Sunshine Coast Preview & Best Bets - Sunday February 5
Hong Kong Preview & Best Bets – Sunday February 5
Hong Kong Tips 05/02/2023
Our form expert provides Hong Kong tips for today’s horse racing at Sha Tin Racecourse and gives his best bets.
BEST BET 🏆
Race 4: No.3 DARING PURSUIT ($2.50 with Palmerbet)
The Caspar Fownes-trained DARING PURSUIT is second-up here and also looks well placed for back-to-back wins. Last start, the Shooting To Win gelding was fresh off a 12-week spell when he showed great improvement by taking out a Class 4 Hcp, here over 1200m. On fresh legs, he clocked 1:09 for the trip, winning it by half a length on the line. He covered the journey, 3.8 lengths quicker than benchmark, a new personal best and the best in this field. He also posted the fastest final 600m, 400m and 200m for the event. Vince Ho rode him a treat that day and backs-up here for this assignment. Ideally drawn in gate two, he maps to settle in the box seat here and should Ho pull that off, the four-year-old looks a solid chance of consecutive wins today.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 8: No.1 WELLINGTON ($2.70 with Neds)
Early (Hong Kong) markets have this as a race in two with WELLINGTON and Lucky Sweynesse locking horns again in a Group 1 event. Last start, Wellington bounced back as only he can after missing a podium finish in the Group 2 Jockey Club Sprint when he did enough to take out the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, with Lucky Sweynesse 2.5 lengths back and unplaced in that race. Wellington ran his last 600m, 9 lengths quicker than benchmark, the best in this line-up. He also ran the entire trip out, 9 lengths quicker than standard, also the best among these. He clocked the 1200m that day in a slick 1:08.7 for his fourth Group 1 win in six appearances at the top level. He has won 10 of his 15 starts at the track and distance and a trouble-free run here should see him in the winner’s circle again.
BEST VALUE 💰
Race 3: No.4 WE ARE HERO ($2.40 with Ladbrokes)
The Manfred Man-trained WE ARE HERO is in great touch lately and looks well placed here for back-to-back victories today. Last start, the Headwater gelding gave them a galloping lesson when he took out a Class 3 contest, here over 1000m. He ran the final 600m, 4.1 lengths quicker than benchmark, the best last-start effort here. He also recorded the fastest final 800m to 200m sectionals for the race. Hugh Bowman was aboard that day and remains in the saddle for this contest. He gets the gun-run from gate one here and already a two-time winner at the track and distance, he will take some beating in this event.
