11.15am Sole Power headlines Hong Kong raiders
Tony Paley: Sole Power is the big hope of the European raiding party at the Hong Kong International meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday. The seven-year-old will attempt to cap a fine year for trainer Eddie Lynam, who has excelled with his sprinters in particular, winning four of the five Group Ones staged in Britain with Sole Power, who runs in the Longines-sponsored Sprint, and stablemate Slade Power.
Lynam said: “This horse never shirks a battle and his style of racing - sitting way off the pace - is untypical of a sprinter. He is electric and a real ‘box office’ horse. Sole Power was a champion three-year-old but he has never really got the plaudits. Even now, he’s been around for so long that he’s taken for granted.
“There is no exceptional horse this year and the sprint trial here asked as many questions as it answered. I’d be most frightened of the Australian horse Buffering - if he could get an uncontested lead he might be hard to catch.”
Sir Michael Stoute runs St Leger third Snow Sky in the Vase, where he will be ridden by Ryan Moore. The Newmarket trainer, who won the Vase with Daliapour in 2000, said: “The colt seems relaxed, having travelled smoothly to Hong Kong. We’re happy. He is a nice relaxed horse with a lovely temperament who stays well and has a finishing kick.”
Ed Dunlop’s Red Cadeaux won the Vase two years ago and runs after his second in the Melbourne Cup for the third time, while Snow Sky’s owner Khalid Abdullah has the likely favourite in the Andre Fabre-trained Arc and Breeders’ Cup Turf runner-up Flintshire.
Roger Varian bids to cap off a superb season with victory in the Cup through Farraaj. He said: “He’ll need a career best but he is capable of some big days and to my mind he looks better than when he was in Australia, running that close third in the Mackinnon Stakes.”
Cirrus Des Aigles continues to fly the flag for Corine Barande-Barbe but remains in search of his first Sha Tin victory. His third to Akeed Mofeed 12 months ago is his best performance to date, having finished fifth in 2011 and seventh in 2010, and this will be the fifth time he has run at the meeting as he was fifth in the 2009 renewal of the Vase. British interests in the Mile centre on Roger Charlton’s Captain Cat and the David Simcock-trained Trade Storm.
The Guardian will carry a full report from our reporter in Sha Tin on the website on Sunday.
Friday’s best bets, by Greg Wood
At the best prices available, the favourites for the five handicaps on the card at Cheltenham today could be backed overnight at 9-2, 4-1 twice, 7-2 and 11-4, so overall, it is hard to argue that the action at the home of National Hunt racing will be anything other than very competitive.
It is still a little disappointing, though, to find just four runners lining up for the opening novice chase, even though David Pipe’s Kings Palace is clearly going to take plenty of beating. This is Cheltenham, after all, and it’s not as if it gets used all the time. After today, there are just three more cards scheduled before the Festival itself, so anyone with a contender for the biggest meeting of all and a wish to get some extra experience of the venue into the horse this side of March is running out of opportunities.
Half of the field for today’s renewal is from the Philip Hobbs yard, while Paul Nicholls, who had two horses in the four-runner Henry VIII Novice Chase at Sandown on Saturday, fields the remaining starter. There is no runner from the Nicky Henderson yard, though he has complained in the past about a lack of opportunities for novice chasers, and not one from a yard in the north of England.
Is it down to prize money? Well, it could be pointed out that 10 years ago, the same race was worth £12,500 to the winner, which is exactly the same prize which is on offer today. On the other hand, despite being worth rather more money in real terms a decade ago, it attracted ... four runners, and it has had more than five only once since then. Another £10,000 in the pot might attract another runner or two, but given the form, you would not want to bet on it.
Kings Palace (12.30) was so polished when he made a winning seasonal debut here at the Open meeting that it is hard to see him being turned over this afternoon, even though Sausalito Sunrise is, in theory, weighted to reverse the form as he is 8lb better off for a four-length beating. It is rare to see a novice jump fences with such easy fluency at the first attempt, never mind at Cheltenham, and he should justify his position as co-favourite for the RSA Chase.
Vintage Vinnie (1.40) floundered on heavy going at Ffos Las last time out but can resume his progressive form on today’s better ground, while Ulzana’s Raid (3.15) is another fast-improving hurdler and can give Wayne Hutchinson a winner on his return from a spell on the sidelines. There are several runners in the cross-country handicap with proven form over the track but Big Shu (2.40) could be the pick of them, while Some Plan (3.45) is fairly priced at around 9-2.
The overnight weather news at Cheltenham is that the track received 10mm of rain and the going is now good-to-soft, from good, good-to-soft in places overnight.
Tipping competition, day five
Our winners so far:
Monday
Waltz Darling 14-1
Benefit In Kind 11-4
Don’t Have It Then 7-1
Tuesday
Milansbar 12-1
Aficionado 9-4
Arden Dennis 11-4
Wednesday
Lancelot Du Lac 7-2
Snowell 7-2
Anglophile 7-1
Thursday
Black River 13-2
Scimon Templar 6-1
Seas Of Green 8-1
And our leader is:
Rivercity +27.25
... who found Black River yesterday. Other good scores: TL127 +25, chris1623 +23.75, melonk +16, TheSheikh +16, erifder +15.50, kingklynch +15, BearRides +12.50, 15244 +11.25, yasmin11 +11, GForce1 +10.
For today’s thrilling climax, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 2.10 Cheltenham, 2.40 Cheltenham, 3.15 Cheltenham.
This week’s prize is a is a pair of tickets to the William Hill King George VI Chase, generously offered by the sponsors themselves, along with a £50 bet on the famous Boxing Day race at Kempton.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -12.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day (TODAY).
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
Click here for all the day’s racecards, form, stats and results.
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
