Return to dirt track bodes well for St Didar
A drop to Class Three and a return to the all-weather track make the David Ferraris-trained St Didar the standout banker in tomorrow's Triple Trio at the Sha Tin night meeting.
Ferraris is adamant the horse is not purely a dirt-track performer and, with his record showing two wins apiece on both the turf and dirt, the trainer is correct. There is no denying the son of Keeper has produced some of his best efforts on the inside track.
With an anticipated HK$4 million pool for the Triple Trio, St Didar looks a standout in the final leg, the Broadwood Handicap (1,200m). Weichong Marwing knows the horse well, has been on him for both dirt wins, and, from barrier four, will have little trouble slotting him into his preferred position behind the pace set by the speedsters Loads Of Joy and My Whisky.
Serious dirt specialist Flying China can be considered in a dual-banker role and will be steaming home late with apprentice Derek Leung Ka-chun taking five pounds off his back.
Loads Of Joy is another worth considering with the tongue-tie applied for the first time and with Brett Prebble aboard, while others to include are Ocean Wide, who will get a lovely trail from barrier two, and Douglas Whyte's mount Watch What Happens, who last won off a mark of 95 but has now dropped through the ratings to sit at 83.
In the middle leg, the Caspar Fownes-trained Prime Target looks an ideal galloper to base investments around, and Greg Cheyne will give him a nice trip from barrier three to ensure your hard-earned gets every chance.
Prime Target has not yet won on the dirt, but has placed twice earlier in his career, and going by the strength of his win at Happy Valley two runs back, should be neck deep in this contest with 126 pounds.
South African duo, Marwing and Ferraris, look to provide the big danger with Chater D'Cat, and once again the combination has come up with barrier four to aid the galloper's chances. The five-year-old resumes after two barrier trials and hit his straps on the dirt at the end of last season, winning twice to take his rating from 60 to 72.
The Almond Lee-trained Precision Magic, the lightly weighted Quantum Express and top raters My Home Town, Johnson and Mandarin should also be considered.
The opening leg, a Class Four over 1,650m, looks a tricky affair, and it may well be the case that those who go wide early and play a straight bat late will be the successful investors tomorrow night.
