GEAR changes can so often make the difference to a horse's performance out here, much more so than in Britain where blinkers for the first time are more commonly perceived as a last resort for the scoundrel. A study there some 10 years ago showed that only two per cent of horses wearing blinkers for the first time managed to win. Out here it is totally different with the Racing Post's Gear Changes table so often coming up with horses that win or run the quinella. On Saturday for instance Smiling obliged at 8-1 when visored for the first time while the removal of the blinkers helped Jay Ee Eight run the quinella with Wonderful. Last Wednesday, Splendid ran another quinella position when visored instead of blinkered while on the previous weekend, blinkers for the first time made the vital difference to Indian Chetak, allowing him to annihilate a Class Five field in record time, and they also helped Asian Glory run a big-priced quinella with one of the days' good things, Grand Prize. At Happy Valley tomorrow the Ivan Allan-trained Donizetti sports blinkers for the first time and is well worth a second glance in the fifth event. It is a competitive Class Three mile race, so there should be a bit of odds to be had about this Australian import who ran his best race since arriving in the territory when sticking on really gamely to be a length third to Way Ahead over a mile at Sha Tin last time. He was a bit wayward in the run, suggesting blinkers will help him considerably tomorrow night - a view that has been considerably enhanced by his recent trackwork in the blinds. Last Thursday morning he went exceptionally well from the barriers at the top of the back straight when wearing blinkers and he also worked solidly on Saturday morning. Yesterday, he confirmed those impressions with a very smooth piece down the back stretch which was led by Hercules with Donizetti lobbing along in behind and Casablanca chasing them in third. But Donizetti is not the only one that has been working well for this fifth event. So, too, has the Chris Cheung-trained Easy Champ who has really blossomed since his last outing which was also his best effort in the territory. Yesterday, he looked absolutely spot-on as he breezed down the back under Eric Legrix and he is now ready to run for his life. He's flying. Able Monarch also holds his form well. He is a noted worker and performed up to his impeccable morning mark in a recent trial and again yesterday when taken along by his race rider, Walter Swinburn. To complicate matters, in a typically competitive Hong Kong handicap, Brian Kan Ping-chee's Super Goal is working better than he's ever gone since arriving from Ireland with a big reputation due to his two-year-old Listed race form. And David Oughton's Golden Prosperity ran a cracker last time when second to Surely Wonderful. But on balance of their work and form, it is Allan's Donizetti who most appeals in this fifth event. He looks solid each-way betting material. Stephen Leung's All Smiles continues to make excellent progress at the track in readiness for tomorrow night's opener, having run his best race when a close third to Sir Valid over 1,235 metres at the Valley last time out. Yesterday, he put in another super-smooth piece under Gary Stevens and has made more than enough improvement to show them all a clean pair of heels in this 975-metre sprint. He only clocked a comfortable 25.6 seconds for 400 metres yesterday, but rest assured there was a stack more in the locker. Neville Begg has Chiu Chow Warrior in peak condition for the second event where he could be a surprise element from the bottom of the handicap. In a difficult fourth event, it is Alex Wong Siu-tan's Race To Win who has caught the eye most in the mornings. He's been trained specifically for this. The sixth sees one of the track stars of the season take his chance with John Moore's Bold Saxon starting for the second time since arriving from Australia. He needed his local debut, but has been a revelation in a trial and his work since then. Keep him safe at all costs from barrier one. Lifo has continued to impress since joining Peter Ng Bik-kuen, as he did when with Derek Cruz, and will be hard to beat in the last.
