Enigmatic Carrizo Creek returns to the scene of the crime today at Sha Tin with the chance to upstage some up-and-comers in the Ma On Shan Handicap (1,600m).
Three starts ago, Carrizo Creek (apprentice Thomas Yeung Kai-tong) turned on the show of his Hong Kong career with a devastating finish to blow apart a useful field over this course and distance and looked capable of better wins than a Class Three.
Things have not quite gone as planned since, though, with the five-year-old outpointed by Disguise in a slowly-run 1,600m at the same track before giving away a big start then losing rider Eddie Lai Wai-ming in a horrid scrimmage at Happy Valley.
This race promises to be somewhat different to the race behind Disguise, with a decent speed almost guaranteed by the presence of Solar Empire (Franky Tsui Kwan-wai).
That horse comes back 10 days after he led by a big margin and wasn't beaten that far in the race won by Prime Score over this same trip and while he may not lead by quite as far this time, he usually runs along in the vanguard of his races. That will suit Carrizo Creek, who has only been able to perform when ridden quietly early and he will probably ensure he is out the back early by stepping out slowly anyway.
But when he did have a reasonable tempo to run at on November 12, he won his second start for trainer John Moore by a wide space and the race should set up similarly today.
The likely punters' favourite, the Paul O'Sullivan-trained Jade Dragonfly (Olivier Doleuze), looks the horse he will have to beat.
