The first feature race of the season takes centre stage at Sha Tin on Sunday with the running of the Group 3 Celebration Cup Handicap over 1400m, and it’s hard to look past trainer Manfred Man’s thriving four-year-old, ENCOUNTERED.
The former UK-raced gelding arrived in Hong Kong in mid-2022 and didn’t show much in three starts before causing a boil-over fourth-up by winning at odds of 199-1. During his second Hong Kong season last term, he continued his good form and improved as the season progressed. Stringing together two consecutive wins in Class 3, ENCOUNTERED was on a Hong Kong Derby path, in which he finished a fading ninth, beaten by 3.75 lengths.
Post-Derby, ENCOUNTERED went on a winning streak, securing victory in his last three races of the season in sensational fashion. On Sunday, only a small field of six will line up. STRAIGHT ARRON may find the 1400m too sharp but is a stayer on the rise, while the likes of BEAUTY JOY, CIRCUIT STELLAR, and HEALTHY HAPPY are honest contenders.
Show me the Green
Elsewhere on the programme, progressive four-year-old GREEN N WHITE looks good enough to post two wins on end resuming in the Class 4 Handicap over 1400m (race 8).
Ricky Yiu-trained GREEN N WHITE broke through stylishly in his final run of last season when rising to this distance for the first time after three runs promising runs over 1200m.
Kicking clear by close to two lengths, he seemed to relish the extra furlong. He looked in excellent form in his trial leading up to his return, and finds himself in another winnable race where Zac Purton is booked to ride.
