Surging Best Step stands out in Queen's Road Central Handicap

Best Step, the 4-year-old gelding, has become a different horse the last six months in Hong Kong.

After losing his first three career starts, including one race by a nose, Best Step has won three of his last four races, rising in class in Hong Kong’s handicap ratings. Best Step will start as a logical selection Wednesday in the first division of the $167,793 Queen’s Road Central Handicap at six furlongs on turf at Happy Valley Racecourse.

Best Step, who will be ridden by Zac Purton, will be the runner to catch. In his recent starts, Best Step has set the pace. In his first start of the current Hong Kong season, which began in early September, Best Step led throughout a six-furlong handicap on Sept. 27, winning by a neck as the favorite over Charity Glory, a closer who is part of Wednesday’s race.

Best Step, who is trained by Casper Fownes, will carry 126 pounds, seven less than topweight Calculation, who won a seven-furlong handicap at Sha Tin Racecourse in July but was 12th in his first two starts of the current season.

There are three $167,793 races on the eight-race program at Happy Valley on Wednesday. First post time is 7:15 a.m., Eastern. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Best Step and Charity Glory are in the sixth race. The seventh race is the second division of the Queen’s Road Central Handicap, a race led by 133-pound topweight Fantastic Feeling.

The mount of Karis Teetan, Fantastic Feeling had a troubled trip when third by a length in a six-furlong handicap at Happy Valley on Sept. 20. Fantastic Feeling finished behind Super Leader, who is part of Wednesday’s seventh race and will carry 126 pounds.

Wonderful Journey was assigned 133 pounds, but will carry 126 pounds because apprentice jockey Matt Poon has a seven-pound allowance. Wonderful Journey was a troubled ninth after a poor start at Happy Valley on Sept. 20 against tougher horses.

Teetan and Poon have leading chances in the $167,793 Sutherland Handicap at a mile and 50 yards in the program’s final race.

Teetan rides Super Form, who won a race against a lesser field on Sept. 13 over the same course and distance. Poon has the mount on Outlawed, a winner at a mile and 50 yards at Happy Valley on Sept. 27.

Kiram, a 6-year-old gelding, will have ample support. Kiram, who will be ridden by leading rider Joao Moreira, was beaten a neck by Outlawed on Sept. 27.