HE will be racing a full 14 pounds out of the handicap, but trainer David Hill is expecting the performance of his career to date from Top-Worth in the featured Remy XO Cup at Sha Tin today. In a race where betting is almost certain to be dominated by Patrick Biancone's brilliant Helene Star, Hill believes Top-Worth can shrug off the disadvantageous conditions to give the favourite a real race. 'I do know that Top-Worth is in great nick, I have no doubt that he has never been in better shape. Whatever happens, I am confident he will run a real race and Helene Star is not necessarily a good thing over 1,200 metres,' said Hill.
Top-Worth ran brilliantly at his only start this season - and his seventh overall - when he ranged up to win, but his condition gave out noticeably and he faded for third behind Bogie's Pride over today's trip. It was an exceptionally good run and the departure of Winning Partners from this select Remy field has made the task considerably easier for Top-Worth - or whatever may come out and win it. Winning Partners had been simply flying in his work and was the likely winner of this annual and popular event.
But Top-Worth has been flying at the track, too, and there is every reason for Hill to have considerable confidence. 'I know you cannot get away from the weight and, in some ways, it may not have been exactly the right race for him. 'But he has a sporting owner who wants to run him in these good races. I was thinking in terms of an apprentice to help alleviate the handicap disparity, but he is not really a ride for a kid. 'He has his little quirks and both the owner and myself are that bit happier with a senior rider aboard,' said Hill.
Getting the nod is Piere Strydom who can do the official minimum of 116 pounds, but it does leave Top-Worth, on the weights, with plenty to do. Only four horses are actually in the handicap, but there are 13 runners for the sponsored race when there were obvious fears that the field might fall away as so many entered were at a clear disadvantage. Helene Star showed he was back to his best with a superb win in the Sha Tin Trophy over outsider Champman River, but that was over a mile. He had run a good lead-up race to that over today's trip and, of course, Helene Star does have an important engagement in the Stewards' Cup next week. That is over a mile and does now look to be much more suitable for the former Derby winner.
Today's longer sprint may well be on the sharp side for Helene Star these days and punters would be ill-advised to take too short odds about him. But trainer Patrick Biancone is happy with the horse. 'I am actually very happy with him. He has done very well since his last run and he is in very good shape. He will run extremely well, I am sure of that,' he said. Trainer Brian Kan Ping-chee has done his best to redress the handicap imbalance by putting on useful stable claimer Eden H. K. Cheung on Victory And Gold, who has already seen plenty of action this season. 'My boy rides all right and he has confidence now.
Victory And Gold is a good horse and he is also a good ride for a boy. The draw is not so good for him, but he can still go over some extra ground and win it. 'The weight claim is important because so many horses are badly weighted against Helene Star,' said Kan. Also well out of the handicap is bottomweight Above All with trainer David Hayes - currently in Melbourne for the Cup carnival - taking a clear shortcut to possible selection for the International Bowl.
