Valley freak Money Strong has the edge on his rivals
In-form jockey Howard Cheng Yue-tin looks set to take full advantage of his new two-pound allowance when he teams up with course-and-distance specialist Money Strong in the second leg of tomorrow night's triple trio at Happy Valley.
Cheng has been in terrific form this season, scoring in 13 races, including two feature events, and for a jockey with 124 winners to his credit, the two-pound allowance looks a very significant bonus.
The Derek Cruz-trained Money Strong is a four-time winner around Happy Valley and showed with a last-start second to Great Achievement that he is close to finding his best.
On that occasion, Money Strong took up his usual front-running role under Cheng and looked set to victory on the home corner.
Great Achievement tracked his every move in the race, shifted to his outside in the straight and grabbed him close to home.
While Great Achievement looks set to be one of the main dangers again, Money Strong meets the Danehill gelding six pounds better for the defeat, which is going to make him very hard to run down.
Great Achievement, along with course and distance specialist Cosmo Success, will be the hardest to hold out, while Mighty Hugo and Nilometer look potential improvers.
The opening leg looks a tricky with several chances but the hones Watchman, under apprentice Simon Yim Hin-keung, may well be the safest banker option.
Yim, also afforded a two-pound allowance, is the regular partner of Watchman and has piloted the six-year-old to second placings at his last two assignments.
The Peter Ng Bik-keun-trained gelding found Qi's Pet a bit too sharp over the final stages last start but he is well suited by the rise to 1,800 metres.
Other worthy inclusions are Kowloon Fit, Glorious Rhythm, Giddy Kipper and Step Forward.
In the final leg, the Ricky Yui Poon-fie-trained Cherished looks to have found a suitable race and after coming up with the prized inside barrier draw, he should be able to return to winning form.
The six-year-old turned in a very good effort last start to finish fourth after jockey Felix Coetzee was forced to ride the gelding back in the field from the outside barrier.
From gate one, Coetzee will be able to position the four-time Valley winner a bit closer to the speed, which will give him every chance to find his best.
Friendship was disappointing as a short-priced favourite last time out but from an inside gate he is entitled to another chance and shapes as the main danger.
The slow tempo didn't suit the Danny Shum Chap-shing-trained gelding last start but with the likes of Funtrap and Joyful World lining up here, a solid tempo is assured, which will ideally suit Friendship.
Others entitled to consideration are Rainbow Diamond, Dragon Stride, Fairplay and Care Free Prince.
