Best Bets | Sha Tin, 12 February 2022

Gold Marquis (Sha Tin Race 9 No.8)

It is always a risk when backing horses that drop back, but this guy has something about him. On his Hong Kong debut, he flew home to finish third by under half a length to Special M and Stoltz, who have been both lighting it up at Happy Valley before stepping up to 1200m and finishing a three-length fourth behind Rewarding Together and Astrologer. He did a lot of things wrong that night but still managed to finish off well enough. He is going to love the step up to 1400m and the long straight of Sha Tin. Daniel Moor takes the ride, which is a tick in my books, so look for this bloke late because he will be flying.

Suggested bet:  1 unit @ $6.50

General Winner (Sha Tin Race 4 No.4)

This Smart Missile gelding was unlucky first-up over this track and distance, being held up in a key part of the straight before finishing off well enough behind Kasi Farasi and Millennium Falcon. He then was stepped up to the mile second-up where everything went wrong for him. He was a touch slow out of the gates and ended up being wide without cover for most of the race. He comes back to 1400m which is a good move, and he gets Karis Teetan aboard, so hopefully, he will be able to give him a nice ride from an awkward barrier. Outside of the En Pointe and Star Contact, this is another thin Class 4, so I see no reason why he can’t be fighting out the finish.

Suggested bet:  0.5 unit @ $17.00

Double Six Pop (Sha Tin Race 7 No.10)

Both runners were luckless in their previous starts and would have gone close to winning with even luck. Double Six Pop made his Hong Kong debut first-up and was met with plenty of trouble throughout, both his doing and not. He travelled keenly early on, inconvenienced at the 900m, got his head up and refusing to settle around the 800m, and was held up around the 400m before having to shift out near the 100m to avoid heels. All this and he still managed to finish within 1.5 lengths in fifth. Although he will have to go back from the draw, he gets a senior rider aboard and since that first-up, run he has had a nice trial to top him up. Speedy Mouse was the other pick but has been scratched.

Suggested bet:  1 unit @ $5.50

Navas Two (Sha Tin Race 10 No.9) & My Sugar (Sha Tin Race 10 No.1)

Navas Two is going for four wins in a row when he steps up to Class 2 for the first time. His runs have been very good with his last run carrying 58kg being his best of the three wins in my opinion. He has beaten home some good horses like Packing Victory, Parterre, Toronado Phantom, and Zone D, just to name a few, all over the Sha Tin 1400m. He steps up in grade and distance to the mile here, which itself will be a task but he gets to drop back to the 54kg and has his regular rider aboard. It will be interesting if he handles the mile with the wide draw, but you can’t knock winning form. My Sugar returns after his narrow second to Blaze Warrior in this grade previously. The trainer said he hasn’t been 100% in the lead-up but should still be a chance. To me, that is a concern, but I don’t want to completely write him off, especially with Zac Purton aboard. If he shows the same form as last preparation here, he goes close to winning, it’s just the health that is the concern.

Suggested bet:  1 unit @ $3.10 & 1 unit @ $3.60