Hong Kong: Recent winners Savaquin, Sunny Star meet in last of three Class 3 handicaps
Two sharp horses top the last of three Class 3 handicaps on the Wednesday card at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong.
Savaquin and Sunny Star exit decisive wins at the class level and distance, 1,650 meters. Both are relatively lightly raced 4-year-olds whose best form still should be in front of them and who can reasonably be expected to hold their strong form.
Savaquin, however, finds himself in a tough spot Wednesday. Trained by John Size, and with Zac Purton named to ride for the second race in a row, Savaquin has won his last two starts, rounding into form following five losses to begin his Hong Kong career. On Feb. 17, Savaquin, under 130 pounds, won a 1,650-meter Happy Valley Class 3 by one length, his rating rising seven points to 80 on the strength of that performance, and not only must he start as the 133-pound high-weight Wednesday, Savaquin is poorly drawn in post 10 in a race with a short run to the first of two turns.
:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, analysis, replays, and live streaming
Sunny Star, an American-bred by Flatter out of Suzee Sunrise, by Chester House, has a better draw in post 4 and carries 127 pounds after his rating also rose seven points, to 74, following a 1 3/4-length victory on Feb. 10. Sunny Star is a two-time winner and has run well in all six of his starts this season. He has a touch of positional pace and with any luck should figure prominently at the finish under Alexei Badel.
Race 7, over 1,200 meters, drew a full gate of 12, including Triple Triple, who has really come on strong since trainer Frankie Lor added cheek pieces three races ago. Triple Triple easily won his most recent start, a Happy Valley Class 3 over this distance, but must cope with post 12 on Wednesday.
Race 6 is the same kind of race as the nightcap, Class 3 over 1,650 meters, and has drawn a full, competitive gate.
:: Download DRF's Guide to Betting Hong Kong Racing
First post for the card is 5:45 a.m. Eastern. You can catch all the action at DRFBets.com.