Playing a pair of well-drawn fancies as a double banker in the final leg of tomorrow' nights Triple Trio at Happy Valley can deliver punters a share of a jackpot-boosted dividend.
Barrier draws are critical when the rail is in the "C+3" position, and starting positions of Spirit Soaring and Freak Zone - drawn four and five respectively in a Class Three over the extended mile - can help them figure in the finish.
The TT has been hard to crack in recent weeks, and with more than HK$7 million carrying over into this week's pool, a pay out of HK$13 million is expected.
Both Spirit Soaring (Tim Clark) and Freak Zone (Zac Purton) come in off narrow defeats against in-form or progressive opposition.
Like many European imports, John Moore's Spirit Soaring has taken a long time to acclimitise - taking 11 starts to run a place and battling some lameness issues along the way.
Two juvenile wins and three lengths sixth at Ascot in the Jersey Stakes gave the former Clive Brittain-trained charge a starting mark of 86. He had dropped to the brink of Class Four - a mark of 61 - when the gelding showed some spark last start with his light weight.
The extended mile is where his previous career-best effort locally was, and in a short head second to Forgive And Forget showed an ability to take up a midfield spot and a nice turn for foot.
Clark replaces Eddie Lai Wai-ming, with the gelding now allotted 117 pounds after a three-pound hike for the bold last-start effort.
Caspar Fownes' New Zealand-bred Freak Zone has also been troubled by leg issues, a left front tendon injury sidelined him earlier this term after an impressive first-up run over 1,400m at Sha Tin. Freak Zone got into a real dogfight with Victory Master and never gave in, the winner going on to win again in Class Two.
Fownes has switched to visors - essentially blinkers with a small slit cut in the cowl - after the four-year-old had worn conventional shades in his first two runs.
He heads to the Valley for the first time but had a trial at the city track under Zac Purton and did everything right.
Another horse with tendon problems, but who seems like he could be about to turn a corner - the Dennis Yip Chor-hong-trained Cheer (Howard Cheng Yue-tin) - a six-year-old whose rating once budged triple figures.
At one stage, Cheer won four races and was placed five times in the space of 13 starts, taking his rating to 99. Then persistent front tendon issues plagued the gelding, and eventually surgery was required.
His rating had dropped to where he has found himself in Class Four - and Cheer clearly appreciated the drop in grade when he was a solid fourth. The key is the switch back to the Valley, where the horse has been unplaced just twice in 11 starts and has notched all four of his victories.
The options are limited after that, but three horses widely drawn but worth some consideration are New Greenfield (Brett Prebble),last-start winner Noble De Best (Umberto Rispoli) and My Home Town (Richard Fourie).
Drawn one, Able Magic (Derek Leung Ka-chun) is the obvious stand out in the first leg, a Class Four over 1,650m, from Always Something (Olivier Doleuze), Forever Ahead (Brett Prebble) and Goldmen Y Y (Lai).
In the middle pin, Fownes has utlilised Alvin Ng Ka-chun's seven-pound allowance on Dream Builder, who has drawn five in a Class Three 1,200m sprint. Take him as a banker from Gold Ball (Doleuze), Rainbow Fighter (Weichong Marwing) and Perfect Finish (Keith Yeung Ming-lun).
TRACK STARS
RACE 1:
(3) Sabina, (6) Sunseeker, (7) King Galileo, (10) Chantilly.
RACE 2:
(4) Expedite, (5) Heartland, (6) No Ties, (11) City Delight.
RACE 3:
(1) Po Ching King, (3) Always Well, (9) Mr Award, (11) True Courage.
RACE 4:
(1) Always Something, (3) Able Magic, (4) Forever Ahead, (7) Sugar Pegasus.
RACE 5:
(1) Dream Builder, (3) Sea The Pearls, (6) Rainbow Fighter, (10) Happy Champion.
RACE 6:
(1) Cheer, (4) Flying Unicorn, (7) Freak Zone, (11) Spirit Soaring.
RACE 7:
(1) Gold Racer, (3) Carry The Zeal, (4) Seasons Star, (11) Braveness.
RACE 8:
(1) King Of Reason, (4) Business As Usual, (6) Jun Gong, (9) Emperor Claudius.
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