Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing at Sha Tin on Sunday, June 7th.
We've previewed all 10 races on the C-course at Sha Tin today, where the race for the Jockeys' Premiership continues to heat up between Zac Purton and Joao Moreira.
Find our tips and analysis for the meeting below!
Sha Tin Racing Tips: Sunday, June 7th
Best Bet: Race 7 - (5) War Of Courage
Best Value: Race 8 - (4) Relentless Me / (5) Guy Dragon
Going to stick with (10) Fox Cheunger on top. He's a horse I've been following for his past few starts and I think he gets his chance to win today, but it's probably his last chance with me. He put in two very good runs a few starts back over this track and distance, before going to Happy Valley where he couldn't quite replicate it. Back to Sha Tin today is a plus and I think the other big positive is the jockey change, with the in-form Karis Teetan taking the ride. Drawn well in barrier 5, $7.50 looks a good price. (11) Exponents and (12) Tigerlad are both value at $14 and $11 respectively. They've finished alongside each other in their past two starts, one on the dirt here at Sha Tin and the other at Happy Valley. Tigerlad has taken some time, but he's finally finding some sort of form, but he is off the lowest mark in the lowest class. He carries just 49kg and should go forward to lead or sit outside the leader. He's worth a bet at the odds. Exponents will be further off the pace but has finished well in his past two, however does get a negative jockey change today. (7) Kwai Chung Elite draws a plum gate in barrier 2 and looks the one to beat.
(11) Farm Bumper has had eight starts here at Sha Tin and has never run a place, but he's only found form in his past four starts and looks a new horse since last running at this track. He broke through for his first win four starts ago, then ran consecutive 2nd placings when beaten a head on both occasions, and last start he bombed the start before finishing off well into 4th. One of his 2nd placings was behind We The South, who has since won again, so that form stacks up. He also ran better sectionals than (2) Monkey Jewellery on the same night at Happy Valley last start, yet Monkey Jewellery is favourite and about half the price of Farm Bumper. With Antoine Hamelin taking over today and a good draw in barrier 4, happy to have something on the $7.00 for Farm Bumper. (1) Glenealy Generals drops into class 4 and Purton goes straight on, which is one of my biggest pearls in Hong Kong. He draws wide but should go forward and if he doesn't have to do too much work, he should prove hard to beat. (8) Millenium Falcon can be competitive, while the blowout chance at huge odds could be (5) Easy Dazzling at $51. He ran the fastest final 400m on debut over 1000m.
Really not very keen to bet here. (8) Wood On Fire should find the lead here from barrier 4 and it may play to those on speed today with the track being a bit wet. He's placed in four of his last five runs and was only run down late over this track and distance last start. Not desperate to jump into the price at $3.70 but he'll give himself every chance by leading and today could be the day he clings on.
Tough race over the 1800m with a lot of slow horses involved. (1) Curling Luxury should be able to find the front here and from there, he'll take some catching. He's run 2nd in his past two starts and was only run down late on the dirt last start by Hidden Spirit, who is flying. His only start over this track and distance on the turf was a win. Jerry Chau takes off 4.5kg today so he gets in with a very winnable weight. Joao Moreira takes the ride on (5) Little General, replacing Matthew Chadwick, and he gets his chance to finally win a race. He wasn't bad first up and he should come on from that run.
(5) Leap Of Faith was good enough first up to suggest he should be hard to beat here second up. Moreira sticks with him and you'd think he would take improvement from the run. He was only beaten 0.5L second up and third up last prep over 1400m and 1600m, and he was only 2L off the winner first up, so from the good draw and with the expected improvement, he should be right in the finish. Looks the one to beat and is priced about right at $3.10. (2) Jade Fortune ran well last start and Purton sticks but his last three runs have been on the all-weather track, so it's a bit of a query whether he can translate that into turf form.
Happy to go again on (10) Eptiwins here. He's been good in all three runs since joining the new stable and he was only narrowly beaten last start. Purton sticks with him and although he draws wide in barrier 10, that's actually the most successful barrier over the 1600m on the C-course, so really it's a positive. There are some queries about the favourite so with $6.00 available, I'll butter up on Eptiwins again. (9) All For St Paul's is the value at $9.00. He's been beaten 0.75L ad 1L in his past two starts at this track and distance. He's knocking on the door and isn't far off a win. (4) Heza Beauty is favourite after going down narrowly last start. He was favourite a couple starts ago but ran well below par so he can mix his form a bit. He gets his chance from the soft draw but looks short enough.
Value: (9) All For St Paul's $9.00
I'm buttering up once again on (5) War Of Courage, who was my best bet of the day last start but lost out in a photo to Good View Clarico, who is also in very good form. That looks the superior form line here and even though he rises slightly in the weights, he looks quite clearly the horse to beat. Drops back to 1000m but he's proven over the distance down the straight, and Moreira jumps on today to replace Chad Schofield. He looks one of the better bets of the day.
Two-horse play for me here, searching for a bit of value. (4) Relentless Me comes into this off back-to-back wins and he's now third up from a break. His third up record stands at three wins from four starts, so he might still have some improvement in him and if that's the case, with the claim for Jerry Chau, he could be hard to beat once again at $12. (5) Guy Dragon is also a good bet at $9.50. He ran consecutive 2nd placings over track and distance three starts ago, but his two runs since have both been forgive runs. Two starts back he bounded at the start, and last time out he had a tough run caught wide without cover. He draws wide again but with a better run today, he's certainly capable of featuring in the finish.
Value: (4) Relentless Me $12
(11) Such A Happiness might not have been all that well suited at Happy Valley last start but I was keen on him leading into that, and I'll stick with him today as he returns to Sha Tin. His two runs leading into last start were both very good and all three of his career wins have been here at Sha Tin over the mile, so with a good draw, he looks a chance once again. (5) Beauty Day may well have needed the run first up and should come on from that. Purton takes over today and he is the number one rider for the Beauty horses, so it's a positive lead. He's got a good record over the track and distance with seven placings from nine starts, so despite the wide draw, he has to be included at $9.00. Karis Teetan jumps off Such A Happiness to ride (4) Mr Aldan for Tony Cruz and both are in very good form.
Value: (5) Beauty Day $9.00
(11) Such A Happiness
$6.00
The run of (12) Dan Control was simply enormous first up. He came from a long way back in the field and charged home to be beaten less than a length. The apprentice is replaced by Moreira today and it wouldn't surprise me if they elected to go forward from the wide gate. He looks a decent price at $6.00 and I have to take it. (2) Glorious Spectrum was a cruel result last start, beaten in a bob of the heads by Band Of Brothers. Everyone who backed him thought he got the bob but the result went the other way. He looks to get his chance once again today but the fact remains he's yet to win since arriving in Hong Kong. (1) Perfect Match would win this at his best but his past couple of runs have been very poor. He's been back to the trials and looked good, but it's hard to know if he can bring that to race day.
