Hong Kong racing tips: Jim McGrath with three selections at Sha Tin

Star Brite
9.05 Sha Tin
2pts win

Czarson
9.35 Sha Tin
2pts win

Lucky With You
10.10 Sha Tin
2pts win

Joao Moreira returns with eight rides and a deficit of four winners to make up on rival Zac Purton, but the 'Magic Man' has an excellent chance aboard Oscar Glory in the Class 4 mile handicap (8.00) at Sha Tin on Sunday.

This is Moreira’s first day back and he has not ridden competitively for two months, after taking a long period of rehabilitation when niggling injuries forced him to return to Brazil for treatment in the off-season. As a result, he missed the first two meetings.

Oscar Glory’s last win came over course and distance in June 2021 off 2lb lower than his present mark and with a handy inside draw from stall four this time, he will give a good account of himself.

It will be welcomed by champion trainer Frankie Lor, who is also looking to get off the mark in the new term.

First-season trainer Pierre Ng has started promisingly and has saddled one winner from 12 runners. His Turquoise Alpha is progressive, winning two of his last three starts and looks capable of scoring again in this grade.

Purton partners Turquoise Alpha, one of several attractive rides for the champion, and he should win the feature race, the 6f CMA 88th Anniversary Cup (9.05) for Class 3 sprinters aboard Star Brite.

A winner at both Sha Tin and Happy Valley in his first season, the Francis Lui-trained Star Brite has been primed for this race, having trialled at the Jockey Club’s training centre over the China border at Conghua. He is preferred to the John Size-trained Bundle Of Charm.

Purton should also be followed on Czarson in the Class 3 6f sprint handicap (9.35) on the all-weather track. The gelding has only notched one win locally, but he rarely runs a bad race on dirt and he will love the drop in grade.

Purton and David Hayes combined for a first-day winner with Oriental Smoke a week ago and they look set to do it again, this time with the progressive Lucky With You in the Class 2 5f sprint (10.10) on the straight course.

Several with speed are drawn low, but Lucky With You will have the run of the race on the stands' rail from stall 11, with Purton letting the race unfold before pouncing late.

Sha Tin Placepot

8.00

7 Oscar Glory
9 Turquoise Alpha

8.35

2 HK Dragon
4 Prosecco

9.05

1 Star Brite
3 Bundle Of Charm

9.35

1 Czarson
10 Super Win Dragon

10.10

2 Lucky With You
7 Astrologer

10.45

3 Master Hero
4 Royal Bomb

2x2x2x2x2x2 = 64 lines

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