Little Bird steps up in Pottinger Peak Handicap

Little Bird is an ultra-quick 5-year-old gelding who used his speed to win a five-furlong handicap at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong on Feb. 20.

The two-length win has given Little Bird a tougher assignment in Wednesday’s $248,531 Pottinger Peak Handicap at five furlongs at Happy Valley. While the course and distance are the same, Little Bird faces a higher class of competition than at any time in his 13-race Hong Kong career, which began in February 2018.

Little Bird, trained by Ricky Yiu, will be ridden by leading rider Zac Purton who was aboard for the win on Feb. 20. Little Bird led throughout that race from post 5, and starts on Wednesday from post 4, which could work in his favor. Little Bird is drawn one position to the outside of Moment of Power, who also has speed and won a five-furlong handicap at Happy Valley on Jan. 30.

It is easy to envision Purton giving Little Bird a forward position while tracking Moment of Power in the opening quarter-mile.

Moment of Power was ninth in a five-furlong handicap at Sha Tin on Feb. 24. Five-furlong races at Sha Tin are run on a straightaway, while such races at Happy Valley are run around a turn.

A potential speed duel would help closers such as Super Turbo and Saul’s Special, who head the weights with assignments of 128 and 127.

Super Turbo was a troubled second, beaten a half-length, in a six-furlong handicap at Happy Valley on March 6. Saul’s Special was second in front of Moment of Power at Sha Tin on Feb. 24 after leading briefly in the stretch.

Little Bird carries 122 pounds, one more than Moment of Power.

The post position draw was not as kind to Starlight, who will be ridden by former leading rider Joao Moreira from post 12. Starlight, who has been assigned 120 pounds on Wednesday, was third behind Super Turbo from post 11 on March 6.