Hong Kong racing tips: Jim McGrath with three tips and the Placepot at Sha Tin

Juneau Flash
7.35 Sha Tin
2pts win

Romantic Warrior
8.05 Sha Tin
2pts win

Viva Chaleur
9.15 Sha Tin
2pts win

Romantic Warrior is selected to win the Group 1 Stewards’ Cup (8.05) at Sha Tin in which three of the current ten highest-ranked horses in the world line up in a clash of the racing giants.

Winner of nine of his ten starts, Derby winner Romantic Warrior meets the outstanding Golden Sixty, who is 22-26, and talented California Spangle, who has beaten both his big rivals in two notable victories among his nine to date. But two factors have tilted the scales in favour of the Danny Shum-trained Romantic Warrior – the draw and the booking of Ryan Moore for Waikuku. Both are crucial elements in what is likely to become a tactical battle.

There is no doubting this is Hong Kong’s best race in prospect in five decades of professional racing, and trainer John Size has in Waikuku a dual Stewards’ Cup winner and one with the potential to upset the party, particularly if Moore applies early pressure to likely leader California Spangle. This would ensure a solid pace and could also make life more difficult for Golden Sixty (drawn 2), who is in danger of being pocketed as he starts with Romantic Warrior (4) on his outside.

Waikuku’s recent form has been mediocre, but it is worth noting that in his two Stewards’ Cup wins he defeated Beauty Generation and Golden Sixty, both champions at the time, and he should always be respected.

Moore has also been snapped up by Size to partner Sweet Encounter, who has an outstanding chance in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (9.15), which is the first leg of the Four-Year-Old series and a cracking contest with several realistic contenders. The Caspar Fownes-trained Viva Chaleur is one of those, and he has turned in some eyecatching performances on his two most recent starts.

This one-time runner-up in the Prix Morny for Andre Fabre is ready to break the ice for his new trainer. Packing Treadmill (Zac Purton) and Voyage Bubble (Jamie Kah) also have claims.

Moore’s best chance of all is the Size-trained Juneau Flash in the Class 4 5f sprint handicap (7.35). The four-year-old has his first taste of Sha Tin on raceday following four good efforts at Happy Valley, and the straight course should suit the son of Starspangledbanner, who is reasonably drawn in 8.

Sha Tin Placepot perm

7.00
1 Handsome Twelve
9 Royal Bomb

7.35
4 Innoconstruction
5 Juneau Flash

8.05
1 Golden Sixty
2 Romantic Warrior

8.40
3 Good News
5 Wide Blue Yonder

9.15
3 Packing Treadmill
9 Viva Chaleur

9.50
1 Amazing Victory
8 Beauty Missile

2x2x2x2x2x2 = 64 lines

Bets can be placed into Hong Kong pools with the Tote. The first race at Sha Tin on Sunday is at 5am.

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