Encouraging faces easier assignment in Shan Kwong Handicap at Happy Valley

Twice in the last four months, Encouraging has looked like a winner in the stretch in Hong Kong only to finish behind Golden Sixty. At least, Encouraging is keeping good company.

Golden Sixty won his second consecutive $1.28 million race in Sunday’s Hong Kong Classic Cup, a leading prep to the Hong Kong Derby on March 15.

Encouraging will start in a lesser, but still lucrative race, in Wednesday’s $359,250 Shan Kwong Handicap at about a mile and 50 yards at Happy Valley Racecourse. Encouraging, a 6-year-old Australian-bred gelding, has not raced since he finished fourth behind Golden Sixty in the Group 3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup at seven furlongs at Sha Tin Racecourse on Jan. 1, racing within a neck of the lead in the stretch.

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Trained by John Moore, Encouraging was entered in a seven-furlong handicap at Sha Tin on Jan. 27, but did not start because of unsoundness, according to the Hong Kong Jockey Club website. Encouraging has had four workouts this month, including six furlongs in 1:22.30 on Saturday. He ran the final quarter-mile of that workout in 23.80 seconds.

Encouraging is unbeaten in two career starts at Happy Valley, consecutive races in early 2019. In Wednesday’s race, Encouraging will carry topweight of 133 pounds. He shares the top weight assignment with Simply Brilliant, who is winless in five starts since the current season began in September but won the Group 3 January Cup at Happy Valley in early 2019.

Encouraging, who will be ridden by Zac Purton, has Fast Most Furious and Harmony Victory as his main rivals.

Fast Most Furious, who will carry 130 pounds, was a fast-closing second in a handicap at a mile at Sha Tin on Feb. 8. Harmony Victory, who will carry 129 pounds, was second in the Group 3 January Cup at 1 1/8 miles at Happy Valley on Jan. 8, but a disappointing ninth after a slow start in the Group 3 Centenary Vase at Sha Tin on Jan. 29.

The other feature race on Wednesday’s Happy Valley program is the $359,250 Blue Pool Handicap at six furlongs. The focus of the race will be on Amazing Star, who is unbeaten in three starts this season while rising sharply in class through Hong Kong’s handicap system.

Amazing Star will run in the richest race of his career in the Blue Pool Handicap and will carry 121 pounds, 12 less than topweight Fat Turtle, who was second to Golden Sixty in the Chinese Club Challenge Cup.