Hall's model of consistency ready to run another big race
Prime Score has become the 'Mr Consistency' and is well placed to give trainer David Hall another win in the final event on today's big holiday meeting at Sha Tin.
Prime Score is an absolute credit to the Australian horseman, having been placed at each of his last 10 starts, even though he has been first home in only one of them.
But a look through his form shows the horses who have beaten him have been some of the smartest performers - Pocket Money, High Point, Enthused, Sunny King and Never Look Back.
At his last start, Prime Score worked hard to offset the disadvantage of having drawn barrier 14 and was only nailed in the final strides by a perfect Glen Boss ride on Joy And Fun.
Keeping a horse performing at his best is a real art and it must be said that Hall could not have done it better with Prime Score. Start after start, from the first month of the season, the Melbourne Cup winning trainer has presented this Ashkalani five-year-old in prime order and not once has he let his trainer or supporters down.
Today, Hall has been forced to go with a change of personnel as apprentice Terry Wong Chi-wai, who handled Prime Score at his last two starts (for a win and a second), has been claimed by his allocated trainer Dennis Yip Chor-hong for Silver Sun.
But Prime Score should lose nothing with the engagement of Jacky Tong Chi-kit, who should allow the chestnut to cross to a favourable position outside likely early leader Skyview Bar and he will then have the option of steadying into a trailing position if the jockeys of the wider-drawn horses persist.
Prime Score had his final gallop on Monday and could not be faulted as he slipped down the back straight of the course proper, clocking 47.9 seconds for 800m without ever coming off the bridle.
His danger could be at the bottom of the weights, Team Work, a member of the leading local stable of Me Tsui Yu-sak.
Team Work will be at a lucrative price for the simple reason he has not proven himself at the Moto Handicap distance of 1,400m. But more often than not, a smart 1,200m horse will stretch his speed to 1,400m without too many problems because the tempo of the longer races is significantly softer.
Team Work has won two of his last three starts over 1,000m and 1,200m at Happy Valley, with an unlucky run in between.
Winning jockey Olivier Doleuze has been unable to take the ride because of the gelding's light weight of 113 pounds, and the mount has gone to the accomplished Manoel Nunes.
The interesting runner is Gem Of Chiu Ton, a British private purchase who is making his Hong Kong debut.
Gem Of Chiu Ton won five of his 13 starts as a two and three-year-old in England, and while he failed when tried at Group One level in the 2,000 Guineas, he did win a heritage handicap and was generally consistent through his classic year.
Trackmen were pretty excited about Gem Of Chiu Ton on Monday morning when he had a victory over high-profile stablemate Sacred Kingdom, who will start at a prohibitive shade of odds-on in today's main race, the Gome Cup. The four-year-old rushed home the final 400m in 21.8 seconds, and had a neck to spare over Sacred Kingdom at the winning post.
