Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Happy Valley in Hong Kong on Wednesday, June 13th.
We have an eight-race card on the B-course at the Valley (rail out in the middle position). There’s been a stack of rain in Hong Kong today but it could rain all night and they’d still be racing on a Good track!
We’ve got betting tips and comments for every race below.
Happy Valley Racing Tips
Best Bet: Race 4 #5 Bouyant Boy
Best Value: Race 6 #4 Let’s Take It Easy
RACE 1
Class 5 races are never very simple to work out, especially on a surface that may be a bit wet. (1) Aeroluminance dropped from Class 4 to Class 5 last start and ran 2nd over this track and distance. He remains top weight tonight but he gets a good draw in barrier 1, which should really give him his chance to break through. It’s hard to tip him confidently given he’s only won one from 22 starts, but his one win did come on soft ground so any rain will help him out. Purton retains the ride and the horse has no excuses tonight. (2) My Blessing has been racing in Class 4 in his past two starts but drops back to Class 5 tonight. The last time he ran in Class 5 was three starts ago when he finished 2nd at this track and distance with 60kg. He has the 10lb (4.5kg) apprentice Victor Wong on board tonight, meaning he only carries 55.5kg. He’ll be pushed hard to lead from barrier 8 and given he went close with 60kg when he led three starts ago, he’ll run a very bold race tonight with the significant weight relief. $7 seems a reasonable price. (3) Sweet Bean and (4) Penzance next best.
TIP: (1) Aeroluminance / (2) My Blessing EW
RACE 2
(1) Heroic Guru dropped from Class 3 to Class 4 last start when finishing off nicely to be beaten a neck over 1600m at Sha Tin. Returns to Happy Valley tonight with Moreira keeping the ride and he should be finishing off strongly once again. He’s got a good record on soft ground so the rain won’t worry him. (11) Travel Ambassador is a value chance at $21. He’s third up from a break tonight and makes his way up to the mile after two starts at 1200m and 1400m respectively. He’s drawn well, lightly-weighted and has a good record at this track and distance with a win and two placings from four previous starts. The rain may not suit him given he’s had four starts for zero placings on soft ground but hopefully the track is firm enough to suit him. Karis Teetan is a good booking. (5) Kiram has been running consistently well without winning of late. He’s had three 3rds and a 4th from his past four starts and has been beaten less than a length in his past two starts. Drawn awkwardly in barrier 9 tonight but he does have a good record on wet ground so expect him to be hitting the line hard from the back of the field. (4) Wah May Baby next best.
TIP: (1) Heroic Guru / (11) Travel Ambassador EW
RACE 3
Competitive little Class 4 over 1200m. (3) Split Of A Second isn’t far away from a win but he looks a bit of a false favourite here at $3.50. He gets his chance from a good draw but he didn’t exactly jump out of the ground last start. (5) Bingo looks another solid chance for Victor Wong. He has a good record at this track and distance with a win and four placings from six starts. The claim gets him down to 52kg tonight and it was only three starts ago that he won over this track and distance with 53kg. Drawn well and gets his chance. Zac Purton takes the ride on (12) Lightning Missile for Manfred Man, who he has a 22% strike rate with. He had no luck last start but his effort two starts ago when 2nd at this track and distance suggested he was nearing a win. Barrier 10 is tricky but at $8.50 he appears a decent price. (11) Formula Galore hasn’t done anything wrong in recent starts and $16 seems over the odds. Chances don’t end there!
TIP: (5) Bingo / (12) Lightning Missile EW
RACE 4
Pretty keen on (5) Bouyant Boy here for Purton and Manfred Man. As mentioned above, that combination is operating at a 22% strike rate this season. The horse has been knocking on the door in recent starts with two minor placings followed by a luckless run last time out. He still finished the race off relatively well despite sitting three and four-wide throughout last start and he gets Zac Purton taking over from barrier 5 tonight. That should give him the run of the race and the form behind Bingo two start ago has already stood up. (2) Flying Monkey has a terrific record at the track and distance with a win and four 2nd placings from five starts. He’s drawn barrier 1 tonight for Jack Wong and should be fighting out the finish. Going to have something small on (3) Dr Race who might find suitable conditions tonight with the amount of rain that’s fallen. He won three starts go on a yielding track (rain affected) and his record suggests that he goes better on wet ground. At $31 he’s a blowout chance. (4) Clear Choice is in good form but has a wide draw to contend with tonight, while (10) Manful Star won third up last preparation so isn’t hopeless at big odds.
TIP: (5) Bouyant Boy / (3) Dr Race EW
RACE 5
Wide-open race. Many of these horses come out of 1200m races at the Valley at their last start. The fastest of those 1200m races was one that (12) Star Of Joy and (1) Starlight ran 2nd and 3rd respectively in. Starlight meets Star Of Joy better at the weights here but Star Of Joy draws better and is likely to race in a more prominent position. With that in mind, $11 doesn’t seem a bad each way price at all. Starlight has seemingly had his chance to win in his past couple of starts but with the slight weight drop tonight and the good pace expected, he gets another chance to break through. He will have to do it without Purton, though, as he jumps off to ride (3) Fantastic Feeling. He ran 3rd over course and distance last start and draws ideally in barrier 6 tonight. (4) Back In Black is mixing his form but his best would see him be very competitive in this. He was only beaten a nose two starts ago and from barrier 3 here he has serious claims, especially on a softer track than normal. (6) High Five next best.
TIP: (12) Star Of Joy EW / (4) Back In Black EW
RACE 6
$8.50 seems a silly price for (4) Let’s Take It Easy here given he started the $3.30 favourite last start when caught three-wide the trip, only to be beaten 1.7L. For reference, Silverfield ran 2nd in that same race last start and started an $8.60 chance. Two starts ago Let’s Take It Easy finished ahead of (8) Silverfield yet Silverfield is $5.50 here and Let’s Take It Easy is $8.50. So I think they’ve got the market slightly wrong and even though Let’s Take It Easy draws wide here, Purton sticks with him and the each way odds represents a decent bet. (5) Thunder Stomp ran 3rd in that same race last start, basically alongside Silverfield. Drawn much better tonight and Moreira takes over from Jack Wong. (3) Shamport isn’t hopeless stepping back up to 1600m. He makes his Happy Valley debut.
TIP: (4) Let’s Take It Easy EW
RACE 7
Not much to write about here. (3) Hot King Prawn is a huge talent and suffered his first defeat last start when he was first up from a break carrying 60.5kg. He drops to 59kg tonight and draws barrier 1 on his Happy Valley debut. He shouldn’t be losing this.
TIP: (3) Hot King Prawn
RACE 8
Basically only three I’m interested in to finish off the night. (1) Super Hoppy won at his Happy Valley debut last start. He was first up from three months off and had won two trials leading into that. The win took his first up record to four wins from five starts. His second up record is also good with a win and a 2nd from two starts. He goes up 3.5kg in weight tonight and it’s never easy to win in HK with that sort of rise, but he should be fitter and better for the experience, so looks a strong chance again. (2) Extremely Fun was the horse he ran down last start and he only got him very late. Extremely Fun stays at a similar weight thanks to the apprentice claim and if he finds the front again he could be hard to run down. There does look to be some competition for the lead so he may have to do some wok and that may set the race up for horses like Super Hoppy coming from the back of the field. (8) Encore Boy won two starts ago over course and distance and ran 3rd last start. Harrier Jet has come out of that race and won so the form looks reasonable. Encore Boy has since trialled, which he won comfortably. Gets a great run from the draw and can win again tonight. Backing both Super Hoppy and Encore Boy.
TIP: (8) Encore Boy
