Winner's Way looks to turn things in Shan Kwong

Group-level stakes have been too difficult in recent starts for Hong Kong veterans Packing Dragon, Sichuan Dar and Winner’s Way. A retreat to a lesser race – Wednesday’s $319,629 Shan Kwong Handicap at Happy Valley Racecourse – could put one of them back in the winner’s circle.

The Shan Kwong Handicap is run at about a mile on turf and is the second of nine races on a Happy Valley program that begins at 5:45 a.m., Eastern.

Winner’s Way, a 5-year-old gelding, is the 133-pound highweight in a field of seven in the Shan Kwong Handicap. Trained by Tony Cruz, Winner’s Way was seventh in the Group 3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup at seven furlongs at Sha Tin Racecourse on Jan. 1.

A four-time winner in Hong Kong, Winner’s Way was second in the Group 3 Premier Cup at seven furlongs at Sha Tin last June. Winner’s Way is winless in six starts during the current Hong Kong season.

Sichuan Dar won a minor handicap at about a mile at Happy Valley in September in his first start of the year, but was last of 13 as a longshot in the Group 1 Stewards’ Cup at a mile at Sha Tin on Jan. 28, beaten five lengths by Seasons Bloom. Trained by Tony Millard, Sichuan Dar will carry 127 pounds in the Shan Kwong Handicap.

Packing Dragon, who will carry 124 pounds, holds an edge on recent form. Packing Dragon won a minor handicap at Happy Valley at 1 1/8 miles on turf Feb. 7, a brighter performance than a seventh-place finish in the Group 3 January Cup at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Happy Valley on Jan. 10.

Wednesday’s sixth race is the $319,627 Happy Valley Trophy, a handicap at six furlongs on turf. Archippus, who was last of eight in the Group 3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy at five furlongs on turf at Sha Tin on Jan. 7, is the 133-pound highweight in a field of 10.

Trained by Paul O’Sullivan, the former champion trainer in New Zealand, Archippus won a six-furlong handicap on turf at Happy Valley in December. Born in China, who was second in that race, is part of the Happy Valley Trophy field. Born in China, who will carry 129 pounds, was seventh in a handicap at Sha Tin on Jan. 21.

The Happy Valley Trophy will be the second start in Hong Kong for Seven Heavens, who was second in the minor Surrey Stakes at Epsom Racecourse in England last June. Trained by Caspar Fownes, Seven Heavens was 11th in a handicap at six furlongs on turf at Sha Tin on Feb. 10 in his Hong Kong debut. In Wednesday’s race, Seven Heavens will carry 113 pounds.