CHAMPION jockey Basil Marcus has laid the foundations for his third successive title on the shifting equitrack surface of Happy Valley and he can add to what could be a record tally for him this season in the first leg of the Double Trio tomorrow night.
Racing remains at Happy Valley after the excellent Martell Grand National meeting on Saturday but there is a lacklustre look about tomorrow night's fare on the maligned synthetic surface.
But Marcus will have no complaints about riding topweight Amigo for trainer John Moore in the fourth event and the five-year-old gelding's return to the dirt should result in success.
Stable rider John Marshall rode Amigo last time over 1,400 metres on the turf at Sha Tin but that has never been the gelding's best trip or track. Marshall is on Moore's other runner in this event, Kwacha.
Amigo broke through to win for visiting Gerald Mosse three starts back on the equitrack surface over this 1,600-metre trip - and it was a comprehensive win.
Still at the Valley, he was narrowly touched off at his next start over 1,650 metres on the grass by Sweet Win before going to Sha Tin for his abortive mission over 1,400 metres. In the context of his overall form, the Sha Tin run is best forgotten and reference is best made to his efforts under Mosse at the city track which he quite clearly favours.
Kwacha won for Marcus last time out on the Valley grass over 1,650 metres and has solid equitrack form. But he was pushed right out to score by a head and it was in significantly weaker company than this.