Red Warrior ready to turn tables on Super Chic

On two occasions last fall Super Chic and Red Warrior met in minor handicaps at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong, with Super Chic winning both races.

Their third meeting, in Wednesday’s $248,531 Hong Kong Club Challenge Cup at Happy Valley, may have a different outcome. This time, there is an eight-pound spread in the weights between the two runners, a break that could give an advantage to Red Warrior.

Super Chic is the 133-pound topweight in the race at 1 1/8 miles on turf, while Red Warrior will carry 125 pounds. The race drew a field of 10 and has long-term implications for Red Warrior. A 4-year-old gelding trained by John Size, Red Warrior has been nominated for the Hong Kong Derby on March 17. A successful race on Wednesday would move him closer to that goal.

Despite his wins against Red Warrior in October and November, Super Chic, trained by Tony Cruz, was ninth at 12-1 in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Sha Tin Racecourse on Dec. 23, a loss that ended a two-race winning streak. Cruz won his 1,200th race in Hong Kong at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Red Warrior has been favored in his last four starts, and could certainly have that role on Wednesday. Red Warrior won a lower-class race at Happy Valley in October and has been second or third in three subsequent starts, always finishing with 1 3/4 lengths of the front.

Both Super Chic and Red Warrior are closers who will be in pursuit of expected pacesetter Circuit Glory, who is trained by Cruz.

The Hong Kong Challenge Cup is the sixth race on an eight-race program that concludes with the $248,531 Chater Handicap at six furlongs on turf. The focus will be on the 3-year-old Country Star, who has won four of seven starts. Trained by Size, Country Star won a six-furlong handicap at Happy Valley on Jan. 9, racing near the front throughout.

Country Star has been assigned 130 pounds, two less than topweight Super Turbo, a 6-year-old gelding who is winless in six starts at the current Hong Kong season, which began in September.

There will be deserved support for Super Hoppy, who was a troubled second behind Country Star on Jan. 9 and will be ridden by leading rider Zac Purton.