hong Kong. 

Hot and humid weather has forced the Jockey Club to switch the remaining weekend fixtures of the season to a later time slot in the hope that cooler conditions prevail, but that will not concern Manfred Man's champion. 

If successful — and he will be an odds-on favourite to pull it off — Lucky Sweynesse will join the prolific Beauty Generation as joint-record holder for the most number of wins in a Hong Kong season. 

The four-year-old, who arrived as an unraced import from New Zealand in September 2021, has an impressive 12-16 career record and over £4 million in prize-money, and most agree that he could easily double that now connections have ruled out trips to Japan and Australia. 

The Sha Tin Vase is a handicap and Lucky Sweynesse, under 9st 9lb, is asked to give heaps of weight to his rivals, though five of them (including his two big dangers) are out of the handicap. 

In Lucky Sweynesse's favour, he is drawn perfectly in stall three and key rival Victor The Winner is drawn in one. He is very speedy from the gate and expected to lead, setting up the race nicely for Lucky Sweynesse, who should be in the first three all the way. 

Cordyceps Six, who has always looked a star in the making, is a danger off 8st 5lb with Vincent Ho aboard. The gelding has been switched from Richard Gibson to Francis Lui after failing to build on his early promise in eight starts this season. He has not won in over 12 months. 

Ho also has an excellent chance one race later on the Frankie Lor-trained Youthful Deal in the Class 2 6f handicap (12.40), one of two all-weather heats on the ten-race card. The gelding goes well on the Sha Tin dirt track and will be handy in running from his draw in stall five. 

Purton, another seeking a local record — his quest being the most wins for a jockey in a single season — is strongly fancied to take the other Group 3 contest (10.00) with the untapped but prohibitively short-priced Beauty Eternal, but perhaps better value can be found with Purton's later ride Lady's Choice in the Class 4 7f handicap (11.05).

Sha Tin Placepot

11.05
10 Lady's Choice
12 Speed Fay Fay

11.35
2 Flying Ace
9 Helios Express

12.05
1 Lucky Sweynesse
4 Cordyceps Six

12.40
8 Adios
12 Youthful Deal

1.15
4 Hoss
6 Chiu Chow Spirit

1.50
3 Seizing The Moment
Hyper Dragon Ball

2x2x2x2x2x2 = 64 bets

Bets can be placed into Sha Tin pools with the Tote, Coral and Ladbrokes. The first race at Sha Tin on Sunday is at 9am.

Sha Tin Sunday card


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Published on 3 June 2023inFree tips

Last updated 18:00, 3 June 2023

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