Green Luck and Helene Charisma meet again at Happy Valley

Green Luck and Helene Charisma were separated by 1 1/2 lengths when first and second in a handicap at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong on Sept. 11.

Green Luck was the 3-1 favorite in the race at about a mile and 50 yards and won for the second time in four starts. Helene Charisma was 35-1 and closed well on the rail to nearly end a four-race losing streak.

:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, and analysis

The two geldings meet for the second time this month in Wednesday’s $267,884 Heung Yip Handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Happy Valley. The way they closed through the stretch on Sept. 11 suggests the longer distance will not be an issue for either one.

What could be a factor are the weights. Green Luck is the 129-pound topweight in a field of seven, while Helene Charisma carries 123. On Sept. 11, they both carried 119 since they had official ratings of 90 for that race. Because of his win, Green Luck is now rated at 96, a career-high, but also most carry six more pounds than Helene Charisma, whose handicap rating was not affected by the runner-up finish.

The distance will be a test for Mr So and So, who won consecutive starts at seven furlongs last December, but is winless in seven subsequent starts. Wednesday’s race will be Mr So and So’s first start since July, at the end of the 2018-19 Hong Kong season. Racing resumed earlier this month.

The race lacks a dedicated front-runner, though Ruthven has raced near the pace in the past against better competition.

John Size trains Mr So and So and runs Enrichment, who was fourth behind Green Luck on Sept. 11. Enrichment won a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Sha Tin Racecourse last October.