Not all Class Three handicaps are created equally and even though Shining Champion faces a particularly strong field on Sunday at Sha Tin, the smart John Size-trained four-year-old can go back-to-back as banker in the middle leg of the Triple Trio.
The Heritage Handicap sees a number of progressive contenders square off with last-start winners Why Why (Umberto Rispoli) and Super Talent (Mirco Demuro) leading the way, joined by a solid-looking import Lansbury (Joao Moreira) and another handy four-year-old Gentilis (Zac Purton).
But with the help of a good draw Shining Champion (Karis Teetan) can get the better of his rivals.
After three runs as a three-year-old last term, Shining Champion reflected his off-season physical development when an emphatic winner first-up. Then, after a narrow defeat where he was somehow beaten out of a place as odds-on favourite, he bounced back with another victory - this time a more grinding effort a month ago.
The narrow margin protected Shining Champion from harsh treatment at the handicaps and he goes up just five pounds after copping eight for his two-and-a-half length first-up success.
Tactically Shining Champion has taken a sit, just ahead of midfield, in three starts this season, but he has shown enough speed to lead a 1,000m race previously and that zip will come in handy in a race not overloaded with pace influences. Still, the race is structured in a way that should create better than average tempo and give run-on horses a fair opportunity.
Of the main contenders, Why Why fared worst at the draw, coming up with gate 11, and that could be key to the pace in the race. Rispoli is likely to hunt across, and Purton will probably be pushing up on his inside on Gentilis. Based on recent starts, the horses drawn one and two, Our Folks and Natural Friendship, will be keen to push up and maintain prominent spots on the B+2 course.
That should create some pressure and an ideal launch pad for Shining Champion to unleash his turn of foot. Include Why Why and Gentilis, but Super Talent will also benefit from some hustle and bustle up front and he looks perhaps the biggest danger to Shining Champion with just 115 pounds.
Lansbury has early speed and has trialled very well, but it is unlikely to be fully utilised here from gate 13, and perhaps look for the four-year-old to hit his straps after a start or two.
In the opening leg Brett Prebble gets on Almond Lee-trained Unique Happiest after two admirable seconds, the most recent of those two weeks ago behind talented sprinter Soul Achiever, who was the recipient of a brilliant ride from Moreira.
Two starts back Unique Happiest was just edged out on the line by the narrowest of margins and looks well-weighted off his mark of 48.
Prebble has a tremendous recent strike rate with Lee, having won three from six together this term and after coming up with gate one, Unique Happiest goes in as banker in the 1,400m Class Four.
Charter Victoria (Demuro) gets another chance, and throw in Tones (Andreas Suborics), Sunny Pearl (Matthew Chadwick) and G-One Bo Bo (Moreira) stepping up in trip.
The final leg is a difficult 1,800m Class Four on the dirt, where Chris So Wai-yin's Supreme Fresh (Gerald Mosse) can act as banker, ahead of Rock The Tree (Alex Lai Hoi-wing), Horse Aplenty (Demuro) and Axiom (Chadwick).
