Hong Kong racing tips: Jim McGrath's three tips and Placepot at Sha Tin

Kings Shield
1.15 Sha Tin
2pts win

Fiery Diamond
1.45 Sha Tin
2pts win

Handsome Twelve
3.50 Sha Tin
2pts win

It is one of those unusual Wednesdays when the midweek action switches to the Sha Tin all-weather track under the lights, but that won’t stop Zac Purton, who has a full book of nine excellent mounts.

If Hong Kong’s jockeys’ championship looks one-sided, it should come as no surprise. Joao Moreira and Karis Teetan remain medically unfit to ride, while Silvestre de Sousa is ruled out due to another suspension.

Meanwhile, Purton relentlessly soldiers on, having chalked up 28 winners at a 24 per cent strike-rate. There is no end in sight to that trend with his collection of rides, headed by the much-travelled Kings Shield in the Class 2 1m½f handicap (1.15).

Kings Shield has not run locally this season and arrives off the back of a disappointing performance in an invitation race in Seoul last month, where he showed a distinct lack of enthusiasm after failing to get to the front in the early stages.

He was freshened up on his return at the Conghua training centre in China, where he also had a barrier trial, which will have put him spot on for the assignment.

Purton won on the seven-year-old gelding over a mile at this course in November 2020 and they can again prove a winning combination. Another dirt winner Berlin Tango, who races in the same ownership, looks a danger after returning to form at Happy Valley two weeks ago, while Apache Pass might still be ahead of the handicapper.

Purton has struck up a good association with trainer Benno Yung and their success looks set to continue with the in-form Fiery Diamond in division one of the Class 4 6f handicap (1.45). He has gone up a modest 6lb in the handicap for his maiden win last start.

Like so many imports, he has taken time to settle in — it took him ten starts to break the ice — but he is well placed in this grade and still on the improve. John Size saddles Touch Faith, who is always dangerous lower down in the weights.

Purton can also land the spoils on another Yung-trained recent winner, Handsome Twelve, in the closing Class 3 1m½f handicap (3.50). Both his wins have come on the Sha Tin dirt and he looks well suited again.