Hong Kong: Mile distance should suit Copartner Fionn in Class 3 feature at Happy Valley

Copartner Fionn was a three-time winner in New Zealand in 2021, including his final two starts in that country last July.

Copartner Fionn was later sent to Hong Kong where he finished a good third in his debut in a six-furlong handicap at Sha Tin Racecourse on Feb. 20. With that race, and the benefit of a recent workout from the gate, Copartner Fionn will be a factor in his second Hong Kong start, a Class 3 handicap at about a mile, Wednesday’s ninth and final race at Happy Valley Racecourse.

The distance should be a better fit for Copartner Fionn, a 4-year-old gelding who raced under the name Black Forest in New Zealand. In that country, Copartner Fionn won races at distances ranging from seven furlongs to a mile.

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Copartner Fionn is now trained by Chris So, and will be ridden by Vagner Borges, who was aboard for the Sha Tin race. Copartner Fionn is part of a field of 12 in the Sam Chuk Handicap and will carry 121 pounds, a relatively light assignment.

He is a longshot to consider against expected favorite Zone D, topweight Amazing One Plus, and Packing Award, who takes a jump in class.

Amazing One Plus, the mount of leading rider Zac Purton, will carry 133 pounds but is winless in 16 starts in Hong Kong. In Ireland, Amazing One Plus was a two-time Group 3 winner in 2018 and 2019 when trained by Dermot Weld.

Amazing One Plus was sixth in a handicap at about a mile at Happy Valley on March 2, missing by seven lengths after racing in traffic more than three furlongs from the finish. Purton was not aboard for that race, but did ride Amazing One Plus to a second and third at Happy Valley in December and January.

While Copartner Fionn is a relative unknown in Hong Kong and Amazing One Plus has struggled, there is no doubt that Zone D will gain support. He has won his last two starts as the favorite in handicaps at about a mile at Happy Valley on Feb. 6 and March 2, closing from well off the pace.

Blake Shinn takes the mount on Zone D for the first time since a third-place finish in a handicap at Sha Tin last July.

Karis Teetan, Zone D’s previous rider, has retained the mount on Packing Award, who overcame trouble to win a handicap at about a mile against a lower class of handicap runners at Happy Valley on Feb. 23 in his most recent start.

Teetan had a big weekend, winning Sunday’s $3.1 million Hong Kong Derby on Romantic Warrior at Sha Tin.

Happy Valley has a nine-race program beginning at 6:45 a.m. Eastern. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.