Hong Kong Bet tops Cheung Hong Handicap

Hong Kong Bet, a 4-year-old Australian-bred gelding, had his first season of racing in Hong Kong in 2018-19, winning two of six starts.

The wins were at five furlongs on turf at Happy Valley Racecourse in May and July, the final months of a season that ended in July. Hong Kong resumed racing earlier this month, and Hong Kong Bet will have his first start of the new term in familiar surroundings.

Hong Kong Bet will start in the $268,214 Cheung Hong Handicap at five furlongs on turf at Happy Valley on Wednesday. This time, he will be facing a better class of horses than he did in recent starts. In his final starts of the 2018-19 season, Hong Kong Bet raced in class 3 handicaps for horses rated between 60 and 80.

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The Cheung Hong Handicap is a class 2 handicap for horses rated between 80 and 100. Hong Kong Bet currently has a rating of 87, the highest since he arrived in Hong Kong from Australia.

Trained by Tony Cruz, Hong Kong Bet tends to race as a stalker or closer. On July 10, he was always within a length of the lead and won by 1 1/4 lengths even though jockey Karis Teetan had to alter course about 300 yards from the finish.

In Wednesday’s race, Hong Kong Bet will carry 120 pounds. Teetan retains the mount.

Saul’s Special, who carries top weight of 133 pounds, and the Australian import Beauty Rush will command support.

Saul’s Special, the mount of leading rider Zac Purton, won his final start of the 2018-19 season in a class 2 handicap at five furlongs on turf at Happy Valley on June 26. Saul’s Special is trained by Michael Chang, who won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship in 2014 with Rich Tapestry.

Beauty Rush won the Group 3 Manfred Stakes at six furlongs on turf at Caulfield Racecourse in Australia in February in his final start in that country. At the time, Beauty Rush was named Tin Hat. Horses frequently have their names changed when they are sent to Hong Kong.

Beauty Rush, who will carry 116 pounds, is now trained by John Size and will be ridden by former Hong Kong leading rider Joao Moreira.