Harmony can make his mark as a Derby prospect for Shum

Harmony Victory
7.55 Sha Tin
2pts win

Solomon’s Bay
8.25 Sha Tin
1pt win

Styling City
9.00 Sha Tin
2pts win

Harmony Victory (7.55) can stamp himself a worthy Hong Kong Derby prospect by winning a Class Two handicap at Sha Tin’s ever-popular pre-Christmas meeting.

This Danny Shum-trained four-year-old raced originally in Brazil, where he chalked up four wins from five starts, including two at Group 1 level. He won his final outing there, over a mile and a quarter, by an impressive six lengths.

It was also hard not to like his last start win, in a nine furlong Class Two at Sha Tin, in which he came from an awkward position on the turn, finishing strongly to get up right on the line.

Considering he is now stepping up to a distance that should see him in an even better light, he is a relatively good price, and the reason for this is the presence of well-fancied rival Dark Dream, a Queensland Derby winner, who made a solid Hong Kong debut two weeks ago.

Dark Dream will be partnered for the first time by Silvestre de Sousa, who continues to attract more local fans every time he rides. With Zac Purton suspended, De Sousa is being snapped up by a number of trainers.

At the top of the list is Frankie Lor, who has made the most significant booking of the meeting by putting De Sousa on Solomon’s Bay (8.25) in a Class Three handicap, over six furlongs.

In Britain, Solomon’s Bay won three races for Roger Varian, including a Listed contest at Epsom, in which he was ridden by De Sousa, who subsequently won another race on the Exceed And Excel gelding, on the Kempton all-weather.

Clearly, Lor is looking to the triple British champion jockey to rekindle the flame – the four-year-old is 0-6 in Hong Kong – and the jockey might just do that.

John Moore is confident that Styling City (9.00), who runs in the Class Two sprint, over five furlongs, is ultimately going to make it in the top grade. The three-year-old son of Starspangledbanner is to be ridden by Hong Kong legend Douglas Whyte and should go in at a short price.

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