Hong Kong racing tips: Jim McGrath with three tips at Happy Valley on Thursday

Colourful Emperor
12.40 Happy Valley
2pts win

Country Dancer
1.45 Happy Valley
2pts win

Noble Pursuit
2.50 Happy Valley
2pts win

Caspar Fownes should be rewarded for stepping the promising Noble Pursuit up in distance in the Class 3 1m1f handicap (2.50), the nightcap on a tricky nine-race card at Happy Valley on Thursday. 

Fownes thinks highly of the son of Savabeel, who is 2-5 with wins over 7f and a mile to his credit, and it is likely the four-year-old will be seen to even better advantage over longer trips and this looks an ideal target. 

Noble Pursuit has been given a 7lb hike in the ratings and a class promotion for his recent win at the city track, but this time he is set to carry 8st 7lb, the minimum weight, which brings him in on an attractive mark. 

Alexis Badel is booked to ride the gelding for the first time, replacing the suspended Hugh Bowman, and from gate four he will take a power of beating.  

The selection's main danger is the Frankie Lor-trained Flamingo Trillion, who attempts both the tight Valley circuit and the 1m1f distance for the first time. 

Tony Cruz is tipped to land the feature race, the Class 3 Volunteers’ Challenge Cup (12.40), a 6f handicap, with Colourful Emperor. 

A seven-race maiden locally, he beat subsequent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road as a two-year-old in Ireland, when trained by Jessica Harrington. 

Colourful Emperor has been twice placed this season, though he was well beaten on his most recent outing, when attempting to make all over 6f at Sha Tin. In November he was beaten only a neck over course and distance and a return to this smaller track could see him break the ice. 

The John Size-trained A Americ Te Specso has drawn awkwardly in stall 11, but he has run consistently in this grade and is the obvious danger provided he can get a clear run and a good position in the early stages. 

Size later sends out the lightly raced Country Dancer, who looks set to register his maiden victory in the Class 4 6f handicap (1.45), having been narrowly touched off in a three-way photo in a similar race last time. 

In the same heat, Zac Purton rides the three-year-old debutant Yoda’s Choice for Pierre Ng. The gelding has had four barrier trials, but Purton’s services were never called upon, thus making this jockey booking for the Australian import all the more interesting.

Happy Valley Placepot perm

12.10
1 Golden Long
4 Flying Phantom

12.40
3 A Americ Te Specso
4 Colourful Emperor

1.10  
2 Fun Elite
8 Parents’ Love

1.45
6 Yoda’s Choice
7 Country Dancer 

2.15
2 Nicconi County
4 Act Of Faith

2.50  
11 Flamingo Trillion
12 Noble Pursuit

2x2x2x2x2x2 = 64 lines

Bets can be placed into Hong Kong pools with the Tote. The first race at Happy Valley is at 10.40am.

Happy Valley card

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