Declan Schuster's Hong Kong Selections and Analysis for Wednesday, May 3, 2023

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS

(Wednesday, May 03, 2023)

Race 1: #8 Jolly Honour, #5 Charizard, #9 Owners’ Star, #12 Fortune Winner
Race 2: #9 Encore, #8 Day Day Rich, #12 Shenron, #7 Alloy King
Race 3: #12 One Heart One, #1 Ready Player One, #7 Beauty Mission, #9 Happy Angel
Race 4: #9 Young Life Forever, #11 Modest Gentleman, #5 Happy United, #6 Denfield
Race 5: #2 Incanto Prepared, #1 Dinkum, #4 Helene Wisdom Star, #3 Splendid Living
Race 6: #6 Wood On Fire, #8 Happy Trio, #11 Flaming Eagle, #2 Flying On The Turf
Race 7: #7 Hoss, #6 Humble Star, #1 Beauty Tycoon, #5 Jolly Ruler
Race 8: #10 Top Top Tea, #5 Helene Feeling, #11 Packing Succeeder, #4 Winning Dragon
Race 9: #10 Act Of Faith, #2 Nordic Dragon, #9 Phoenix Light, #3 Jumbo Fortune

Race 1: Chester Handicap

#8 Jolly Honour draws ideally for Hugh Bowman. Expect he can save ground throughout and prove tough to get past, especially in this grade, which is well below his previous best. #5 Charizard has been knocking on the door for some time. He’s racing well and a forward position early on should see him go very, very close. #9 Owners’ Star can figure with a bit of luck. He has a powerful finish in his arsenal, enough to warrant consideration here. #12 Fortune Winner pairs favourably with Alexis Badel. He has no weight and a positive draw.

Race 2: Hereford Handicap
#9 Encore has raced well at Happy Valley and he gets his shot here. Vincent Ho hops up which is a plus and he gets a light weight which enhances his claims. He’s ready to win. #8 Day Day Rich tends to find the front which he should do once more for Zac Purton. Expect he tries to pinch this on the turn for home. #12 Shenron slots in light and has been close to winning for some time now. He gets his chance here from draw two. #7 Alloy King mixes his form but knows what it’s all about. Next in line.

Race 3: Lancashire Handicap (1st Section)

#12 One Heart One slots in light. He’s shown his capabilities across recent runs and this contest looks more than suitable for him to breakthrough. He should get a sweet run from the draw under no weight with Karis Teetan aboard. #1 Ready Player One can win in this grade and the retention of Zac Purton is a big plus, just like gate three. #7 Beauty Mission has consistency on his side which should soon be rewarded. #9 Happy Angel is so close to a first win. The draw isn’t ideal but Alexis Badel stays aboard once again.

Race 4: Renfrew Handicap (2nd Section)

#9 Young Life Forever gets one of his better chances here to capture a first win. He gets the right draw and appears capable of getting the better of this group. #11 Modest Gentleman is in the right vein of form. He remains a massive threat here with Karis Teetan sticking on top. #5 Happy United gets the services of Zac Purton again. He’s inexperienced but does appear to have his fair share of ability. Keep safe. #6 Denfield turned his form around to finish second last time out. He’s figuring it out. Next in line.

Race 5: Lancashire Handicap (2nd Section)

#2 Incanto Prepared has been racing off a dangerous mark for some time now. He’s done his best racing at Happy Valley and gate two will afford him every possible chance for Alexis Badel. He can win. #1 Dinkum is lightly raced but shows glimpses of potential at times. He’s worth considering here as he dips to Class 4. #4 Helene Wisdom Star is knocking on the door and gets an added boost with Zac Purton sticking aboard. #3 Splendid Living is in the right vein of form. Expect he tries to pinch this one from the front.

Race 6: Renfrew Handicap (1st Section)

#6 Wood On Fire is in close to career-best form. He’s holding his condition well and Karis Teetan takes the ride once more. He suits the horse, and the ideal gate is a big plus. #8 Happy Trio toughed it out for a nice win last time out. He’s favoured here from a positive draw. #11 Flaming Eagle slots in light and was an impressive winner three starts ago. Vincent Ho’s booking grabs attention. #2 Flying On The Turf racked up a Happy Valley hat-trick recently. Zac Purton partners him again which is a plus.

Race 7: The St George’s Challenge Cup Handicap (1st Section)

#7 Hoss has shown he has a stack of ability and enough potential to improve. Like the booking of Zac Purton, especially from gate two. Expect him to save ground and prove tough to beat. #6 Humble Star mixes his form but is much better than what his recent outings suggest. Gate one should see him get every chance. #1 Beauty Tycoon has the class edge over this group. The draw enhances his claims. #5 Jolly Ruler is racing well and was a strong winner two runs back at the Valley. He should be fighting out the finish.

Race 8: Selkirk Handicap

#10 Top Top Tea is an improving talent. The distance remains a question mark but his recent performances suggest he’ll handle it with ease. Strong booking of Silvestre de Sousa with no weight allocated. #5 Helene Feeling can continue to improve following a tidy second-up win last time out. #11 Packing Succeeder slots in light and he has more ability than what he’s shown so far. Keep safe. #4 Winning Dragon could potentially lead this group. The wide gate, however, will see him do a stack of work early.

Race 9: Wiltshire Handicap (2nd Section)

#10 Act Of Faith is steadily proving that he’s capable in Class 3. His last run was impressive in defeat. Karis Teetan remains aboard and he gets his chance here in a hot finale. #2 Nordic Dragon got back on track last start with a tidy third career-win. Hugh Bowman sticks with him and he should be right there in the finish again. #9 Phoenix Light turned in a strong showing for fourth last time out. Zac Purton’s booking catches the eye here. #3 Jumbo Fortune is doing everything right except winning. He’ll be running home late.