SHA TIN SELECTIONS (Sunday, April 29, 2018)   :: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, and analysis   RACE 1: #2 Great Joy, #3 Bullish Glory, #5 Ever Laugh, #6 Garlic Yeah RACE 2: #7 Multi Facets, #12 Royal Mojito, #14 Starship, #13 Intrepic RACE 3: #13 General Dino, #3 Shamport, #5 Famous Warrior, #2 New Elegance RACE 4: #10 What Else But You, #1 Winner’s Way, #4 Jolly Banner, #9 Racing Supernova RACE 5: #11 Top Beautiful, #5 Solar Patch, #1 Jing Jing Win, #6 Mission Tycoon RACE 6: #1 Beauty Generation, #3 Seasons Bloom, #6 Blizzard, #9 Singapore Sling RACE 7: #1 Mr Stunning, #9 Ivictory, #3 Lucky Bubbles, #2 Beat The Clock RACE 8: #1 Time Warp, #5 Ping Hai Star, #4 Danburite, #3 Pakistan Star RACE 9: #1 Hot King Prawn, #9 Eptimum, #6 Summer Passage, #14 Wishful Thinker RACE 10: #9 Rise High, #5 Doctor Geoff, #2 Easy Go Easy Win, #13 Patriot Hero   RACE 1: AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE HANDICAP There are Shakespearean tragedies that are not as devastating as the story of #2 Great Joy’s season. It’s been a tale of hard luck stories, of missed opportunities, of narrow misses. He returns to Sha Tin with Joao Moreira once again taking the ride, and surely – finally – this is his chance to get his first win this term at his ninth start. #3 Bullish Glory is finally acclimatising but he doesn’t help himself by missing the kick and ending up a long way from the speed. Still, if he can be anywhere within striking range, he is a chance. #5 Ever Laugh and #6 Garlic Yeah are both racing well enough to get into the finish with even luck.   RACE 2: AUDEMARS PIGUET LADY ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE HANDICAP #7 Multi Facets arrived with a bit of interest from England, where he had raced as Auberge Du Lac. However, he disappointed in two runs for Michael Freedman, although his second run was clearly better than his first. He has changed stables to the Tony Cruz yard since his last run in mid-March and he has trialled well enough since. He is interesting in this spot. #12 Royal Mojito keeps finding the line but just can’t quite do enough to break through. It’s going to fall into place one of these days, and it could be here. #14 Starship is another who is likely to be finishing off well, although he might be best suited dropping back into Class 4 now. Still, he’s a chance down in the weights, as is #13 Intrepic, who ran well last time out.   RACE 3: AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK HANDICAP #13 General Dino had been working his way into form nicely before pulling up lame at Happy Valley last time out. This horse has had little luck during his Hong Kong career, but he is well-rated now and should be able to break through on his current mark, especially with a nice midfield run from gate one here. The 1600m might be a tad sharp, but he’s still a threat. #3 Shamport has run well in two Hong Kong starts to date. The only way is up for him and he is likely to break through shortly. #5 Famous Warrior found the line nicely last time out behind the impressive Harmony Hero. He only needs to run to that form to be hard to beat. #2 New Elegance has disappointed since winning in December, but he gets blinkers on and might deserve another chance.   RACE 4: AUDEMARS PIGUET LADY ROYAL OAK HANDICAP #10 What Else But You looked to have talent last season but an injury-enforced 10-month break might have proved the making of him, as he has returned an even better galloper. His Class 2 win earlier this month was facile and he gets into this with no weight. He would be better at 1600m, but even here at 1400m, he’s a big player. #1 Winner’s Way has to carry plenty of weight but this is probably his optimal trip. It won’t take much for him to get into the finish. #4 Jolly Banner was tried over further last start and it simply didn’t work. Back to 1400m, he should be right in contention. #9 Racing Supernova is rarely far away, although he finds it tough to win these days.   RACE 5: AUDEMARS PIGUET MILLENARY HANDICAP #11 Top Beautiful has been a bitter disappointment at his last two starts. In fact, he hasn’t really lived up to expectations since winning the opening race of the season by four lengths. He deserves one final chance in this grade though with blinkers going on – if that doesn’t spark a better effort, it’s worth waiting until he gets back to Class 4. #5 Solar Patch didn’t have much form to speak of in Australia, but he produced a tough effort to win first-up in Hong Kong. He needs to reproduce that effort, but if he can, he’s a legitimate contender here. #1 Jing Jing Win has plenty of talent but he’s also an enigma. Back into Class 3, he’s the testing material. #6 Mission Tycoon disappointed as favourite at his first Hong Kong run, but he’ll come on for that and he can’t be dismissed.   RACE 6: G1 CHAMPIONS MILE It may be fairly late to jump on the #1 Beauty Generation bandwagon, given he has already won four of his seven starts this season, including G1 wins in the Hong Kong Mile and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup. However, this race – on paper – looks ideal for him. There is limited speed, with only Pingwu Spark and perhaps Blizzard shaping as any sort of pace pressure, and he should be able to roll along again in much the same manner as he did when winning the Hong Kong Mile. He is unlikely to go off favourite, but he looks the bet in here. #3 Seasons Bloom is likely to be sent off the public elect and deservedly so. He performs best fresh and enters this off a two-month lay-off. He has trialled well and looks a picture of health in the mornings. He is hard to beat. #6 Blizzard may prove the race’s value. He has not been tried at 1600m since finishing third to Sun Jewellery and Werther in the 2016 Classic Mile, and as an older horse, perhaps the trip might prove more suitable now. #9 Singapore Sling is the sole four-year-old in the race and should be in the mix, even if he will still be better again next season.   RACE 7: G1 CHAIRMAN’S SPRINT PRIZE #1 Mr Stunning is the benchmark sprinter in Hong Kong this season. His three wins in the autumn were tremendous, culminating in his first G1 score in the Hong Kong Sprint, and he has produced two solid efforts since. In particular, his last run when shouldering five pounds more than Beat The Clock was a terrific pointer for this. Jockey Sam Clipperton takes his first ride on the horse, replacing regular rider Nash Rawiller, but the five-year-old is uncomplicated and should prove hard to beat. The unknown quantity is #9 Ivictory, who won so impressively in track record time at Happy Valley last start to go six from seven. He looks the likely leader, with old boy Peniaphobia not quite having the same zip these days. This might be too soon, but he is likely to be winning a G1 at some point, and with luck it could be here. Last year’s winner #3 Lucky Bubbles resumes from a break. He’s not had the best season but he usually performs fresh and, physically, he looks a different horse to earlier in the term. He can’t be discounted. #2 Beat The Clock will be rattling home late and is always a chance in this spot.   RACE 8: G1 AUDEMARS PIGUET QEII CUP This race shapes as the most fascinating contest of the Hong Kong season. #1 Time Warp has been the standard bearer at 2000m this season, making all to win the G1 Hong Kong Cup in December before becoming the first horse to break two minutes over the Sha Tin 2000m in the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup in February. The question now is, can he produce a third peak performance to win this race? (Maybe a fourth, really, given his effort in defeat in the G3 Ladies’ Purse (1800m) in November.) There did look a hint that he may be over the top in his last run at a mile, but he should not face pressure or competition for the lead here. If that’s the case, he should have every chance to become the first horse to win Hong Kong’s two richest races in the same season. #5 Ping Hai Star was phenomenal in the BMW Hong Kong Derby last start, coming from last. He is likely to be a long way off Time Warp this time and might have to produce an impossible sectional to reel him in, but if Time Warp is below his best, then he is the most likely victor. Originally, Al Ain would have been the pick of the two Japanese gallopers, but his trackwork antics on Thursday morning have made him untouchable. #4 Danburite goes in, however, because his form matches well and because he is likely to be the stalker tracking Time Warp everywhere he goes. #3 Pakistan Star has all the talent in the world but remains an unreliable betting proposition. Anything is possible with him – he could win by 10 lengths, he could finish a distant last, he could refuse to jump; nothing would shock.   RACE 9: AUDEMARS PIGUET LADY MILLENARY HANDICAP #1 Hot King Prawn returns to the races for the first time since late December. He steps up to 1200m for the first time and tackles a bend for the first time too, but he has shown no issues with it in his work and in his trials. He has to shoulder plenty of weight, but his recent trial with Lucky Bubbles was superb. Expect him to win this as he heads towards Group company – and a possible Chairman’s Sprint Prize berth next year. It is often said that only a fool includes imports making their first Hong Kong appearance, especially three-year-olds beginning in Class 2. However, both #9 Eptimum and #6 Summer Passage deserve inclusion in this spot. Eptimum looks less exposed than Summer Passage so he gets the nod of the two, but both have trialled well, both have drawn to take advantage and they can progress off their high-profile form in Australia and New Zealand. #14 Wishful Thinker steps up to Class 2 but has no weight. He’ll be finishing off powerfully.   RACE 10: AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK CONCEPT HANDICAP Trainer Caspar Fownes made a conscious decision to skip last month’s BMW Hong Kong Derby with #9 Rise High, and it is a choice that may be rewarded in this spot. Rise High has talent but was still acclimatising to Hong Kong, and while the temptation must have been there after a better effort at his last start in February, Fownes elected to wait. He looks suited in this spot and he’ll be in the finish with even luck. #5 Doctor Geoff did go to the Derby, performing above expectations in sixth. He’s better suited at a mile and he should enjoy a very easy run in transit here. He’s the main danger. #2 Easy Go Easy Win has only won one from five in Hong Kong but he’s been well-performed for a three-year-old in Class 2. This is no easier but he should be around the mark. #13 Patriot Hero is worth including at odds.