Focus on lightly raced horses in Hong Kong feature
A handful of lightly raced horses look like the most interesting horses in the featured seventh race Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.
The Sunday feature, as the Hong Kong season winds to a close, is a Class 2 handicap for horses rated 80-100 and run at 1,200 meters (about six furlongs). Post time if 4:05 a.m. Eastern.
Baltic Whisper and Star Shine are the 4-year-olds that hold the most appeal here. Baltic Whisper, who won his Hong Kong debut in late January, has put together a steady enough five-start campaign. But the Australian-bred has only started in straight-course 1,000-meter races at Sha Tin and on Sunday is being asked to stretch another furlong and negotiate a turn.
Star Shine is proven over the 1,200 but not at the Class 2 level. His rating was raised seven points by the Hong Kong handicapper on the strength of a half-length win on May 20, but young ratings-risers are often horses to watch in Hong Kong handicaps since weight breaks mitigate class hikes. In Star Shine’s case he carries 122 pounds, eight fewer than top-rated My Darling, whose recent form is poor.
Mission Tycoon is a mere 3-year-old but he has flashed ability in his three Hong Kong races. Mission Tycoon won a Class 3 by two lengths going 1,200 meters on April 29 and was second by just a head June 3 starting in a race just like Sunday’s. Joao Moreira rides Mission Tycoon – and might be sitting on a winner.