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

Meepmeep 
12.05 Sha Tin
2pts win

Beauty Waves 
12.35 Sha Tin
2pts win

New Forest 
1.40 Sha Tin
2pts win

There is nothing like a high-profile stable change to enliven the final weeks of a long season, which is the case with accomplished sprinter Beauty Waves, who has his first start for Tony Cruz in the Class 1 Pearce Memorial Challenge Cup (12.35), over 5f at Sha Tin today.

Beauty Waves is 4-20 in Hong Kong, with Pierre Ng saddling him for all of those wins, but he switches trainer after heavy defeats in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize and the Sha Tin Vase. Earlier in his local career, he had been with Douglas Whyte.

The Starspangledbanner five-year-old has always had plenty of galloping ability, which he displayed early on, easily winning a Dundalk 5f maiden for Pat Flynn, which saw him jump to the top of most agents’ recruiting list.

Today’s Pearce Memorial marks a welcome return to 5f for the gelding, who is reunited with Alexis Badel (who has won twice on him), with the added positive being his draw (eight of eight), which places him bang on the favoured stands’ rail.

John Size is confident Wunderbar will be at ease dropping back a furlong in distance following his noteworthy return to form two weeks ago but there is no getting away from the fact that he has drawn awkwardly in stall two, with Horsepower (three) equally disadvantaged. 

Magic Control (stall five) is likely to blaze a trail in the centre of the pack, setting it up nicely for a strong closer such as Beauty Waves. The Mark Newnham-trained Full Credit resumes after a wind operation and is fitted with a tongue-tie for the first time. 

Newnham later saddles New Forest, who looks good value to record back-to-back wins when contesting the Class 3 handicap (1.40), over an extended mile on the dirt track. Harry Bentley takes over from Lyle Hewitson, who will be sidelined for ten weeks after suffering wrist and ankle fractures in a fall at Happy Valley on Wednesday. 

Hewitson was aggressive from the start last time, which enabled New Forest to overcome a wide draw (14 of 14) and win over course and distance. Up in grade, he is better drawn (seven) and has stablemate Mojave Desert as his chief danger. 

Size can land the other race on dirt, the Class 4 handicap (12.05), over an extended mile, with the five-year-old Meepmeep, who is proving a specialist on the surface.  Stormi is next best.

Sha Tin Placepot perm

11.30
1 Lucky My Way
2 Solid Impact 

12.05
7 Stormi
11 Meepmeep 

12.35
2 Wunderbar
3 Beauty Waves 

1.05
2 Riding Together
14 Only U 

1.40
5 Mojave Desert
8 New Forest 

2.15
4 Top Dragon
6 Beauty Bolt 

2x2x2x2x2x2 = 64 lines

Bets can be placed into Hong Kong pools with the Tote. The first race at Sha Tin on Saturday is at 9am

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