By Luke Middlebrook
Hong Kong racing continues this Wednesday with the G3 January Cup Handicap (1800m) at Happy Valley – the only Group race at the city circuit for the season.
Happy Valley king Caspar Fownes will be hoping promising stayer ZEBROWSKI can score a second local win in the feature event.
ZEBROWSKI has been honest as the day is long since debuting in Hong Kong in early September, notching a win and two second placings from six starts.
But the former Australian galloper, where he was a genuine Group performer, hasn’t had much luck in some starts, either, as seen last start when he was forced to race wide and without cover on IJC night at Happy Valley 28 days ago.
Still, he stuck on gallantly in the stretch to hold down fourth place, beaten 0.75 lengths, for a solid effort. ZEBROWSKI has since turned in an impressive trial up at Conghua and Fownes looks to have the five-year-old raring to go.
Elsewhere, in-form five-year-old VIVA POPCORN can atone for a last-start defeat when he steps out in the Class 4 1650m Handicap in race 5.
As is the case with many of the International Sales Graduate purchases, VIVA POPCORN has been a big improver into his second preparation of racing after sliding down the handicap into Class 5.
VIVA POPCORN was able to break his maiden tag four starts ago in the grade before returning to Class 4 where he has measured up without winning.
Last start, when jumping a well-backed odds-on favourite, he didn’t disgrace checking home into third place after he settled a little too far back in a slow run race. With Joao Moreira remaining on board this week, VIVA POPCORN gets another chance.
Meanwhile, leading trainer Frankie Lor Barrier will be upbeat about barrier three for THE RUNNER in the Class 3 1200m Handicap in race 8.
THE RUNNER comes into the lowest barrier he’s had in all four starts this season and he put the writing on the wall last start when charging home from 10th place at the 400m to miss by a neck margin on the wire.
The last time THE RUNNER won, he sat outside the leader in running, and this week’s speed map appears to suit him down to a tee to be hard to beat.
