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AUSTRALIAN trainer Neville Begg has had a season that has been quietly successful rather than dramatic - except, of course, for the exploits of superb sprinter Winning Partners.

  That brilliant galloper has pitchforked the former Sydney-based mentor into the headlines on several occasions, most notably when winning the Hong Kong Invitation Bowl.

   But it has largely been a season for Begg where quiet satisfaction would probably sum it up.

   After a very lean time over a couple of campaigns, Begg has 17 winners on the board from essentially a small string in work - although that is expanding - and his strike rate is good.

   And he can add to that tally with Local Colour in the fourth event where Vicki C. W. Choi, who does quite a lot of riding for him, takes out Local Colour.

   With racing on equitrack, Local Colour should come right into his own and is taken to win this Class Three event from the topweight Amigo.

   Local Colour looks to have been set for this event and ran his best race in some time when running on for third over 1,400 metres at his last start behind Hercules and the improving Eminence.

   That run should have set him right up for this event and the switch to equitrack plus the step up in distance to 1,600 metres is 100 per cent what Local Colour needs.

   The English-bred six-year-old put together back-to-back wins midway through last season, over course and distance, for Robert Thompson and on March 10 last year had three-quarters of a length to spare on the line over Unmasked in a similar Class Three contest.

   Significantly, however, Local Colour was winning off a rating of 65 carrying 133 pounds and is tonight rated 58 in this Class Three event and carrying, with Choi's claim, 116 pounds.

   The figures add up to success for Local Colour tonight and he should certainly not encounter any trouble from Saafi, the mount of Tony Cruz.

   Saafi ran a good race for Walter Swinburn earlier in the season over 1,400 metres on equitrack but then failed at his subsequent start on the surface and ran nowhere at his last outing when apprentice-ridden.

   There is sure to be support for the Steven Leung-trained galloper but he should find it impossible to beat Local Colour going on their March 10 run last season.

   On that occasion Local Colour gave Saafi a pound and a three and a half length beating. Tonight he is in receipt of five pounds from the Cruz mount so this adds up to a seemingly insurmountable task for Saafi.

   Local Colour has been starting at big odds in recent runs. There was some money for him last time out when he finished third. Local Colour went off at 27-1 as opposed to 99-1 at his previous two runs.

   The gelding is unlikely to be extravagantly priced tonight but he should still be worth a bet.

   Topweight Amigo clearly comes into contention now that he is back on equitrack.

   In a puzzling switch, the horse will now be ridden by Basil Marcus who takes over from trainer John Moore's stable rider, John Marshall.

   Last time out Marcus rode Kwacha to success over 1,650 metres on the grass but tonight Marshall will be on the last-start winner. It's a merry-go-round but Amigo would certainly seem to be the better ride on the synthetic surface.

   Three starts back he left his maiden status behind when scoring for French visitor Gerald Mosse who brought him through from the back - not always easy on equitrack - to win convincingly over course and distance.

   Amigo and Mosse were then narrowly touched off over 1,650 metres on grass before Marshall took over for a 1,400-metre event at Sha Tin. That definitely did not seem to suit Amigo who will be much more at home tonight at the city track and over 1,600 metres on equitrack.

   If Local Colour was not lurking at the bottom of the handicap, Amigo would be an almost certain winner for champion jockey Marcus.

   There is very little depth to the 10-runner event as a number are out of form or do not have substantial form on equitrack.

   Hammerhead ran a top race for claimer Simon H. K. Yim at his last start to win over course and distance but this is a lot harder. However, the horse seems to be going well still and must be a squeak for a minor place.

   Sandal Emperor has won on equitrack in the past over 1,400 metres and he is certainly worth considering as a quinella investment. There was plenty to like about his last run for Lance O'Sullivan when he was only a length and a half beind Local Colour inthe race won by Hercules.

   Valiant Red has been freshened up for this race by trainer Alex Wong Siu-tan and is not without a hope. He is exceptional on the surface but had looked out of sorts earlier in the season.



Begg - the quiet achiever