Some key rides from John Size can deliver Douglas Whyte Jockey Challenge success at Sunday's Lunar New Year meeting at Sha Tin and perhaps spark the 13-time champion jockey's season.
The biggest stories this season have been the scaling down of Size's support of Whyte and the emergence of former Singapore champion Joao Moreira. Those two factors, along with Zac Purton's early season dominance, a breakout season for Tye Angland, and competition from newcomers like Karis Teetan, mean Whyte is in the unfamiliar position of being third nearing the halfway point of the term.
The South African hasn't held his usual dominance in the Jockey Challenge either, finishing top point scorer just four times in the first 39 meetings. A big day could be the catalyst for a late season charge by the Durban Demon.
Moreira was installed an odds-on favourite with a full book of rides, but had drifted to $2.25 in what shapes as a wide open contest.
Purton is serving the first half of a two-meeting suspension, and Whyte and Angland - both with 10 rides - vied for second favourite at $4.50.
Whyte bookends the day with rides from the Size yard - first-starter Go Bananas in race one, and promising four-year-old Dr Good Habit in the final event. Both have excellent chances and come in off Size's typically thorough preparation at the trials.
In between, Whyte has a mixed bag of rides, but does have the favourite in the feature race - Richard Gibson's Akeed Mofeed in the Group Three Centenary Vase. Another good ride for Whyte is World City for former Size protégé Benno Yung Tin-pang.
Moreira will be hard to beat, with likely long odds-on favourite Divine Ten the best of his chances, but unfavoured by a tricky draw down the straight.
