By Luke Middlebrook
Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday for a 10-race fixture with the Class 2 1600m Handicap the highest-rated race on the card. Joao Moreira’s chances of extending his lead on the jockeys’ ladder are strong.
Of those, MASTER DELIGHT is back to atone after a narrow last-start defeat as an odds-on favourite.
MASTER DELIGHT has acquitted himself well in four starts for the John Size stable in Hong Kong, missing the frame on just one occasion when fourth place second-up in a slow run race and dictated to by a wide barrier.
MASTER DELIGHT shed his local maiden tag impressively two starts ago when rising to the mile, and was expected to repeat the dose next time out when an odds-on favourite, but he found himself on pace in a fast run race and was swamped late.
That day, MASTER DELIGHT’S first 800m of 47.14 seconds was 0.78 seconds faster than Japan galloper SALIOS’, who led them up in the G1 Hong Kong Mile later on the card, so it was a solid effort to hold second place. Having trialled well in between runs, MASTER DELIGHT looks primed to land a second Hong Kong win.
Elsewhere, trainer Me Tsui’s four-year-old ARMOUR EAGLE is on song to land his first local win in the Class 3 1200m Handicap at Sha Tin on Sunday.
ARMOUR EAGLE, a two-time winner from three starts in Australia when known as Brandwood, has acclimatised to Hong Kong racing quickly after two promising runs so far. First-up, he was eased back early from barrier 11 before closing off strongly late two lengths off the winner into sixth place.
Proving the eye-catching debut effort no fluke, ARMOUR EAGLE went on to finish runner-up to unbeaten four-year-old ROMANTIC WARRIOR second-up.
Coming into barrier 3 on Sunday while getting the services of Joao Moreira and with good speed engaged in the race can see ARMOUR EAGLE hard to hold out.
