True Colours to show on dirt
Flying Colours should give a very good account of himself in the third event on tonight's Sha Tin card.
He's worth a solid win and place investment as he looks to be a much better horse on dirt while Decouvert and All Satisfy, in races two and six, appeal as attractive win propositions.
The Peter Ho-trained Flying Colours has always worked and trialled as if capable of holding his own in Class Four, never mind against the Class Six company he faces this evening.
But that good work has mainly failed to translate itself into race form on the grass bar one placed effort at Happy Valley at the beginning of last season.
Last time, however, when racing on the dirt, Flying Colours put in a much better effort when three-quarters of a length second to Auction Venture with one of tonight's main rivals, Unlimiteddimension, a length back in third.
That run came over the dirt sprint trip of 1,150 metres. Tonight's distance of a mile should suit Flying Colours even better as he's always looked more of a galloping than a sprinting type.
And because he's done most of his racing on grass, a surface which patently hasn't suited him, he is potentially well handicapped on the dirt, which appears to be a much more natural surface for him.
Eric Saint-Martin, currently leading Basil Marcus by seven in the jockey standings, rode Flying Colours last time and has been keen to stick with him.
Scioto could prove the most dangerous.
The son of Bates Motel is starting for the first time for Lawrie Fownes who has the best record in town when it comes to improving horses from other stables.
What's more, Scioto has a number of runs to his name in Class Five which make him a potent threat to anything he lines up against in the bottom grade.
And these two really do look to have it between them. It would be a surprise if one of them didn't win.
Decouvert is blinkered for the first time in the second event and looks as if he's going to take a power of beating.
He had been working very well prior to debut but could never get to grips with Good Time For All on a track which was very biased to the leaders and which proved to be too tricky for a debutant such as Decouvert to overcome.
Since then he's run a good third over an inadequate 1,000 metres at Happy Valley and should now be spot on.
Ho's newcomer, Gagnant, has impressed in his work and is worth throwing into the quinella with Decouvert, especially with Mick Kinane on top. Ho wouldn't have taken the trouble to engage such a top rider as Kinane if he wasn't expecting a bold showing from his son of Mr Henrysee.
All Satisfy won with a fair bit up his sleeve under Saint-Martin last time and should relish the move to a mile for the Class Three sixth event. The higher grade should not present a problem to this lightly raced son of Desert Sun who really seems a cut above your common-or-garden type recruit.
