Chris So’s Tango nearing his Best once more

In the sixth race on Wednesday at Happy Valley, all honours were with Magical Beauty and King Of Mongolia at the top of the weights as they fought out the cup race in excellent performances, but there was one for the black book just behind them.

Magical Beauty will certainly win in Class Two and King Of Mongolia is threatening to take a Class Three before the end of the season, so Best Tango finishing close up to them was encouraging too.

Chris So Wai-yin-trained Best Tango missed a lot of the season with a tendon injury and was fairly plain in his first three starts after that break but he showed some speed before weakening on QE II Cup day and this time he made the board in fourth after even looking a potential winning threat on the home turn.

Best Tango had Brett Prebble back on board, so that was perhaps a guide that he is coming back to some form and his performance in response was a pointer to a coming win, even if he was probably assisted by the on-pace bias.

His win last season came over the same 1,650m at Happy Valley in Class Four and Best Tango isn’t too far from a drop back to that class, so he would definitely be worth following there but might be capable of nicking one down in the weights if all goes right.

The Andreas Schutz team might have another important winner by end of term with Giant Turtle, a former New Zealander who showed big improvement at his third run in Class Four.

Stuck three wide throughout, Giant Turtle still applied himself well to be right in the finish and ultimately third, and he looks close to a victory.

The son of Zabeel is very well graded after tumbling from a much higher rating when he arrived with Group Two three-year-old form.

He was a very keen-going horse early on but seems to be getting his act together and, as his New Zealand peak came over 2,000m, Giant Turtle should find opportunities over further than Wednesday’s trip and could put a couple of wins together off his current rating.