Hong Kong racing continues on Sunday (8 October) for a 10-race turf and dirt fixture at Sha Tin.
Trainer Frankie Lor, with seven wins for the season, can improve on his tally when all-weather track specialist YOUTHFUL DEAL returns to his happy hunting ground in the Class 2 Handicap over 1200m.
The five-year-old gelding is second-up for the season and returns to the all-weather track for the first time since his successful three-peat on the surface three starts ago. YOUTHFUL DEAL has been unsuited on turf in his last two starts, where he performed well below his best, as expected. A four-time winner from six attempts at this week’s track and distance, it is clear he is best performed on the alternative racing surface.
Since his last-start sixth-place finish in a Class 1 Handicap 28 days ago, Lor has sent YOUTHFUL DEAL back to the trials where he won his heat in dominant fashion by 3.5 lengths, paving the way for the sprinter to bounce back for another win.
Superb Boy chasing down a hat-trick of wins for Bowman
Progressive five-year-old SUPERB BOY chases a hat-trick of wins contesting the Class 3 Handicap over 1600m.
SUPERB BOY has been a handy earner for leading trainer Francis Lui in nine local starts, winning three races and placing third a further two times. The Nicconi gelding ended last season with a smart 1.5-length score when rising to 1400m for the first time, and picked up right where he left off when repeating the dose first-up for this season on 17 September.
SUPERB BOY will be trying the mile for the first time in his career on Sunday, but gives the impression he will see it out. He stands out as the best horse going forward and retains the services of in-form jockey Hugh Bowman.
Challengers include Lor’s last-start track and distance winner, Happy Together. In fact, his first-up win was his first run was Lor after formerly trained by Richard Gibson. A three-time winner from nine over the mile, there are no queries about him seeing out the trip strongly. Snaffles, for trainer David Hayes, is itching to break through locally, after picking up a minor prize in his first two runs this term.
