Hong Kong racing tips: Jim McGrath with three New Year's Day selections at Sha Tin

Healthy Happy
8.05 Sha Tin
2pts win

Global Harmony
8.40 Sha Tin
2pts win

Mugen
9.15 Sha Tin
2pts win

Frankie Lor has laid out Healthy Happy for a third crack at the Group 3 7f Chinese Club Challenge Cup (8.05), the feature on a ten-race card at Sha Tin on New Year’s Day.

The former champion trainer has him typecast as a course-and-distance specialist and is keen to go one better than when the seven-year-old was runner-up to the exceptional Lucky Sweynesse in this last year.

Back in 2022, Healthy Happy beat a much weaker field on his seasonal debut, supplying further evidence that despite having also won a 1m1f Classic Cup, he is at his most comfortable over 7f.

Lor deliberately bypassed a showdown with Golden Sixty in the Hong Kong Mile to come to this fresh. Following his second run of the season in November, the gelding was given a short break and a barrier trial at Conghua in preparation for a tilt at this Group 3 in which he will receive 18lb from chief rival California Spangle.

Trainer Tony Cruz despaired of the ride given to California Spangle by visiting jockey Christophe Soumillon in the Hong Kong Mile in which he beat only one home. From an inside gate, he expected the multiple French champion to be dictating in front instead of a taking a sit in behind. This time drawn the inside again (stall one), you can bet Hugh Bowman – back aboard after an injury-enforced spell on the sidelines – will dash the gelding straight into the lead and attempt to make all, and that should set it up nicely for Healthy Happy.

In the Class 3 7f handicap (8.40), Global Harmony will be out to make amends for an unlucky second last time, when he badly missed the break and came from last place.

Trainer David Hayes has booked James McDonald, replacing Karis Teetan, and he too has drawn stall one, which the jockey will be loathe to throw away.

Zac Purton’s mount Midori Burly came home like a train in a similar contest on his local debut in early December, sent off at long odds. He will be much shorter in the betting here and should be placed with any luck in running.

Finally, don’t give up on Mugen in the penultimate race, the Class 3 6f sprint handicap (9.15), despite his short price and hefty 10lb hike in the ratings. He arrived from Australia with a huge reputation, which he went some way to living up to with an easy win last time.

Ka Ying Rising, another promising type, is next best.