King Genki back on his favorite track in Cafeteria Handicap

King Genki has won three of his last four starts on the infield dirt track at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, becoming a bettors’ friend along the way. Since late October, King Genki has won as the 2-1 favorite, finished fifth at 9-2, and won consecutive starts at 7-1 and 17-2.

King Genki has risen steadily in class with his recent success and is the highest-rated horse in Wednesday’s $248,572 Cafeteria Handicap at about a mile and 50 yards at Sha Tin. Because apprentice jockey Victor Wong claims five pounds, King Genki will carry 128 pounds. He is still the highweight.

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Trained by Tony Cruz, King Genki is part of a field of 10 in the Cafeteria Handicap, the richest of eight races on Sha Tin’s infield dirt track on Wednesday.

Wong is riding King Genki for the first time since October. A 7-year-old gelding who will start on the outside, King Genki is a threat from just off the pace.

In his latest start on March 10, King Genki caught pacesetter Raging Blitzkreig in the final sixteenth of handicap at about a mile and 50 yards at Sha Tin. Wednesday, Raging Blitzkreig starts in the Cafeteria Handicap with an assignment of 127 pounds and will be ridden by Joao Moreira, a former leading rider in Hong Kong.

Leading jockey Zac Purton rides the contender Glorious Artist, who was second and third behind King Genki in February and March. Glorious Artist (121 pounds) was an unlucky second to King Genki on Feb. 24, racing in traffic before missing by a neck.

Turin Redstar is a course and distance winner with appeal. Trained by Frankie Lor, Turin Redstar won on the infield dirt track at Sha Tin in May 2018 and won a handicap on turf at about a mile and 50 yards at Happy Valley Racecourse on April 17.

Turin Redstar was assigned 129 pounds, but apprentice jockey Alfred Chan claims 10 pounds, significantly dropping the 5-year-old gelding’s impost.