Hong Kong racing tips: Jim McGrath with three Wednesday fancies at Happy Valley

M Unicorn
12.40 Happy Valley
2pts win

Flagship Warrior
1.40 Happy Valley
2pts win

Helene Feeling
2.55 Happy Valley
2pts win

Ryan Moore is tipped to land the second leg of the International Jockeys' Championship (12.40) on M Unicorn, the hottest favourite at this elite Happy Valley meeting, but his great rival James McDonald is selected to win the tournament.

Twelve of the biggest names from jockey rooms around the world do battle in four races over a variety of distances on Hong Kong’s famous tight city track. The mounts are drawn by computer and often bring together unexpected trainer-jockey combinations.

Moore and McDonald are always in demand when they arrive here in the winter months and consequently their rides are frequently under the odds. But both have a good record of delivering and, considering M Unicorn’s profile and record, taking a short price about the gelding is advised in the Class 4 handicap over 1m½f.

M Unicorn bolted in three starts back, which led to an 8lb rise in his rating. Although he was beaten off the higher mark, he bounced back to score well over course and distance on his most recent outing.

A further 6lb rise in the handicap is hardly likely to halt his progress in his current form and, with Moore drawn well in stall four, the son of Savabeel is going to take all the beating.

Hollie Doyle’s mount Club Soda has been taken along quietly in typical John Size style and is ready to step up. The four-year-old showed promise first up at Sha Tin and is set to maintain his rate of improvement from an attractive draw in stall one.

While Moore has several solid chances in the International Jockeys' Championship, McDonald may just have the edge with those he has been allocated. His mount Flagship Warrior is tipped to take the third leg, the Class 3 handicap (1.40) over 1m½f.

Early in his career, Flagship Warrior caught the eye when he won on his Hong Kong debut for the David Hayes stable from a terrible draw (14 of 14), flashing home with a powerful finish. Off the back of that, connections targeted the Derby but the gelding fell well short.

Two starts later, the son of Foxwedge joined Caspar Fownes, who has taken a conservative approach to getting him back to a winning mark. More comfortable in this grade, he has the chance to win for his new stable, especially with J-Mac in the saddle.

McDonald is also strongly fancied to take the nightcap, the Class 2 handicap (2.55) over 1m1f, aboard the Danny Shum-trained Helene Feeling, possibly a confidence-booster before trainer and jockey combine in their attempt to win the Hong Kong Cup with Romantic Warrior on Sunday.

Happy Valley Placepot perm

12.10
1 Amazing Ace
11 Oversubscribed

12.40
4 M Unicorn
7 Club Soda

1.10
8 Prince Chiswick
12 Lyrical Motion

1.40
2 Flagship Warrior
4 Quantum Patch

2.10
5 Tomodachi Kokoroe
9 Gameplayer Elite

2.55
6 Helene Feeling
7 The Best Peach

2x2x2x2x2x2 = 64 lines

Bets can be placed into Hong Kong pools with the Tote. The first race at Happy Valley is at 10.30am.

Happy Valley card

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