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

Snowfield
7.25am Sha Tin
2pts win

My Wish
8am Sha Tin
2pts win

Public Attention
10am Sha Tin
2pts win

Craig Williams rarely misses an opportunity to pick up rides on his fleeting visits to Hong Kong and it may pay to follow him this time on Public Attention in the finale, the Class 2 7f handicap (10am), at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Public Attention ran a cracking second over 6f on his local debut three weeks ago and should enjoy stretching out over the extra furlong. In Australia, he won a Group 3 at Randwick in Sydney, beating the talented Linebacker, and finished fifth in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas.

The four-year-old’s trainer David Hayes has elected to give the colt a voluntary promotion here, up from Class 3, which means he meets stronger opposition but carries much less weight.

Williams is riding him for Karen Lo Ki Yan, who is also the owner of Cap Ferrat, his Hong Kong Derby winner earlier in the year. She has also booked him for Straight Arron, another handy type, in the Hong Kong Cup, in which he lines up against Romantic Warrior.

Public Attention, a grey son of Written Tycoon, was formerly owned by Coolmore and partners and trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent jnr. He was 2-8 before export and will not be long in adding to those two wins.

The main danger is another right down the weights, the Mark Newnham-trained Mid Winter Wind. It’s a trappy contest, with many in the top half of the handicap weighted right up to their best.

Newnham has an excellent chance of landing the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile (8am) with My Wish, who has an attractive draw in stall two, with the Ricky Yiu-trained Sunlight Power (drawn three) his most serious threat. Voyage Bubble is all class but has a terrible draw (12).

My Wish probably should have gone on earlier than he did last time in the Jockey Club Mile and he ended up getting swamped by several closers. A more enterprising ride will put him right there in the firing line.

Newnham also has a great chance with the South American import Snowfield in the Class 3 1m1f handicap (7.25am). He ran on very nicely last time and is ready to win. Gentlemen Legacy is next best.

Sha Tin Placepot perm

6.50
1 Ka Ying Rising
2 Satono Reve

7.25
2 Gentlemen Legacy
6 Snowfield

8.00
9 Sunlight Power
10 My Wish

8.40
1 Romantic Warrior
4 Galen

9.20
5 Uranus Star
9 Pray For Justice

10.00
12 Public Attention
14 Mid Winter Wind

2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 64 lines

Bets can be placed into Hong Kong pools with the Tote. The first race at Sha Tin on Sunday is at 4.25am.

World pool advice from Jonny Pearson

The World Pool provides a great opportunity for punters internationally to bet into bigger markets, and potentially exploit better value. It also affords the chance for more exotic bets and, with four Group 1s in Hong Kong on Sunday and plenty of British and Irish interest, a Swinger could be the best wager in the Hong Kong Mile.

The first selection is last year’s winner Voyage Bubble. He isn’t the biggest price, but a case can be made for him to be even shorter. I fancy him to win again and would be very surprised if he wasn’t in the first three at least. 

The horse to put into your Swinger with him is The Lion In Winter for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. He has a bit to find on official ratings and doesn’t have the best draw, being widest of all, but has been progressive over a mile through the latter part of the season, most notably when third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile last month. He has every chance of finishing in the first three. 

If both fancies finish in the first three, there could be a good return on investment.

World Pool recommended bet

8.00 Sha Tin Newmarket

2 Voyage Bubble
13 The Lion In Winter

1pt ToteSwinger (one bet)

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