Triumphant Unicorn to start the season with a bang
Jockey Shane Dye and trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing have the fire power for a powerful season in partnership and ultra-consistent sprinter Triumphant Unicorn can post a feature win for the pairing in today's HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup over 1,200 metres.
Shum and Dye finished third and fourth respectively in their championship races last season, combining 68 times for 14 wins but they certainly shouldn't fare any worse now that they have formally joined forces with Dye's stable retainership.
Dye has already forged a regular relationship with Triumphant Unicorn, winning once from seven rides on the horse, but has often been without luck on the gelding from tricky draws.
Today he has gate four on Triumphant Unicorn, giving him plenty of options depending on the speed of the Chief Executive's Cup.
Though Able Prince has good speed in barrier 10 and Town Of Fionn races prominently from gate three, many of the 14 runners prefer to sit off the speed so Triumphant Unicorn's adaptability could prove vital.
If the pace is unexpectedly quick, Dye can take a sit, if slower he can be right on the leader's heels and with his light weight Triumphant Unicorn should do the rest.
Danny Shum has not overworked Triumphant Unicorn in his lead-up work nor was the five-year-old knocked about in his trial last weekend, but it is worth noting this has been the programme for the horse in the past, fresh and he is unbeaten in two attempts first-up.
Shum-trained stablemate Special King Prawn (Robbie Fradd) looks one of the main dangers, despite his big weight and is not at any significant disadvantage under the handicaps against Triumphant Unicorn for beating him at their last two meetings over the same course and distance. However, weights are not everything.
Special King Prawn hasn't been as effective first-up in the past as has Triumphant Unicorn and that could be enough to turn the tables to the latter.
Town Of Fionn, a member of the Shum team when narrowly beaten in this race 12 months ago, is another with solid claims for Almond Lee Yee-tat.
A model of consistency throughout his career, Town Of Fionn is one of the few runners not to have trialled but has a fine record fresh and a claim for leading apprentice rider, Alex Lai Hoi-wing.
But the race is wide open, with Caspar Fownes-trained 2004 winner The Duke (Olivier Doleuze) showing in his barrier trial up the straight last week against Silent Witness that he is again very forward for his first-up assignment.
Last year, a magic Patrick Payne ride got The Duke home in the race and he will need something similar by Doleuze from gate 12 unless a breakneck speed prevails.
Under-rated My Choice (Howard Cheng Yue-tin) gives Derek Cruz a chance to win again the race he took with Smart Winner a few seasons back.
Not unlike Smart Winner, My Choice has been a horse who has forced himself up through the grades by his strong, consistent efforts and he does have a weight edge on Triumphant Unicorn for their last meeting over 1,400m in April.
Perhaps 1,400m is more his pet trip but My Choice has been able to drop back effectively to 1,200m in the past without having won at the distance.
