Wong sets a poser for DT supporters to solve
TOP local trainer Wong Tang-ping holds the key to the second leg of the Double Trio at Sha Tin tomorrow when he saddles up Silver Freighter and improving Super Power to present punters with a puzzle.
Of the two, Silver Freighter has undoubtedly shown himself to be a very solid bet in Class Five company but the more lightly raced Super Power looks ideally suited by the 1,600 metres and has good recent form on the board.
Super Power finished second to well-backed Planet at his last outing - his conqueror is not without a chance in a later race tomorrow - and appears to have held that form.
Stable apprentice Vicki C. W. Choi takes over from Gerald Mosse who is held to debutant Be Happy from the stable of his retaining trainer, Patrick Biancone.
The enforced change, despite Choi's claim, is not likely to ensure enthusiastic support for the the five-year-old but he must be included.
Silver Freighter has been more effective over longer than the Sha Tin mile but his trainer is noted for sending his horses over a head-scratching variety of trips.
His obvious ability, as far as this grade is concerned, should ensure that he is thereabouts.
Good Boy will be ridden by Walter Swinburn and should give the popular winter visitor a good ride. Good Boy has scored well enough course and distance in the past and is worthy of consideration.
Apprentice-ridden last time he finished third, closest at the finish, to tearaway winner Sky Eagle who scored one of the season's easiest wins. On that run Good Boy does have claims.
Rose Garden switches back to Sha Tin after a Valley equitrack win over a mile but has always tended to need longer than this at the New Territories course.
Topweight Red Star and Mustang look the two most likely to matter in the first leg of the popular bet but the former has fared badly at the draw.
Club jockey John Marshall, enduring a frustrating run of seconds, takes out Red Star and, despite the draw, will come very close to winning.
Mustang is undoubtedly an improving type who finished a solid second to Aashiq last time. That is solid form considering the subsequent effort of the winner who may have been a trifle unlucky not to have been closer to Lucky Century at Sha Tin on Sunday -in substantially stiffer company.
Mustang has drawn extremely well with the only slight reservation being the 1,400-metre trip. He may be reaching the stage where he needs slightly longer but, in essentially a shallow Class Three field, he must be there.
Bottomweight Everwell Cheers may have supporters while Mughal Prince may well prefer the 1,400 metres here to the short sprints he has been going over on the Happy Valley equitrack.
The Bruce Hutchison-trained galloper's runs to date have been over the short sprints at the Valley on both surfaces but he put in a decent run last season at Sha Tin and may be worth modest consideration.
Trainer Ivan Allan produces All Thrills, his well-bred New Zealand youngster who had only one start at the premier track of Ellerslie. He finished second over 1,300 metres and was bought immediately for Hongkong.
All Thrills, who will be ridden by visiting Irish apprentice Mickey Fenton, is well drawn in barrier two and it may well pay to keep him safe.
