On turf it might look like mission impossible but on the all-weather track it's a different story, with Whatabob having a strong chance to have his revenge on his old foe Stable Mail in today's $1 million Australian Bar Association and New Zealand Bar Association Handicap (1,650m) at Sha Tin.
The John Moore-trained six-year-old looks anything but a likely winner on his last five runs, when 10th or worse on four occasions, but on closer inspection he is the most likely to upstage Stable Mail, who has been dominant in winning his last two assignments on the artificial surface.
Whatabob claimed the scalp of Stable Mail over this track and distance back on November 11 when scoring a comprehensive victory but the Indian Ridge gelding has had absolutely no luck in his following five outings.
He was heavily supported at his next start to again have the edge on Stable Mail but after working into contention in the home straight he ran into severe traffic problems and went to the line completely untested.
While that was going on, Stable Mail zipped through on the fence under a brilliant Felix Coetzee ride to claim his first Hong Kong victory.
Whatabob then stepped up to Class One company for his next four starts but was checked out of business behind Five Grains, was hopeless held up in the straight before finishing on the heels of the placegetters behind Joyful Winner and was then posted wide from bad barriers at his last two starts.
Stable Mail, on the other hand, ran honestly in three turf assignments before returning to the all-weather track to score a comprehensive victory after again being given another gun-ride by Coetzee.
