FRENCH ace Gerald Mosse has slipped behind Tony Cruz as the title battle reaches the half-way stage at Sha Tin tomorrow but gets a chance to peg one back on an outside ride that could point Double Trio punters in the right direction.
Mosse rides Speedy Good for Ivan Allan while retaining trainer Patrick Biancone legs up claimer Stanley K. M. Chin on interesting Kiwi Flyer who found the straight 1,000 metres too short on his recent debut. Speedy Good looks excellent banker material here on his good Happy Valley win early in the season for unfashionable Frankie F. C. Lor.
Visiting Irish apprentice Mickey Fenton rode him last time on his reappearance after the stoppage and the six-year-old looked in need of the run. Speedy Good led them up over tomorrow's trip of 1,200 metres but ran out of juice and faded for a seven-length seventh placing behind Namjong, a winner again since. Kiwi Flyer must have claims in that he was finishing on down the straight course last time but, given his breeding, a trip in excess of this longer sprint looks better for the four-year-old.
Topweight Bad Habit won as he pleased last time to make it three wins from four starts - and his defeat was no disgrace. He is coming back to this longer sprint after scoring almost effortlessly over 1,400 metres but he is in rare form and could defy the weight of 140 pounds as he did when winning three starts back.
Bottomweight Exaltic appears to be coming right into form and is another chance here, possibly with the David Hill-trained Hat-trick who ran a fair race at his last start back in early November. He finished unplaced behind Aurora Spirit but, interestingly, was only about a quarter of a length adrift of Namjong whose winning ways began at his next outing. The second leg of the DT is a wide open Class Six affair where the claimants are numerous and the likelihood of a surprise high.
Demoted Something Special has modest claims and should be at a backable price in this full field of 14. He dropped into the bottom grade after finishing five lengths adrift of Oriental Oilfield last time but this does look easier. He is a tentative suggestion but, on anything like his best form, he would be good enough to score here. Topweight American Challenge ran a fair race last time and has done enough racing to suggest he will be fit for this and could run into the frame.
