Hong Kong racing tips: Jim McGrath has three selections at Happy Valley

Special M
1.45 Happy Valley
2pts win

Good Buddy
2.15 Happy Valley
2pts win

Beauty Tycoon
2.50 Happy Valley
2pts win

Four-time Sydney champion Hugh Bowman, who is quickly re-establishing himself in Hong Kong, is the jockey to follow at Happy Valley.

He has a full book of nine rides, headed by the progressive Good Buddy in the Class 3 handicap (2.15), over an extended mile.

Bowman has ridden more than 100 Group 1 winners and will forever be known as Winx’s jockey, having won 25 Group 1s, including four Cox Plates on the great mare. He is also popular with locals, who remember his Derby win on Werther at Sha Tin in 2016.

He is now back in Hong Kong for a three-month stay and has already ridden six winners, including two doubles at the end of last month. He drew first blood when Good Buddy landed a 7f handicap for him at Sha Tin just over three weeks ago.

For that tidy win, the five-year-old has gone up 6lb, but with a record of 4-14 you sense the handicapper has not got to grips with him yet, and from stall 5, he will be hard to beat. The mile shouldn’t be an issue as he is out of a Zabeel mare.

Zac Purton rides the interesting import Dynamic Spirit, who has not done much in four local starts, but is a multiple Group 1 winner in his native Brazil. It can be difficult to get a handle on the form there, but South America has been a source of some useful types over the years.

Bowman continues his association with Special M, who might find things fall into place for him this time in the Class 3 5f handicap sprint (1.45). Bowman got a feel of the John Size-trained speedster in a similar race two weeks ago, when he was beaten a length and three quarters into fourth.

Special M has won only twice in 23 starts but has six seconds and two third places, underlining his consistency. Angus Chung’s claim will be handy again on the Tony Cruz-trained Circuit Ten, who shapes as the main danger.

Purton, fresh from a treble at Sunday’s HKIR meeting, is sailing clear on 57 wins in the championship and can add to that tally by taking the finale Class 3 6f sprint handicap (2.50) on the Size-trained Beauty Tycoon.

The son of Written Tycoon is promising at this grade and has another up-and-coming type to contend with in Jumbo Legend. The four-year-old is a credit to his trainer Caspar Fownes and one who looks to be well positioned coming from stall 3.