Jim McGrath with three fantastic fancies for Sha Tin's Monday meeting

Eternal Harvest
4.30 Sha Tin
2pts win

More Than This
7.30 Sha Tin
2pts win

Assimilate
8.05 Sha Tin
2pts win

Ryan Moore looks set to hit the target on the middle leg of a 15,000-mile whirlwind world tour aboard More Than This in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (7.30) at Sha Tin’s strangest-ever Chinese New Year meeting.

Moore, second on Magic Wand in Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup Turf in Florida, has five rides on this bumper holiday card, which will be run in front of a crowd restricted to 8,000 because of the coronavirus that has forced regions of China into lockdown.

Last year, over 105,000 attended (that includes the Happy Valley simulcast crowd), but as a health safety precaution officials have ruled that only owners with runners, trainers, jockeys, stable and limited Jockey Club staff, plus patrons with restaurant bookings can attend.

Moore – who will continue on to Cape Town for Saturday’s Sun Met – will partner More Than This for the first time but he was at Sha Tin the day the four-year-old put in a stunning performance to storm to victory in a Class 2 handicap last month.

More Than This was unbeaten in three starts for Richard Fahey, leaving Britain rated 88, but following three introductory runs for new trainer Francis K W Lui, he has now won his last four starts.

His main danger will be his stablemate Golden Sixty, whose 7-8 record is proof of his class and the reason he is highest-rated. But there are likely improvers in the field, including the John Size-trained duo, Beauty Legacy, Joao Moreira’s selected ride, and back-in-form Champion’s Way.

Moore can also strike earlier on the card with newcomer Eternal Harvest, who impressed when winning a barrier trial at Conghua training track ten days ago. He is tipped to make a winning debut in the Class 4 sprint handicap (4.30).

Zac Purton can also get among the New Year’s Day winners aboard the Jimmy K H Ting-trained Assimilate, who is perfectly-placed to land the Class 3 7f handicap (8.05).

The five-year-old narrowly missed out on his last start when beaten a short-head over course and distance, a sure sign he is nearing his maiden Hong Kong win.

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