FORM book students of Hong Kong racing will be paying particular attention to The Lukfook Jewellery Dear Q Handicap (9.50am), run over a mile.
With the four-year-old Classic Series (HK Mile, HK Cup and HK Derby) starting next month, this is an opportunity for a number of expensive gallopers, bought specifically to race in the Classic Series, to put their reputations on the line.
The likes of Cap Ferrat, a Group One performer in Australia, Lupo Solitario, a Group Three winner in New Zealand, Mickley, winner of the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot, and the highly progressive Sky Trust, will all have dreams of competing in the Classic Series, but will need to produce encouraging runs on Sunday.
The best advice is to watch and learn for the future, but if push came to shove, it may be that with trainer John Size’s stable finally hitting form, Mickley could further improve on his recent encouraging debut performance behind Charming Legend.
Talking of trainers, spare a thought for poor Benno Yung, whose stable has been under a cloud all season.
Yung, who has held a trainers’ licence in the city for over 10 years, has suffered terrible health issues this year, and consequently the stable has only sent out one winner from over a 100 runners.
His supporters will be hoping that consistent gelding Ballistic Win can break the losing sequence, in the Lukfook Jewellery Heirloom Fortune Collection Handicap (7.40am) over seven furlongs, but lurking further down the handicap is AMAZING RUN.
This David Hayes-trained five-year-old, a former course and distance winner, has been hitting the crossbar in recent races, but close scrutiny of his latest performance suggests his time has come to win again.
On that occasion he finished third to Markwin and Happy Park over the track and trip and that form was given a considerable boost, with the winner and runner-up, both winning valuable handicaps at Sha tin last Sunday.
With Hugh Bowman doing the steering, if he reproduces that level of form, he will be hard to beat.
POINTERS
Amazing Run 7.40am Sha Tin