Dominant duo can take Valley by storm

They will have to turn the lights out again at Happy Valley if Winning Sunshine's rivals are to have much hope of downing the city course Dream Team of jockey Douglas Whyte and trainer Dennis Yip Chor-hong in the final event.

The dominant trainer and jockey at Happy Valley last season, the pair only become stronger when allied and Whyte's booking for course specialist Winning Sunshine should leave punters with a 'get out' bet worth saving for if they are struggling early.

The honest five-year-old comes into the race off a two-length fourth to Celestial Steel at his last start for apprentice rider Alex Lai Hoi-wing but can probably lay claim in that race to being the unluckiest beaten horse of the season.

From an awkward outside draw, Lai made the right decision in taking Winning Sunshine back to get in closer to the rails and that choice looked like paying off as he began to surge along the inside rail past the 200m mark, then in a matter of strides it all went wrong.

The gap up ahead that the apprentice rider had targeted on the inside of eventual third placegetter Kiddyland narrowed and closed tight as Winning Sunshine was about to whoosh through at the 100m and win the race, and the gelding was lucky not to end up on the deck.

There is no doubt at all Winning Sunshine would have scored with clear room, so he comes to tonight's race a virtual winner without penalty. He remains on the same rating but drops from Class 2 into Class 3, lines up in gate two and the genius of Whyte is replacing the inexperienced lad.