Concert Star takes centre stage for TT
Concert Star can take advantage of barrier one to dominate the sixth event, which concludes Friday's Millennium Triple Trio at Happy Valley.
The Tony Cruz-trained youngster has looked better than Class Four in his work and should also be helped by the move up to a mile.
He's run twice, both times at the Valley and both times indicating that it wouldn't be long before he won, let alone placed, which is all he has to do as TT banker.
Last time he was doing all his best work at the finish when staying on strongly to be third to Stylish and No Money No Honey over 1,200 metres at the Valley.
Landlord has come out of that race and won and so has runner-up No Money No Honey, who prevailed down the straight 1,000-metre course at Sha Tin. The winner, Stylish, looks a very smart recruit.
Concert Star appeals as a galloping type who should have learned plenty from those two runs and should be able to take up a more prominent spot over this trip from an inside gate.
Gainsborough's Boy has had excuses recently and remains a potent threat in Class Four. His problem will be barrier 14 but he remains a TT chance despite the draw.
Telecom Prince had to work hard on both bends last time and should run well, while Sterling Chance could get a cosier run on the speed this time under his apprentice. Much depends whether he's driven mad by Golden Bell. That is a possibility.
Golden Bullet could be the best outsider. He's best ridden from off the pace but last time those tactics were overdone and there have been signs that Andy Leung Ting-wah is getting him back to form.
Winning Lad, American Champion, Kindred Spirits, Dragon Power and Likety Win could be the five to take against the field - that's 10 bets - in the third event, which opens the TT.
Winning Lad appeals as well graded now he's down to Class Three. Last season he won from near the top end of Class Two.
American Champion has been racing well all season without much luck.
Kindred Spirits will be better at Sha Tin and over farther than a mile. All the same, he's improving from run to run to such a degree that he has to be included.
He showed last time that he's more than capable of placing over a mile at the Valley in this kind of company and he's the type to progress again.
Dragon Power has strong form claims and comes into this off some very useful trackwork.
Likety Win might well have needed the outing last time after a short spell and is worth another chance. He's been flying in the mornings.
The fourth event, the TT's middle leg, looks a bit of a mish-mash.
Sir Galway can go forward from barrier five while Race To Honour is in form, even if better on the dirt. On Fire has never gone better and has the advantage of barrier one.
Wintel, who looks to have strengthened up considerably from last season, would have been banker but has drawn out in 12.
Braveheart has never raced better and continues to work with zest.
Victory Drum looks on extremely good terms with himself while Arrectis Auribus, second two starts ago and unlucky not to have placed last time, would have been another strong banker candidate but he too has drawn wide.
Yesterday's Sha Tin dirt trial 1,050m: 1, WASABI (K. H. Yu); 2, Kowloon Jazz (F. Sanchez); 3, Leading Stride (D. Boeuf); 4, Osprey Reef (C. T. Cheng). Time: 1:02.9 (23.4). Distances: head, neck. Winner trained by Ricky Yiu Poon-fai.