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

Mighty Steed  
1.35 Happy Valley
2pts win

Super Unicorn  
2.45 Happy Valley
2pts win

Monarch County 
3.50 Happy Valley
2pts win

Zac Purton is set to continue his domination with six high-quality mounts on a tricky eight-race card at Happy Valley, made more challenging by heavy rainfall in the past 48 hours. 

Purton rode five winners at Sunday’s Sha Tin meeting in his best start to a new season, and he can build on that with the Mark Newnham-trained Super Unicorn, who looks perfectly placed to land division two of the Class 4 1m½f handicap (2.45), over the extended mile. 

Hong Kong’s two tracks are famous for coping with the elements, and a typhoon skirting the region after racing at the weekend brought with it a deluge that has tested their drainage capacity.

Last November at Happy Valley, Super Unicorn lost a race on objection after bumping a rival in the closing stages. But the positive to take from it was that he handled the rain-affected going, which was posted that day as ‘good to yielding.’ 

Newnham has his horses nicely forward early this season, but hopes for a winning start to the campaign were dashed when the heavily-backed Invincible Ibis was just a battling third in the conditions on Sunday. 

David Hayes has similarly primed plenty of his early runners for a forward showing and the progressive Amazing Run can still go well despite an awkward draw in stall ten from the mile start, which has only a short run to the first turn. 

Vincent Ho was widely applauded for his brilliant comeback at the weekend, when he rode a winner and a second from two rides on his return from many months on the sidelines with a serious head injury. 

Ho should continue in winning mode aboard the Francis Lui-trained Mighty Steed in division one of the Class 4 1m½f handicap (1.35) over the extended mile. The gelding, previously a winner in New Zealand, is 0-12 locally but looked good winning a barrier trial 12 days ago. 

Caspar Fownes always has one to follow at the city track, and this time it is the lightly-weighted Monarch County, who has drawn perfectly in stall two with Andrea Atzeni in the saddle in the Class 3 6f handicap (3.50). He has the capable Giant Leap as his danger.

Happy Valley Placepot perm

1.05
4 Grand Nova
12 Happy Boys 

1.35
4 Prince Alex
5 Mighty Steed 

2.10
2 Highland Rahy
9 Wrote A New Page 

2.45
4 Amazing Run
5 Super Unicorn 

3.15
2 Bienvenue
3 Glory B 

3.50
4 Giant Leap
12 Monarch County 

2x2x2x2x2x2=64 lines

Bets can be placed into Hong Kong pools with the Tote. The first race at Happy Valley on Wednesday is at 12.05am.

Read more here

Jonny Pearson has two selections at Compiegne - including a hurdler previously trained by Willie Mullins 

'We could be looking at a Breeders’ Cup filly' - Shane Ketteridge with two tips at Kentucky Downs  

Sign up to the Tote here. New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G30 on registration. £10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £20 Tote Credit, £10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.