Hong Kong: Fa Fa should stalk and pounce in Class 2 at Happy Valley

Sha Tin, evidently, is a no-no for the 4-year-old gelding Fa Fa. Take the horse to Happy Valley, however, and he is likely to bring a smile to your face.

Fa Fa’s finishes over the Sha Tin grass course: sixth, eighth, ninth, 12th, and 14th. At Happy Valley, Fa Fa has gone a remarkable 7-6-1-0 and he is back at his vastly preferred Hong Kong course in the featured third race Wednesday.

The feature comes early (7:45 a.m. Eastern) on a nine-race card (first post 6:45 a.m., wagering available at DRFBets.com) because the race, a Class 2 handicap over 1,650 meters for horses rated 100-80, drew a field of only seven. Fa Fa breaks from post 4 and, his Happy Valley record on stark display, figures to be a short price, Matthew Chadwick riding for trainer Frankie Lor.

Fa Fa contested all three legs of the 4-year-old classic series, though he made nearly no impression in any of those starts, the Classic Mile, the 1,800-meter Classic Cup, and the 2,000-meter Derby. The Derby, his most recent start, was run March 20, meaning Fa Fa has gotten a nice freshening into this start.

:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, analysis, replays, and live streaming

A New Zealand-bred by the 15-year-old sire He’s Remarkable, a grandson of the better-known Be My Guest, Fa Fa has not missed a day of training during his break. He cruised to a turf barrier-trial win on May 13 and had a final blowout Monday morning for Wednesday’s start. Fa Fa carries 124 pounds, and while his Class 2 win over 1,800 meters four races ago came under only 116 pounds, Fa Fa won at this Class 3 level and 1,650-meter trip carrying 129 on Nov. 17.

Fa Fa should get a favorable stalking trip because even with a limited number of entries the race has plenty of speed. Telecom Fighters, the high weight at 131 pounds, always goes to the front, while Soulmate has led or pressed the leader in four of his last five starts, all in the same distance range as Wednesday’s contest.

Everyone’s Delight should press the pace, with Savaquin and Gorytus closing chances if Fa Fa doesn’t bounce back to form. Savaquin, a consistent performer, has yet to win this season but was a close class-and-distance second on Jan. 19. He gets the services of Joao Moreira but must carry 130 pounds.

Gorytus rises to Class 3 for the first time, weighted at 121 on the heels of a last-start Class 4 victory over 1,650 meters at Happy Valley.

Russian Emperor finishes fast in Group 1

Russian Emperor stormed home to Group 1 glory while Cordyceps Six took full advantage of his low weight in Sunday stakes action at Sha Tin.

Russian Emperor, the 2-1 favorite, raced over 1 1/2 miles for the first time since finishing seventh of 16 in the 2020 Derby at Epsom Racecourse in England and rallied wide and powerfully to win the Group 1, $1.3 million Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup by 1 3/4 lengths over veteran Ka Ying Star. Four-year-old Senor Toba lacked room in upper stretch and finished well once clear to nab third.

:: Download DRF's Guide to Betting Hong Kong Racing

Ridden by Blake Shinn for former Hong Kong champion jockey Douglas Whyte, Russian Emperor raced without blinkers for the first time in his Hong Kong career. He was last of 10 with about 500 meters to run, but a final half-mile in a robust 46.56 sent him on to a decisive victory. Russian Emperor clocked 2:26.67, about on par for the race, racing over a course rated “good.”

Russian Emperor, imported from Ireland, is by Galileo out of Atlantic Jewel, by Fastnet Rock. He won’t race again until the 2022-23 Hong Kong season, Whyte said.

While the Champions and Chater Cup was run at level weights, the Group 3 Sha Tin Vase is a handicap and the lowest-rated horses, Cordyceps Six and Nervous Witness, finished first and second. Nervous Witness, carrying 114 pounds, set the pace and battled on gamely, but late-running Cordyceps Six ran him down while toting just 113 pounds. The winner got 17 pounds from third-place finisher Lucky Patch while running 1,200 meters in a slick 1:08.40.

Alexis Badel rode Cordyceps Six, the 3-2 favorite, for trainer Richard Gibson. A 3-year-old Australian-bred, Cordyceps Six has put together an excellent campaign, going 5-2-1 from nine starts.