Follow the Damien Oliver factor and support Super Shine to win tonight's third event at Happy Valley. Trainer Alex Wong Yu-on has taken the trouble of booking Oliver for the six-year-old who looks a cracking bet. So far this season, Super Shine has been ridden by Vickie Choi, on one of his first rides since graduating to the senior ranks, and then the apprentices Alex Yu, Win Chung and Angus Au. Yu rightly earned a lengthy suspension for not taking all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing when sixth behind Trust Myself over 1,800 metres at Sha Tin. Super Shine then changed stables and was off the track for four months before reappearing for Wong in the 1,400-metre event at Sha Tin won by Perpetual Harmony from Mr Intermac.
Super Shine ran well for much of the way behind Perpetual Harmony before lack of hard racing condition took its toll over too short a trip. He then performed really well when fifth to Cash Fortune, having had a very torrid trip throughout under the inexperienced Au, who claims 10 pounds and has ridden only one career winner, Wong's Fire-Fighter. Au and Super Shine made a premature move down the back straight in Cash Fortune's contest and ended up disputing the lead three and four wide. In the circumstances, Super Shine did well to rally to run 43/4 lengths fifth to Cash Fortune and with, Oliver up tonight, should get a copybook ride.
The former triple Melbourne champion is riding with his tail up. His recent efforts on Smashing Pumpkin to score at the Valley and then run such a tantalisingly close second to Deauville in Saturday's Gold Cup were tremendous rides. The 1,800-metre trip should suit Super Shine, especially given the way that he rallied over a mile on his most recent outing, and he should now be rippling fit with those two runs under his belt.
The biggest danger may come from the Ivan Allan-trained Swifty-Swifty who should be able to bowl along at the head of affairs. Indeed, the race should be run to suit Swifty-Swifty as there is not too much speed around. The track should also be in Swifty-Swifty's favour as the rail is back in and racing takes place on virgin turf.
It should be a night where the track bestows a significant bias to those racing on the speed. Mr Brinker, from the very much in-form stable of Tony Cruz, is another to consider for the quinella and tierce. The gun-metal grey has not stopped improving physically all season and he should relish the step up to 1,800 metres. The Tony Cruz stable is generally in very good form and Mr Brinker's trackwork puts him in here with a definite quinella and tierce claim.
Talented local claimer Stanley K. M. Chin knows the son of Blue Ensign well, having prevailed on him last time out.
