Dye sticks with Winner
Multi-Winner can take advantage of a much better draw to win the fourth event on this evening's Happy Valley card, which features an $8 million Triple Trio jackpot.
The Francis Lui-trained five-year-old ran a most respectable fourth under Shane Dye last time out, having been trapped five and six horses wide for almost the entire journey from barrier nine in the race won by Arrowmint from Winwin Combination.
It was very hard to do anything from out wide that evening and now Multi-Winner is set to get a much cosier run from his comparatively inside draw.
He also looks to be on a good mark. Last season he was able to run to a mark in the low 40s and run near the placings in Class Four, having early on in the season scored by a short-head from Mr Strong in a Class Five handicap over tonight's 1,200-metre course and distance. The significant difference between then and now is that on that occasion Multi-Winner was racing from a mark of 39 whereas tonight he's down to a lowly and seemingly most competitive rating of 22.
His promising effort last time out suggests he retains more than enough ability to win in Class Five, especially off his current mark which is two pounds lower than from which he ran last time out, despite having no luck in running.
Dye has been at pains to keep the ride and he, as a consummate form judge and tactician, will be only too well aware of the awfully tough trip that Multi-Winner had last time.
Tonight's racing is on the C+3 course and there is normally a huge bias to those on the speed or racing inside when the rail is out to its widest position.
Multi-Winner has continued to work as fluently as ever and also appears to have struck a weak event with Fame And Wealth looking the one to take with him as the main quinella.
Multi-Winner finished just in front of Fame And Wealth last time, a short-head to be exact, but is now a pound better off.
And while Multi-Winner had a very tough trip out wide, Fame And Wealth was receiving a hefty check in the straight, having also been held up for a run going into the top bend when apprentice Howard Y. T. Cheng was looking to improve him into a challenging position.
There isn't much between the pair and they could provide decent quinella material and for those wishing to play the TT, but to keep total stakes under control, they could also provide double banker material.
Of the others, Coq D'Or is the most progressive in this field, but he may just need the outing. Hollywood Star didn't run too badly last time and could be worth throwing into tierces, especially as he has drawn favourably in barrier one.
Elsewhere on the card, Capital Star can make his sprinting experience tell and take the opening Class Four 1,000-metre contest for English trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam, who looks set to have a much better season this time round.
The demon Douglas Whyte should be able to bounce out Capital Star and get the all-important rails position. If so they are going to be very hard to catch given that the rail is out so far.
There are some most promising youngsters in the second event with Flirting Star, Multizen, Prime Vain and Prospero set to dominate the quinella before progressing to better things, while Eastern Express can get back on the winning track in the featured sixth event.