PUNTERS didn't find it easy at Sha Tin last Sunday when three out of four odds-on favourites were sunk, leaving the majority of multiple and exotic wagers consigned to the litterbins and bettors left stony-faced.
It's likely not to get any easier today with
If that doesn't make life hard enough, the weather forecast is predicting thunderstorms and rain early in the day, throwing another conundrum into the equation when trying to find winners.
The feature race on the card is the Class One Silvermine Bay Handicap (
Top-weight Kurpany is head and shoulders above his rivals according to the formbook, but the handicapper has had his say, giving the Caspar Fownes-trained galloper a hefty eightpound penalty for an impressive laststart win.
That means Kurpany is set to concede 10 pounds and more to all eight rivals, so it's easy to see why
Near the bottom of the handicap, receiving 19 pounds, is hat-trick seeking
Valley last month.
With in-form Karis Teetan doing the steering for trainer
This has all the makings of a thriller with the likes of top-class sprinters
Teetan and Shum have a first-rate chance of completing a double when they team-up again with the fast-improving LIGHTNING BOLT, who bids to successfully follow-up last month's impressive all-weather win in the Pui O Handicap (
This former
He confirmed his previous promise with a convincing victory in a competitive handicap on the dirt surface last month.
Despite having to carry a penalty for that success he is surely still better than his present handicap mark, and, despite an outside draw, has a finishing-kick which should prove too much for his rivals in the closing stages.
The principle threat looks likely to come from the Joao Moreira-ridden Like That, a convincing winner under top-weight at
With the 'Magic Man' riding at his minimum, his chance looks obvious, and he is worth including in a forecast.
POINTERS
(c) 2022 City A.M., source