Savvy Trio can go a long way towards helping defending champion trainer Ivan Allan retain his title by taking the fourth event on Triple Trio bonanza night at Sha Tin. Racing is on the dirt and it looks devilishly difficult to boot, but with $55 million carried forward into the Triple Trio pool there is sure to be a bumper crowd as punters make a last-ditch effort to win their pot of gold. And why not because the final pool is likely to be up around the $200 million mark guaranteeing a massive payout for anyone who can find the first three, in any order, in races three, four and six. Savvy Trio is strongly fancied to win the fourth, a combined Classes Four and Five event over the maximum 2,400 metres, and certainly looks solid banker material as far as the middle leg of the Triple Trio is concerned. He's been massively improved since Allan, one clear of David Hayes in the trainer standings, applied the blinkers and a little of the Allan magic. Savvy Trio's last three runs have netted two wins, the first of them on the dirt which is an important consideration as don't bet the Triple Trio without first seeking out the dirt specialists. But arguably his best run came in defeat when fourth to Jade Lake in a Class Four event over 2,200 metres last time out. He is saddled with an onerous 137 pounds tonight but claimer Martin C. K. Tsang can take seven pounds from his back and he is an apprentice who is good value for his claim. That run showed that Savvy Trio should run out this 2,400-metre trip and at this stage of the season, with meetings running out for Hayes to catch Allan, the Singaporean maestro is only too well aware that every win almost counts double. That is almost certainly the reason that Allan has opted to use Tsang instead of his five-pound claimer Peter Y. S. Wong who has already won on Savvy Trio. Allan, meticulous to the last, is leaving nothing to chance. That extra two pounds could be the difference between defeat and victory. So while it may only be an ordinary low-grade staying event on the dirt, this contest is vital to a potential Triple Trio record pool and could play a pivotal role in the destination of this season's enthralling tussle for training supremacy. The biggest danger may come from all-weather specialist Fortune Partner down at the bottom of the handicap. Fortune Partner stays all day and has a cracking record on the dirt. His recent work has been good and trainer Eddie Lo appears to have set him specifically for this contest.
