Hong Kong racing tips: Jim McGrath with three Happy Valley tips on Wednesday

Double Show
2.15 Happy Valley
2pts win

Big Two
2.45 Happy Valley
2pts win

Special M
3.50 Happy Valley
2pts win

It has been a long wait but promising maiden Big Two finally gets his chance to break the ice in the Class 4 handicap (2.45) over 1m½f at Happy Valley.

Strongly fancied for a similar contest last month, the five-year-old sustained a superficial injury while being saddled and was withdrawn on veterinary advice, but he is set to put that behind him in a race that suits, particularly from the inside draw.

Big Two is 0-9 but he has been placed over course and distance on his last four starts and he is well up to winning this on his present mark. Sunny Delight, the mount of Zac Purton, is the obvious danger.

With only four meetings left this season, only one win separates Purton and arch rival Joao Moreira – Purton leads 129-128 – but despite his pessimism in the media this week, the Magic Man might have the more attractive book of rides.

It is worth noting that 11-time champion trainer John Size has stepped up the handy Special M to Class 2 company, in which he will carry a light weight, which might make all the difference even over the minimum 5f trip of the sprint handicap (3.50).

Drawn seven, Moreira is likely to snag his mount back behind the pace in the expected helter-skelter to the first turn, which may provide welcome reward for Size in his quest to peg back Frankie Lor, who leads him 88-83 in the trainers’ championship.

Lor has engineered an interesting booking in snapping up the in-form Lyle Hewitson for We The South, who loves the course and distance and will be backable at a decent price. Stoltz is in great form but has paid the penalty in being asked to shoulder topweight.

Earlier on the card, Hewitson can combine with his mentor Douglas Whyte to take the Class 4 6f sprint handicap with lightly raced Double Show (2.15), who will relish the drop back in trip after failing to see out 7f (after hitting the front) at Sha Tin last time.

The son of Showcasing can take advantage of an inside draw and might just have the edge over the consistent Leslie and Purton’s new mount Compassion Super, who has shown promise in his three starts to date.

Happy Valley Placepot perm

1.15
2 Sergeant Pepper
4 Fabulous Eight

1.45
3 Harmony N Home
7 Loriz

2.15
2 Leslie
8 Double Show

2.45
4 Big Two
8 Sunny Delight

3.15
4 Rising From Ashes
7 Ping Hai Galaxy

3.50
4 We The South
12 Special M

2x2x2x2x2x2 = 64 lines

Bets can be placed into Happy Valley pools with the Tote, Coral and Ladbrokes. The first race at Happy Valley on Wednesday is at 11.45am.

Happy Valley Wednesday card

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