Time Warp likely to show the way in Hoi Ha Handicap

Time Warp slipped away to an insurmountable lead in the Wyndham Handicap at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong on June 14, recording his first victory in his eighth start this year.

Those tactics may be on display in Wednesday’s $224,393 Hoi Ha Handicap at Happy Valley. The difference is the race distance. The Wyndham was run at 1 1/8 miles on turf, while the Hoi Ha Handicap is run at about a mile and 50 yards on turf.

The Hoi Ha Handicap is the seventh race on an eight-race program at Happy Valley. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Trained by Tony Cruz, Time Warp was a five-time winner in England and France in 2015 and 2016. He won on turf and all-weather surfaces in Europe and was tried on both surfaces in Hong Kong before the win in the Wyndham.

Alvin Ng was aboard for the Wyndham and has the mount on Wednesday. A 4-year-old gelding, Time Warp will carry 124 pounds.

Big Bang Bong, who will also carry 124 pounds, was second to Time Warp on June 14 and second in two other handicaps on April 9 and May 10. Wednesday’s race will be Big Bang Bong’s 15th start of the Hong Kong season, which began in September. Leading rider Joao Moreira has the mount on a 4-year-old gelding who races as a stalker.

Big Bang Bong won over this course and distance at Happy Valley last December.

Of the other runners in a field of 12, Pikachu will appreciate the distance. A 6-year-old gelding, he won a handicap at about a mile and 50 yards at Happy Valley on March 15 but has since finished third and 11th in seven-furlong turf races at Sha Tin Racecourse.

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