Punters should stick with champion jockey Douglas Whyte for the 'get out stakes' on Boxing Day when he rejoins with United Efforts for the Lantau Peak Handicap (1,400m) today. The Durban Demon drew a rare blank on last year's event but it is a card which, down through the seasons, he has often dominated and in the Peter Ho Leung-trained United Efforts, he has the horsepower to sign off a winner. Whyte was aboard United Efforts in his first two starts, for a bold second to High Point over 1,200m at debut that really stamped the three-year-old as a horse with a future. High Point was impressive, ran a fast time and has gone on to confirm that form several times over, and United Efforts disposed of the other beaten runners in good style. His second run was not so impressive but he was going around second-up at 1,200m again, and United Efforts just looked flat and in need of some extra distance. When he did get that next time with Vincent Sit Shun-keung in the saddle he failed over 1,650m on the dirt behind Kimbo Kid after overracing fiercely in the slow tempo of that race. Whyte returns this afternoon and 1,400m shapes up as the ideal distance for United Efforts these days, even though his handy form in Ireland was mostly over 1,200m as a two-year-old. He was tried at 1,400m at his final run there and handled it well finishing fourth of 28 runners in one of Britain's richest juvenile events. The race is by no means a pushover, though with any number of chances in a field filled with several improving prospects. Tony Millard's South African import Wei Hai Invincible (Thomas Yeung Kai-tong) has shown sharp improvement at his past two attempt over this course and distance, racing wide when seventh to Slow Waltz two starts back before being competitive with an easier trip when second to Regency Dragon. Finishing strongly behind him that day was Jackpot Delight (Shane Dye) into fourth placing, despite pulling hard early he is another with plenty of scope, while Island Super (Eric Saint-Martin) stepped up to 1,400m successfully last time in Class Three and with the weight drop he gets this time rising in grade, he should be right in the finish again.
