Moreira looking for Happy Valley double with True Grit, Waldorf

True Grit and Waldorf have each won their last two starts at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong and the geldings can give jockey Joao Moreira a sweep of the late double at the same venue on Wednesday.

True Grit, trained by John Size, won handicaps at a mile and 50 yards in consecutive starts on April 10 and May 15, closing from off the pace to oblige as the favorite. Those races were against a lower class of runners than True Grit will face in Wednesday’s $175,818 Shan Pui River Handicap at the same distance.

True Grit will carry 118 pounds, 15 less than topweight Harmony Hero, who is winless in his last 10 starts, including eight races since the Hong Kong season began in September. Harmony Hero was a game second as the 2-1 favorite in a race at this level at Happy Valley in February, which is certain to attract the attention of bettors.

True Grit, a 4-year-old Australian-bred gelding, has won 2 of 6 starts in his career, all during the current season in Hong Kong and all at Happy Valley.

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Universal Go Go, the 113-pound low weight, is capable of a winning performance. Trained by Francis Lui, Universal Go Go finished a half-length behind True Grit on May 15 despite sustaining a bump at the start.

Through Sunday, Moreira was third in the jockey standings with 60 wins, well behind runaway leader Zac Purton who has won 93 races. Moreira, a former leading rider in Hong Kong, did not ride the early months of the current season while riding in Japan.

Waldorf shares the role of topweight at 133 pounds with Breeders’ Star in the $175,818 Tan Shan River Handicap at six furlongs on turf.

Waldorf, a 4-year-old Australian-bred gelding, won six-furlong handicaps at Happy Valley on March 20 and April 17, going off favored in each race. Waldorf was ridden by Karis Teetan in those races. Teetan is booked to ride Coby Oppa (124 pounds) in the Tan Shan River Handicap, a 3-year-old gelding he has guided to wins in two of his last four starts.

Moreira is officially a stable jockey for Size during the current Hong Kong season, and rides for other stables when Size does not have a runner in a specific race, such as the Tan Shan River Handicap.

The Tan Shan River Handicap drew a full field of 12. The race will be a class test for Jolly Convergence (117) who has won two of his last three starts against lesser company.