SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(Sunday June 3, 2018)

RACE 1: #4 Viva Council, #1 Leisured Feet, #9 Magic Success, #6 Hinyuen Swiftness

RACE 2: #8 The Joy Of Giving, #7 Rock The Tree, #6 Sweet Bean, #4 Fortune Giggles

RACE 3: #6 Destin, #9 Blitzing, #7 Bellagio, #3 Goodluck Goodluck

RACE 4: #14 Super Euro Star, #8 Mighty Maverick, #3 Seventy Seventy, #1 All You Need

RACE 5: #13 Presidentparamount, #5 Strathspey, #6 Enjoy Life, #1 Power Man

RACE 6: #5 Magnetism, #4 Sleep Education, #10 Amazing Agility, #3 Super Form

RACE 7: #8 The Golden Age, #10 Sichuan Dar, #1 Werther, #2 Beauty Only

RACE 8: #6 Saul’s Special, #1 Ka Ying Legend, #12 Superich, #13 Nice Fandango

RACE 9: #3 Taking Aim, #2 Roundabout, #7 Comfort Life, #10 Exceptional Desire

RACE 10: #12 Montreal, #5 Wishful Thinker, #14 Mission Tycoon, #6 Gunnison

RACE 1: HKU FACULTIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING HANDICAP

#4 Viva Council has been racing well in recent starts when getting it fairly easy near the speed. There doesn’t appear to be much speed in this spot again, so he’s another major threat. #1 Leisured Feet ran poorly last start but he had been working his way into form before that. If he can bounce back, he’s a contender. #9 Magic Success is sure to have his supporters with Joao Moreira sticking solid. He needs things to go his way and still appears to be learning what the caper is all about, but he’s in the mix. #6 Hinyuen Swiftness is getting to an attractive mark.

RACE 2: HKU FACULTIES OF BUSINESS & ECONOMICS AND SCIENCE HANDICAP

#8 The Joy Of Giving hasn’t won from 12 starts, primarily at Happy Valley. He steps up to 2000m for the first time and from a good draw, he can score a first win. #7 Rock The Tree is his own worst enemy in that he ends up out the back in these races. If the pace is on, expect him to be in the finish. #6 Sweet Bean is rarely far away in these events. Zac Purton jumps aboard and the veteran will be somewhere around the mark. #4 Fortune Giggles is first-up since February. A late-season victory looks very possible.

RACE 3: HKU FACULTIES OF DENTISTRY AND EDUCATION HANDICAP

#6 Destin doesn’t win out of turn, having only won once from 16 starts in Hong Kong. However, he’s rarely far away and with a better draw, he’s right in the mix. #9 Blitzing makes his debut here. The son of Jimmy Choux has shown talent at the trials and he can figure. Another debutant is #7 Bellagio, an Echoes Of Heaven three-year-old. He has been well-prepared for his first start and the booking of Zac Purton is a strong pointer. #3 Goodluck Goodluck is a chance with blinkers on for the first time, although he does have an awkward draw.

RACE 4: HKU FOUNDATION AND HKU FACULTY OF MEDICINE HANDICAP

#14 Super Euro Star has no weight on his back thanks to the claim of Victor Wong. He might be bound for Class 5 again, but if he gets it easy enough on the speed, he’s going to be hard to run down. #8 Mighty Maverick is good enough to win off this mark. He has Joao Moreira aboard from the inside gate and he should be very competitive. #3 Seventy Seventy is still acclimatising but he does have the talent to win in this grade. #1 All You Need sprinted nicely to win last start but gate 14 might make it difficult. Still, he’s a contender.

RACE 5: HKU FACULTIES OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES HANDICAP

#13 Presidentparamount had been racing into form before playing up in the stalls last time out and appeared to lose the race before the gates opened. He can easily return to form here and deserves plenty of respect. #5 Strathspey has a better draw here and he looms as a major threat. #6 Enjoy Life has an awkward gate but he also has the in-form Zac Purton aboard. He is racing well enough to be competitive again. #1 Power Man drops into Class 4 for the first time. He has shown very little to date in Hong Kong, but he gets blinkers on and steps beyond 1200m for the first time here. Expect sharp improvement.

RACE 6: UNIVERSITY HALL HANDICAP

#5 Magnetism doesn’t win often but is always a chance with the right run. His last three runs have been good and, with Zac Purton jumping aboard now, he goes on top. #4 Sleep Education was simply outpaced over 1000m last time out. Stepping up to 1600m for the first time in Hong Kong, he’s a contender, even jumping from the outside gate. #10 Amazing Agility gets the blinkers on again and appears at a mark where he should be able to break through again. #3 Super Form’s last run should be forgotten. He can bounce back.

RACE 7: GROUP 3 LION ROCK TROPHY

#8 The Golden Age will be much better suited at 1600m. Joao Moreira jumps aboard for the first time and, with no weight on his back, he shapes as a leading contender in this spot. #10 Sichuan Dar finds himself seven points out of the handicap here. However, he has some pieces of form that would make him competitive in a race like this, including a two-length fifth at set weights behind Group 1 winners Seasons Bloom, Helene Paragon, Beauty Generation and Beauty Only. With only 113 pounds on his back, he’s a threat. #1 Werther returns after a three-month bleeding ban. He has plenty of weight but, fresh, he deserves respect ahead of a potential Japan excursion. #2 Beauty Only can run into the finish if he gets a tempo to suit.

RACE 8: THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CHALLENGE CUP

#6 Saul’s Special showed promise earlier in the season but lost his way. He ran well last time out from an awkward gate behind promising galloper Refined Treasure. From a better draw, he can score his first Hong Kong win. #1 Ka Ying Legend stuck on well first time out behind Handsome Bo Bo. It is rare for Argentine form to hold up in Hong Kong, but the three-year-old – a Group 3 winner at San Isidro when named Tan Creido – looks capable of finishing in the mix here. #12 Superich finished third in the same Refined Treasure race as Saul’s Special. If he takes a step forward here, he’s a major threat. #13 Nice Fandango is a place chance from a good gate.

RACE 9: HKU SPACE HANDICAP

#3 Taking Aim is yet to hit the board from five Hong Kong starts to date, but he hasn’t been terrible at his last couple of starts. If he can get the right sort of run, he can break through here. #2 Roundabout is racing well and should be somewhere around the mark from a better draw. #7 Comfort Life is mixing his form but he ran well after being checked a couple of times last start and he’s a live player here. #10 Exceptional Desire creates interest stepping up to 1400m for just the second time in his career.

RACE 10: HKU JOCKEY CLUB STUDENT VILLAGES HANDICAP

#12 Montreal arrived in Hong Kong with big wraps and went some way towards justifying the hype when scoring over the Sha Tin 1000m two weeks ago. He steps up into Class 2 now and he shapes as a big chance in a race of quite some depth. #5 Wishful Thinker won impressively at his last start in April, coming from a long way back to claim the scalp of rising star Hot King Prawn. He looms as a contender again. #14 Mission Tycoon won nicely last time out and should have every chance from the inside gate, even stepping up in grade. #6 Gunnison probably relished a bit of give underfoot when winning at Happy Valley a week and a half ago. Still, if any rain arrives during the meeting, that sting out of the track will go a long way towards him winning again.

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