Gamechangers, Telecom Puma stand out in divisions of Hoi Yuen Handicap

Gamechangers has displayed steady improvement in recent starts in Hong Kong, and with those results has drawn the attention of bettors.

Trained by John Size, a runaway leader in the standings, Gamechangers won for the first time in the current Hong Kong season in a handicap at Happy Valley Racecourse on Jan. 16. Gamechangers followed with a third-place finish, by a short head, in a similar race at Sha Tin Racecourse on Feb. 7.

Those races make Gamechangers a leading contender in the second division of the $173,277 Hoi Yuen Handicap at six furlongs on turf at Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday.

Gamechangers, a 6-year-old Irish-bred gelding, will share the role of 131-pound topweight with Water Diviner, who was 10th in his first start in 11 months on Feb. 13.

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Gamechangers will be ridden by Joao Moreira, a former leading rider in Hong Kong whose mounts always attract extra scrutiny from Hong Kong’s deep-pocketed bettors. For the current season, which began in September, Gamechangers has one win in five starts.

Gamechangers is a closer who should have a pace to follow from Ambitious Heart, the mount of Silvestre de Sousa. Ambitious Heart was fifth behind Gamechangers on Jan. 16, and fifth again at Sha Tin on Feb. 13.

The first division of the Hoi Yuen Handicap will be the Hong Kong debut of Telecom Puma, a 4-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding. Now trained by Jimmy Ting, Telecom Puma won the Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas in New Zealand in 2017 when racing under the name Hard Merchandize. Horses frequently have their names changed when they are sent to Hong Kong.

Telecom Puma was assigned highweight of 133 pounds, but the presence of apprentice jockey Victor Wong, who claims seven pounds, will reduce that to 126 pounds. Telecom Puma has not raced since finishing seventh of 17 in the Karaka Million 3-year-old Classic in New Zealand in January 2018.

The race lacks a standout runner, but there will be support for Blitzing, who was a troubled fourth in a six-furlong handicap at Sha Tin on Feb. 7. Blitzing, who will be ridden by Karis Teetan, will carry 120 pounds.