Hong Kong Preview & Best Bets – 13/01/2024

Hong Kong Tips for Saturday, January 13

Our form expert provides Hong Kong tips for today’s horse racing at Sha Tin Racecourse and gives his best bets.

BEST BET 🏆

RACE 10:  No.3  JOYFUL HUNTER  ($4 with Ladbrokes)

Francis Lui saddles-up JOYFUL HUNTER here who looks well placed in this contest to bring up back-to-back victories today. Two starts back, the Darci Brahma gelding put in a poor performance under Lyle Hewitson where he just didn’t fire that day, finishing down the track over the 1400m trip. Then last start, Vince Ho returned and that seemed to change everything as the four-year-old settled last after jumping from the outside gate (11), a dozen lengths off the speed, and finished like a train to grab victory right on the line in Class 3 company over the shorter 1200m trip. Lui puts him over the 1400m for the third time today, still convinced he get the trip. The better draw will help as he jumps from gate four today with Ho sticking with him. If the speed is on up front again, he will have the last say in the run home.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 8:  No.4  I GIVE  ($4.60 with bet365)

The Pierre Ng-trained I GIVE is in top-shelf form of late and this contest looks right up his alley. Last start, the Per Incanto gelding came off a five-straight winning streak when it came to an end, finishing fifth in a Class 3, here over 1200m. A vet inspection found no abnormalities so we put it down to a ‘bad day at the office’. Andrea Atzeni has been aboard for his past four runs, celebrating three wins in the process and sticks with him for today’s assignment. All five career wins have come on the Sha Tin track and today, he has the opportunity to bounce back from that last-start disappointment. A trouble-free run today could see him back in the winner’s circle.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 9:  No.5  SIMPLE HEDGE  ($4.80 with bet365)

The John Size-trained SIMPLE HEDGE is three starts into this preparation and now looks ready to win. Last start, he was third-up and showed plenty of improvement when he finished strongly to grab third prize in a Class 3 Hcp, here over the mile. Never on the track, the Sebring gelding settled worse than mid-field and was three wide to the turn and straightened-up the widest in the field. Despite the tough run, he still passed plenty of them to cross the line just a length from victory that day. With the prodigal son (Zac Purton) returning from some time off over the holiday season, he picks up the reins again today after steering the four-year-old to all three of his career wins to date. He has some work to do from gate 10 today, but playing the odds, he still looks a winning chance in this field.