FWD Champions Day Preview (Sha Tin) - 26/04/20

Many of these arrive rather out of form and in an open-looking affair SUPER WINNER is taken to finally gain that first career success, having now slipped right down the weights and looking dangerously well-treated under the guidance of claimer Ben T H So.

His recent efforts have been rather hit and miss, although he was backed quite significantly on his latest start and the fact Joao Moreira was in the saddle suggests connections may have expected better that day.

He did meet interference on several occasions, however, and with a clearer run of things he has every chance of getting his head in front from a favourable low draw.

WAR ROOM makes his yard debut for David Hall after switching from the Jimmy Ting team, and although he is yet to get his head in front he has shown more than enough in his career to date to suggest he is up to taking a race of this calibre.

This galloper has displayed plenty of talent on a number of occasions, and after trialling well he looks underestimated at the prices, with the first-time assistance of Zac Purton in the saddle catching the eye.

Could outrun his odds.

Casa De Forca heads the market here having posted a number of creditable efforts, and although he has plenty favouring him including a low draw in stall 2 and possessing plenty of early speed, the fact he remains a maiden after 17 starts bears for some concern and he looks worth taking on.

The unexposed STOCK LEGEND shaped with an abundance of promise on his latest start over track and trip, having initially been drawn out in the car park, but finishing powerfully from a hopeless position outback to eventually nab fourth close home.

He has been handed the plum draw here and looks a healthy betting proposition E/W under the in-form Antoine Hamelin, if he is able to break away on terms.

Joao Moreira retains the ride on the fairly-unexposed CHEERFUL LEADER who has been improving on a steep upward curve of late, and he has now been handed his best draw at this venue for some time.

Blinkers appear to have worked the oracle for this gelding, who was successful on his penultimate start here over todays trip, albeit at a lower level.

He travelled smoothly around the outside of runners to eventually stay on for third in this grade on his latest start, and providing the same choice of headgear again has the desired effect he can put his best foot forward for the in-form Ricky Yiu yard.

AETHERO is no doubt the class horse in the field, and if he is able to bring his A-game then he will likely prove a tough nut to crack providing his hopes are not thrown away after leaving the gates.

He can be quirky at times, and not for the first time, made a mess of the start and over raced when finishing well-beaten on his return from an absence earlier in the month, though we are willing to put a line through that defeat.

Since that run he’s posted an impressive barrier trail score, where he most importantly jumped away from the gates well, and if he is able to adopt a similar performance here he could take some pegging back under Zac Purton.

Two in-form rivals in Fantastic Show and WELLINGTON lock horns here and it is the latter who we will be siding with on this occasion.

This Richard Gibson-trained gelding has enjoyed a rapid rise to success in Hong Kong by winning his first three career starts, though he will face his toughest test yet when his bids to maintain that unbeaten run of form here.

He has questions to answer at the 7f distance with his first three victories coming at a speedier trip, but the manner in which he thrashed a subsequent winner over slightly shorter here last time suggests he could be well placed to get his head in front from gate three with Zac Purton again taking the reigns.

BEAUTY GENERATION arrives in search of a third successive Champions Mile victory and it looks hard to oppose him achieving just that, despite not offering much value on a betting front.

He’s won his latest two starts under the guidance of Zac Purton with ease, including when taking the G2 Chairman’s Trophy over track and trip earlier this month.

Connections will be happy with his low draw in five and this six-time Group1 winner appears to have the race at his mercy if arriving in peak form.

The final Group1 event of the evening is the QEII Cup and again our fancy EXULTANT fails to offer much for you E/W punters, but his price reflects the fact he is Hong Kong’s champion stayer and he can confirm his superiority in this division with victory in this event.

He’s a proven Group1 winner over course and distance, and despite failing to reel in his chief market rival Time Warp on his latest start here, he was eating up the ground all the way to the line and Zac Purton possibly gave him quite a lot to do that day.

That front-running rival is unlikely to get as soft a lead this time around, and he is favoured to reverse the form and captivate a solid season, especially with those recent trials under his belt.

The draw gods have been kind to COMPUTER PATCH who has looked a real talent in his six career starts so far and although his sole win to date came over the shorter 5f, he possess that early speed needed to kick on from gate one and will appreciate again being ridden prominently from the front.

He arrives bang there on form having hit the crossbar in a strong Class 2 event last time out, and rates as the one they all have to beat under the assistance of Joao Moreira.

We have a rather wide-open finale to close off FWD Champions Day and at the prices the mount of the in-form Chad Schofield HEZTHEWONFORUS looks a fair bet E/W.

This two-time course winner arguably has form here over slightly further, but he’s tallied up a number of competitive efforts this term, including when hitting the crossbar over 1600m on several occasions here.

He put in a game effort when just edged out in stronger company on his penultimate start at Happy Valley, and that form could be enough to suffice here if arriving in a similar mood.