Legend a New Year money spinner
HONG KONG LEGEND looks an exceptionally good bet in today's second event at Sha Tin at anything better than 2-1 on the local tote - even money in real terms - to start punters off on a winning note in the Year of the Rat at a meeting which opens early at 11.45am. The New Zealand import has raced twice since joining champion trainer John Moore and has impressed on each occasion. First time out he ran an excellent race for a young three-year-old when beating them all but Green Supreme in a dash down the straight.
The form of that race has worked out well as Green Supreme then came out and won in better company while the unplaced Chalky Boat came out and won at Happy Valley before meeting an unfortunate end on his next start at Sha Tin. On his only other start Hong Kong Legend was first past the post in a 1,000-metre sprint round the Valley bends only to lose the race in the stewards' room following an objection by Richard Quinn on the clearly impeded runner-up Kenzig. Hong Kong Legend ducked away from the whip that night and would probably, but not certainly, have been beaten by Kenzig in that event, the pair dominating the race.
Kenzig has since franked the form by beating Top-Worth at the last meeting before the break for the Lunar New Year and Hong Kong Legend has made good progress in his work. So Hong Kong Legend's form and his work points to victory. His trainer is now starting to hit top form and jockey Felix Coetzee is riding better than at any stage since arriving here from South Africa. Kay Hsing is likely to give Hong Kong Legend most to do now that he is brought back to a more suitable sprint distance. The Peter Ng Bik-kuen-trained improver has run with credit on each of his last two starts over a mile and 1,400 metres since bolting up in an easier contest than this over the 1,200-metre sprint trip. He ran his rivals ragged that day and has confirmed he is up to troubling them in this grade with those runs over 1,400 metres and a mile when going really well for a long way but just failing to see out the distance. The drop back to sprinting is just what he wants and so is the inside draw.
His trainer said: 'He's a different horse when he can race against a rail. When he is just a couple of metres out he tends to hang and make it more difficult for himself and his rider, but when he gets the rail he is much more straightforward.' Ng has done well with Kay Hsing who was not himself at all when arriving from Ireland last season, but has blossomed in the past two months as his early races brought him to peak fitness. He is now at his prime and is worth taking in a one-hit quinella with Hong Kong Legend. Today's nine race card throws up some other first-class betting opportunities, starting in the opening event with the Patrick Biancone-trained griffin Supernova. Supernova battled on bravely to beat Orlando Magic on his racecourse debut and with the griffin event not looking overly strong can be backed to defy his seven-pound penalty.
The proviso here is do not back him if he is too short a price. Sometimes these second-up griffin winners are backed down to prohibitive odds with the general public seemingly oblivious to the fact that they are carrying a seven-pound penalty. Like Hong Kong Legend, Supernova is a win bet at 2-1 or better. Should he be supported to shorter than this, it is wiser to keep the powder dry and wait for the later races. Golden Jerrang could well be worth a win and place bet in the fifth where the presence of his stablemate, Top Practitioner, should ensure he starts at backable odds. Golden Jerrang has been crying out for a return to Sha Tin and a race down the 1,000-metre chute. He has always trialled well down the straight. Noble Knight is going to be hard to beat now that he has finally come good by scoring at Happy Valley - where he won despite the 1,000-metre trip being too short for him to show his full potential.
The step up to 1,400 metres is just what he has been looking for. Cambridge Success should be hard to beat in the Class Six event with the likes of Happy Birthday and Casablanca looking the main quinella hopes.