WITH the winter weather settling in and the clocks going back an hour at 2.00am on Sunday morning, Hong Kong racing fans will need to set their alarm clocks early if they want to catch the start of Sha Tin’s 10-race programme, starting at 4.45am.
The card features the Group Two Premier Bowl (8.45am), a hotly contested handicap over six furlongs headlined by star performer Helios Express, who steps out on to the turf for his seasonal reappearance.
The son of Toronado was renowned for chasing the tail of world’s top sprinter Ka Ying Rising last season, before finally grabbing a Group Three victory by the skin of his teeth back in May.
Giving plenty of weight away to some potentially smart and improving gallopers is going to be a stiff test, however, and the John Size stable has not tasted success for over a month.
With question marks surrounding Size’s Group Three winner, it may prove a wise move to look elsewhere, starting with joint bottom-weight Tomodachi Kokoroe.
The David Hayes-trained sprinter has been a revelation this season with two victories, including a track-record when overcoming a 10-pound penalty a fortnight ago.
Moving into Group company for the first time will be his litmus test, and opposing him are a couple of Francis Lui’s smart speedsters in PACKING HERMOD and DIVANO, who both look well-handicapped and raring to go.
Packing Hermod ran out of petrol in the closing stages over seven furlongs behind My Wish last month but should now strip in peak condition.
With an unblemished record of two-from-two over the course and distance, and notably Zac Purton, who has won on him four times in the past, doing the steering again his chance looks obvious.
Don’t ignore his stable companion Divano, who might as well have stayed in his stable when seeing no daylight behind My Wish last month.
With an impressive four wins and four places record over the course and distance, and ideally drawn here in gate one, there’s a chance he could cause a surprise.
POINTERS
Packing Hermod 8.45am Sha Tin
Divano e/w 8.45am Sha Tin