Circuit Number Two ends hiatus in Beas River Handicap

Circuit Number Two, the 4-year-old Australian-bred gelding, won consecutive starts in Hong Kong in July and September before finishing third in a handicap in October.

For a month following that race, Circuit Number Two’s exercise was limited to swimming at the new Conghua training center in China, which opened in the second half of 2018. Circuit Number Two returned to Sha Tin Racecourse in mid-January and will have his first start in more than three months in Saturday’s $248,515 Beas River Handicap at a mile on turf at Sha Tin.

The Beas River Handicap is the last of 10 races at Sha Tin and the most lucrative on the program.

Circuit Number Two, trained by Tony Cruz, will be prominent in the Beas River Handicap, having raced on or near the lead in recent starts. Circuit Number Two has won 4 of 7 starts. He was unbeaten in two starts in Australia in December 2017 and January 2018.

In the Beas River Handicap, Circuit Number Two will carry 121 pounds and is part of a field of 13. Karis Teetan, second in the jockey standings with 45 wins through Wednesday, has the mount. Zac Purton leads all riders with 60 wins.

Purton has the mount on Good Standing, who will carry 123 pounds. Trained by John Moore, Good Standing is winless in seven starts in Hong Kong. A 5-year-old gelding, Good Standing was fifth in a handicap at Happy Valley Racecourse on Dec. 26.

The Beas River Handicap will be the third start in Hong Kong for the talented Enrichment, who is trained by John Size. Former Hong Kong leading rider Joao Moreira has the mount on Enrichment, who was a troubled fourth against a strong field at Sha Tin in a one-mile race at Sha Tin on Jan. 6.

Enrichment was third in a Group 3 race at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Australia last March when racing under the name Belfast. Horses frequently have their names changed when they are sent to Hong Kong.

The Beas River Handicap will be the first start in Hong Kong for Epic, who was fourth behind Roaring Lion in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York Racecourse in England last May racing under the name Merlin Magic.

On Saturday, Epic will be ridden by Douglas Whyte, a 47-year-old former leading rider in Hong Kong who is retiring on Feb. 10 to become a trainer in Hong Kong.