Carry The Zeal can maintain zest
David Hall's yard has begun the season well, unveiling a promising galloper on the weekend in B Choice, and the Australian handler should take all the beating in the Community Chest Cup (1,200m) at Happy Valley tonight with another smart one in Carry The Zeal.
Hall's 2010-11 season was disappointing by his standards, but the new term has opened with more promise and Carry The Zeal (Brett Prebble) will have all the circumstances required to keep the momentum going.
Already a winner at two of his four starts as a four-year-old, Carry The Zeal finished off his season winning over tonight's course in good fashion.
He looks a lightly raced galloper open to plenty more upside in the ratings yet and has already shown he can race well fresh with his facile victory on debut in February at Sha Tin.
Hall trialled the gelding last week at Sha Tin, giving away very little in terms of a guide to this race, with Prebble sitting against the son of Danewin at the rear throughout.
Key to his prospects will be the tempo of the race, which looks to give his main rival, the Tony Cruz-trained Danewin Winning (Douglas Whyte) plenty to do in the run and leaving him vulnerable to Carry The Zeal running on strongly in the final 200m.
That was the scenario at Danewin Winning's debut when he was run down by Young Turbo in the final 100m, and while he has a good draw and will be improved in fitness by that run, there is more speed in this event.
Deposer, Shahjee (Alex Lai Hoi-wing), Many Gains (Vincent Ho Chak-yiu), Super Plus and newcomer Hannibal Barca all have good early speed, like Danewin Winning, which may see Whyte take a trail rather than getting into a speed battle.
However, there is still enough competition on the front end of the race to think the leaders will soften each other up, regardless of who takes the pacemaker role.
That should be the signal for Prebble to drop Carry the Zeal into midfield, then prove too strong when the serious work comes along.
