He won't make the annals of the all-time greats but the Danny Shum Chap-shing-trained Ka Ka Win finds himself with the draw and a return to form in time to take out tonight's Hong Kong Club Challenge Cup over 2,200 metres at Happy Valley. Ka Ka Win (Shane Dye) is hardly looking a prolific winner with just two victories from 31 starts to date, but timing is everything and the six-year-old's dashing second to Seasons Knack last time over the same course and distance makes him the horse to beat now. Ka Ka Win had been taken along patiently in several prior runs this term, making some minor improvement each time, with tempo or bad draws against him on each occasion. But making better use of the stayer from an inside gate last time, Dye had him looking the winner until Robbie Fradd arrived on Seasons Knack in the final 100m. On that occasion, Ka Ka Win was unlucky that Fradd produced one of the rides of the season at Happy Valley to thread his way through the field, saving ground when going around the field that would most likely not have brought a win. Tonight, Dye again has the use of barrier four on Ka Ka Win and the gelding has shown in the past that, while he might take time to hit form, he does hold it once he is there. He meets Seasons Knack four pounds to the good and that should be enough to give Ka Ka Win a victory in an open race. Shum has gone for a gear change to sharpen the horse up, too, removing his side winkers in favour of a return to blinkers. Despite that weight change, Seasons Knack is still one of the main hopes in the race on his current form. Since trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai removed pacifiers from the son of Umatilla two starts ago, Seasons Knack has travelled better for Fradd in winning two similar events on end, finally realising the potential he had shown on occasions in the past. He now has a record over the Valley 2,200m that reads five starts for three wins and a close second to Valley staying star Super Combed, and he remains the only horse to have defeated Super Combed there. But climbing to 130 pounds will be his test, as the Valley staying races are almost invariably won by horses with lighter handicaps. The John Size-trained Kowloon Fit (Douglas Whyte) didn't have the best of luck as favourite behind Seasons Knack last time when taken off the track by an erratic King Hogan in the early stages, losing his position and having to race wider. Kowloon Fit has looked a worthwhile stayer in the making but Whyte faces a few difficult questions from gate 10. John Moore has had a terrific season with trophy races and has a chance with back-up runner Surveyor (Eric Saint-Martin). He performed moderately at Sha Tin on the weekend but that was his first run for some time over an unsuitable 1,600m and Surveyor is a much better proposition at the Valley.
