A Bounty full of promise for Chan
AN unusually busy day at the track yesterday with Tony P. H. Chan's Bounty putting in one of the most interesting pieces of work.
Bounty finally came good to land a handsome touch for connections down the straight 1,000-metre course going back three starts, having shaped with plenty of promise in some eye-catching runs prior to that effort.
He then ran too freely when pushed up to a mile at Sha Tin before being given a mid-season break by Chan.
His trainer then brought him back to the fray over an inadequate 975 metres at Happy Valley and he didn't run at all badly behind The Sure Thing and Segurado, given that he lost ground when switched out wide off the top of the home bend.
He's back in a mile event at the Valley on Wednesday night and yesterday there was plenty to like about his work with winning griffin, Daiquiri.
They came through 1,200 metres in a very solid one minute 15.5 seconds with K. H. ''Little'' Hung on his regular ride, Bounty, and the trainer, himself, on Daiquiri.
Their last quarter was particularly pleasing as they were not troubled to up the tempo to 23.3 seconds for the final 400 metres, this coming off some solid pacework.
The doubt about Bounty has to be the mile trip but he could get home if ridden with a bit more restraint compared to his mile effort at Sha Tin.
Whatever, there certainly look to be more races in Bounty and Chan has his team in cracking form.
Royal Horse could well be another to watch out for from the Chan camp which was on the mark with 48-1 winner, Green Supreme, last weekend.
Last time out Royal Horse didn't get the run of the race at all when unplaced but not disgraced behind Gladstonian and Stellar Express.
Yesterday he was noted working very strongly with stablemate Racing Ace as they clocked a fast 1:14.9 for their 1,200 metres with a last quarter in 23.4 seconds.
Royal Horse was a winner over 1,800 metres for Wong Tang-ping earlier in the season and he probably doesn't want to go any farther than that.
Racing Ace didn't really get home over 2,200 metres at Sha Tin last time but he remains in good form and a return to the Valley and a drop back in distance, could see him merit quinella consideration.
Ping's last-start equitrack winner, Everwell Cheers, remains in very good heart as he demonstrated yesterday with a very comfortable final 400 metres in 23.7 seconds in company with stablemate, Win Tack, who must surely be winning before the end of the season.
Ping, like Chan, has his horses in tremendous form and it has been noticeable that Ping's burst of successes over the last few weeks have come with a noticeable increase in the intensity of his trackwork.
More than any other trainer, he looks the man to follow at the moment as he has a yard full of either promising young horses such as Manley's Star, Polar Star, Top Performance, or older well-handicapped types like Win Tack.
In contrast Peter Tse Yan-sid is struggling but he does have one really good horse in Bayview Boy whom he has done very well with.
Bayview Boy has been doing plenty of work with Darren Gauci up and yesterday they put in a terrific last quarter together in 22.6 seconds.
It was an effort which augurs well for another Class One success, especially as Bayview Boy has shown that he stays a mile.
There were two mundane trials on the all-weather surface. The first saw the Derek Cruz-trained pair Silver Arrow and Our Pal run the quinella while Conticasta jumped much better before dominating a poor second heat.