Happy Valley Preview - 22/04/20

KWAI CHUNG ELITE is yet to win a race but shaped much more like doing so over 7f at Sha Tin last month, possibly getting to the front a tad early and subsequently fading into third.

That was his first run after a short absence, but that performance certainly wasn’t devoid of promise and his latest effort over this course and distance suggests he is more than capable of putting his best foot forward at this level, along with the fact the title-chasing Zac Purton has been booked to ride.

In a rather open-looking affair we are taking a chance with two-time course and distance winner HERO TIME, who on the judge of things is capable of notching up a third.

He has done the majority of his racing around here, and although his latest efforts have been rather hit and miss, he has now slipped to an attractive looking mark and the added services of Zac Purton suggest connections may be hopeful of another big run.

This looks to be between the leading pair in the market Above and LONDON HALL, and on this occasion it is the latter who we are siding with.

He arrives seeking a hat-trick, having finally found bags of improvement since being switched to the longer trips and the step up to 2200m poses no concerns.

His chief market rival Above is another who has since gone to a new level since being stretched out over further, but London Hall had the beating of him on his penultimate start and at these revised weights from stall 1, our selection looks capable of confirming the form.

Many of these arrive rather out of form and small stakes are advised on our selection MIGHTY POWER who we will be taking a chance with at his double-figure odds.

This gelding finished well on his latest start over track and trip, having been pushed 5 wide on the turn-in for home and now arriving 2lbs lower in the weights, he looks capable of making the frame here if breaking well from the plum draw.

Lope De Vega colt WINNING WAYS took a while to finally breakthrough but has appeared rejuvenated since starting out for the Danny Shum yard.

He suffered a luckless run of things on his latest outing, travelling nicely in behind the leading bunch but not quite getting the gaps he needed to make up the ground and with a clearer passage this time around he looks the most likely winner in this with Zac Purton retaining the ride.

BLOOMING SPIRIT looks to have finally found his feet since being stepped up to the 1600m distance, having won on his first attempt at the trip, before confirming that success was no fluke when always doing enough to hold off Snow Airjet at the track last time out.

He again faces that rival in this contest under a 5lb higher mark, along with Tangmere who is also well-fancied at the top of the market, but both don’t appear the most consistent of sorts and our selection is clearly thriving at the moment.

In another trappy event we are siding with the mount of Zac Purton who looks an interesting booking on this unexposed son of Medaglia D'oro.

On breeding it could be argued LUCKY QUALITY may be better over further in time but his best efforts to date have both come over a speedy 6f at this track.

He shaped well when running on in-between runners in first-time blinkers, over C&D last time out and if he is able break well and maintain his position on the rail in this contest he has every chance of gaining that first career success, with connections opting for the same choice of headgear again.

Many of these have issues and although BEAUTY AMIGO is yet to pull up any trees as of yet, he has shown with his recent efforts that it’s only a matter of time before he gets his head in front.

He has recently responded well to the fitting of blinkers, turning in his best two efforts to date in his last couple of starts, and although that doesn’t represent any sort of winning form he’s been given a chance by the handicapper and if that headgear again has the desired effect he could play a leading role in this, if he is able to get over to the rail early on.

In the final contest of the evening we are hoping last time out winner LARSON can send punters and favourite-backers alike, home happy.

This 5-y-o overcame a wide draw over track and trip to score on his most recent outing, when always holding his opponents at bay and he could be capable of putting in a similar performance with Zac Purton again taking the reigns.

He does, however, have another wide berth to contend with under a 6lb higher mark but the early speed he possesses may stand him in good stead, providing he is able to not do too much out in front in the initial stages of the race.