Allan's in-form team keep Marcus busy at Sha Tin 'ghost town'
Sha Tin was yesterday already taking on the appearance of a ghost town with only a skeleton staff of top jockeys riding trackwork.
The only representatives of the expatriate riders on show were the four-time champion Basil Marcus, Frenchmen Eric Legrix and Eric Saint-Martin, and Wendyll Woods.
It was a busy morning for Marcus as he put a number through their paces for retaining trainer Ivan Allan whose team are racing and looking in top form. Allan has quietly but most effectively moved to the top of the trainer standings and is going to be very hard to beat. He has plenty of firepower, is a most shrewd placer of his horses and is particularly adept at maximising the winning opportunities for his young stock.
Yesterday Marcus rode Allan's leading Class One performer Citadeed in a pleasing 800-metre piece in company with the Centenary Cup favourite, Privilege.
Citadeed, owned by Jockey Club steward Alan Li, found the Group Two International Cup field too hot to handle when last seen out but he's been freshened up and has come back working as well, if not better, than ever. He is entered for the first division of the 1,400-metre Classes One and Two Fat Choy Handicap a week on Sunday, a race in which Allan has five guaranteed starters should he choose to declare them. The Allan team also comprise his Derby favourites, Oriental Express and Citiluck, as well as the hugely promising Coach Maniac, who is also returning in fine form from a spell, and Pasha, who races in the same ownership as Citadeed. Marcus was also on Citiluck, who yesterday clocked a strong 800-metre piece in 51.5 seconds alongside Coach Maniac and Rainbow Star. The last-named is third reserve in the New Lunar Year's Class Five 1,800-metre handicap and is well worth watching out for should he get into the lineup.
Speedy Fun was another to catch the eye for Marcus yesterday. He and Bold Dancer, who was noted moving impressively last Saturday morning, worked through a typical half-mile Allan gallop in a steady 54.0 seconds.
Both should take plenty of beating when next seen out. Speedy Fun is entered for the third section of the Class Four 1,400-metre handicap and looks hard to beat.
Bold Dancer is most unlikely to get a run in the first section of the same event but then this is a tough section and probably too strong for him at this embryonic stage of his racing career.
