Fun looks extremely good value to make Valley punters happy

Extremely Fun
2.45 Happy Valley
1pt each-way

Google ‘Happy Valley Season Finale’ and you soon find the Daily Telegraph’s TV critic trilling away about how the last episode of the BBC potboiler starring Sarah Lancashire as courageous copper Catherine Cawood “fizzed with energy, suspense and high emotion.”

The Season Finale at Happy Valley racecourse in downtown Hong Kong today promises a different kind of drama for yours truly.

Correction, it involves presenting an end-of-term bash with Kelly Cheung who, besides being the face beaming down from billboards all over Causeway Bay, made her name as Hong Kong’s representative in the 2012 Miss World contest.

The record reflects that Kelly failed to make the frame at the Dongshong Fitness Center Stadium in Inner Mongolia, though the fact that 116 contestants faced the starter suggests that each way punters must have been paid down to at least fourth place.

No such concessions are available in a series of fiendishly difficult 12-runner handicaps on today’s card and, as ever when trying to find winners well before the betting pools open, the trick is to find the right horse at the right price.

Dr Listening, who lines up for the Silver Grecian Handicap (3.15), is a case in point.

David Hall’s gelding showed improved form upped to an extended mile when second here two weeks ago and might well have won had he not edged left close home.

Cheekpieces look the right prescription to iron out the doctor’s kink, but the price will fully reflect that and there could be better each way value elsewhere on the card.

Money Boy’s solid recent seconds make him the obvious starting point in the Let Me Fight Handicap (2.15) though Joao Moreira will need to weave a little trademark magic to offset being drawn next to the Hong Kong Football Club bar in stall 12.

The consistent Dr Race and down-in-class Gold Talent both have a fair amount to recommend them in the first two races (12.15, 12.45) but Extremely Fun gets the vote as the best bet on the card in the Kings Falcon Handicap at 2.45.

Former Stuart Williams sprinter Dollar Reward will corner plenty of support here after running out of room when finishing well on his latest start, especially with Purton aboard for the first time, but it’s possible he was flattered in that he came from the rear in a very strongly-run race.

By contrast, Extremely Fun raced very close to a demanding pace when second in a strong contest here two starts ago. A subsequent defeat is easily excused given that he endured a very wide trip from stall 12 and, with the inside draw this time, he’s poised to show up very strongly.