IT'S impossible to look past the excellent last start winner Jharna in the opening event of a rather lacklustre Sha Tin programme today. Yet another of a string of good young gallopers from the stable of Ivan Allan, Jharna scored with consummate ease over the minimum trip at Happy Valley last time. That odds-on success was almost totally predictable following his eye-catching debut run at Sha Tin over today's trip of 1,200 metres. Ridden by unfashionable Frankie F. C. Lor, Jharna came home steadily along the rails to get to within a head of Heza Star. It was a patient ride from Lor on a youngster having his first racecourse start. With Walter Swinburn up next start at the Valley, Jharna simply breezed home in Class Five company accounting for Wonderful and Excel Star and that effortless win brought him rapid promotion to Class Four. Despite the class rise Jharna drops only one pound but few will quibble with the handicapper's assessment. Jharna is a good young horse who has been brought along perfectly by Allan and more wins are in store. It is noteworthy, however, that Heza Star, who beat Jharna by a head, was receiving three pounds from the Allan galloper that day. Today, for actually having won, he is in receipt of nine pounds from Jharna. Normally, that would be tantamount to declaring Heza Star a virtual certainty in relation to the horse he beat but Jharna, a three-year-old, is going places and his eight-year-old conqueror has nothing left to find. Topweight Ellen's Voyage was beaten seven lengths into fourth place last time out over 1,400 metres but should appreciate the drop back in distance here and Allan Munro could get the six-year-old into the frame. There is no depth to this race and former champion trainer Brian Kan Ping-chee has called for the blinkers for a second time on Golden Era, his disappointing private purchase griffin. However, Golden Era's best run was over this trip very early this season and he has been freshened up. The replacement of the blinkers might aid Golden Era to put a more resolute foot forward.
