Promising Brilliant Chapter can rise to the challenge
The John Size-trained Brilliant Chapter has proved one of the finds of the season with four straight wins and he gets to make it five with a sharp weight drop in the traditional year-opening feature, the Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1,400m) today at Sha Tin.
The Cup, like most Premier class races, has generally been a race dominated by up-and-coming lightweights like the past two winners, Floral Pegasus and Pocket Money.
It has also been a kind race to Size, who has already won it three times with Grand Delight (2003), High Intelligent (2005) and Pocket Money, and Brilliant Chapter (Douglas Whyte) certainly has the right profile.
He never looked settled during last season with Paul O'Sullivan, and Size acknowledges he probably did get the horse at the right time as a new four-year-old.
Yet it is inescapable the Commands gelding has calmed right down under the Size treatment after always looking too keen for his own good as a younger animal.
The difference has been everything, with Brilliant Chapter unleashing powerful bursts from the rear for devastating wins in Class Three, before making the successful transition to Class Two at his past two outings.
But the top of Class Two is a testing spot and there is little doubt he was feeling the 133 pounds he had to carry last time out against worthwhile opposition and sitting a little closer in the run may have helped to dull his finish, too.
In terms of weights, the feature presents no challenge to Brilliant Chapter - under 122 pounds he should comfortably handle the rise in class.
Where there can be a question mark is over the draw and whether Whyte wants to make use of Brilliant Chapter to overcome it after seeing him so much more convincing ridden quietly.
On paper, Regency Dragon will lead without issue and there is little other speed in the race to even take up prominent running, which might lean Whyte towards using Brilliant Chapter's tactical speed to race handy rather than going back to what might be a crowded second half of the field.
But will that early use take the sting out of Brilliant Chapter's finishing burst?
John Moore's two-pronged attack with Master Power (Thomas Yeung Kai-tong) and Sunny King (Darren Beadman) gives the trainer every hope of continuing a boom season.
Master Power was given a moderate ride last time out by a visiting rider, but had been unlucky his three previous starts since a first-up win.
Moore has had some luck with Yeung in lesser races, so it is no surprise to see him give the young jockey a chance in a feature and with no weight to carry.
Gallant Lion (Olivier Doleuze) will be right in the finish if he can overcome an awkward gate.
Douglas Whyte and John Size have combined 812 times for 155 wins at a strike rate of: 19%
