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

Kokushi Musou
1.45 Happy Valley
2pts win

Awesome Treasure
2.45 Happy Valley
2pts win

Royal Pride
3.15 Happy Valley
2pts win

Caspar Fownes can shrug off the frustrations of last weekend when racing was cancelled due to an approaching typhoon and make the most of several chances including Royal Pride in the Class 4 handicap (3.15) at Happy Valley. 

While Fownes might curse those lost opportunities at Sha Tin on Sunday, his team are in brilliant form and he has more ammunition to fire. His reputation as the ‘King of the Valley’ has been challenged, but he retains the knack of finding the right material for the city course. 

Royal Pride fits that description as his sole Hong Kong win came over course and distance 11 months ago. While his 1-25 record looks disappointing overall, he was almost certainly overrated by the handicapper when he was imported from Melbourne in 2021. He had won a Listed race at Caulfield and been placed in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington which meant he was introduced into the local system at the top of Class 3, which proved beyond him.  

Now dropped to a Class 4, with Vincent Ho booked to ride, he should find it much easier. His chief danger is the David Hayes-trained Lean Hero, a promising type by Japanese star Maurice. The four-year-old started the season with a running-on fifth, beaten by a length and a half over 7f, giving every indication he would relish the 1m½f trip here. Hugh Bowman retains the ride. 

Fownes and Bowman join forces with the in-form Kokushi Musou in the Class 4 6f handicap (1.45), which looks a perfect opportunity for the six-year-old to open his account for the season. Two recent runs have primed him for this and he remains on an attractive mark. The only negative is his wide draw in stall ten and Bowman will be hoping that Zac Purton and his well-fancied mount Golden Luck (two) are placed under pressure in the middle stages, which would set the race up nicely for a late closer. 

Purton looks to strike up a better association than in the past with Awesome Treasure in the second division (2.45), in which he has an attractive inside draw (one). The champion has failed in three rides on the Hayes-trained sprinter, whose only win came in the hands of Tom Marquand in a leg of the International Jockeys’ Championship over 5f in December 2021. The Charm Spirit gelding is back on the same mark.

Happy Valley Placepot perm

1.10
4 Capital Legend
5 Star Contact

1.45
2 Kokushi Musou
5 Golden Luck

2.15
6 Happy Day
7 King Invincible

2.45
3 Juneau Flash
4 Awesome Treasure

3.15
1 Royal Pride
2 Lean Hero

3.50
3 Gallant Waking
7 Sugar Sugar

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

Bets can be placed into Happy Valley pools with the Tote. The first race at Happy Valley on Wednesday is at 12.10pm.

Happy Valley card

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