Rise High surging into Sunday's Tourmaline Handicap

Rise High just did, raising his official rating in Hong Kong by eight points on the strength of a 1 3/4-length win April 29 to 92.

Rise High runs back at the same level, a class 2 handicap open to horses rated 80 to 100, and at the same 1,600-meter distance, but picks up seven pounds when he starts in the featured Tourmaline Handicap on Sunday at Sha Tin.

Trained by Caspar Fownes, Rise High is the mount in Sunday’s 10th race for Zac Purton, who was aboard when Rise High rushed home from seventh at the top of the home-stretch to win going away in that April 29 race. Rise High, a French-bred 4-year-old by Myboycharlie, is in his first season of Hong Kong racing, and his form shows a horse who struggled to find his footing last fall. But Rise High has really put things together his last two starts and a repeat isn’t out of the question.

The other ratings riser in the race is Coby Boy, who was put up six points to 87 following an April 21 class 2 win at Sha Tin. Coby Boy is an Australian-bred 5-year-old with just four Hong Kong runs, all over 1,400 meters, and has to improve again to contend Sunday.

The John Moore-trained Easy Go Win took a step in the wrong direction last out but has bounce-back potential in the Tourmaline after being positioned nearer the pace than typical in his most recent start.

Top-weighted Citron Spirit already has put together an active and relatively successful campaign and probably can’t do any better than his recent form.