By Michael Cox
Happy Valley's Beer Garden will be heaving with fans celebrating French May tonight and out on the track French jockey Alexis Badel will be hoping to extend a hot run of form at the track.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club's Happy Wednesday has teamed-up with the French May Art Festival and Badel is sure to get some extra support from the fans enjoying the French-themed revelry in the crowd.
Badel is equal-eighth in the jockeys' championship with 27 wins and his strike rate in the last month is second only to championship leader Zac Purton.
The lightweight rider's form at Happy Valley is even better: he has ridden six winners from the last four fixtures and his strike rate at the track is fifth-best of all riders this season.
"I feel fit and in good form," Badel told The Standard. "I have had some nice wins in the last couple of weeks and the momentum is good."
That momentum could be maintained with a solid book of seven rides including last-start winner Californiatotality in the Choi Hung Handicap (Class 2, 1,650 meters).
Californiatotality was second in his only start at Happy Valley back in January but since then has won twice to take his rating to 87 and Badel believes that is bound to go higher.
Boosting the jockey's confidence is the strong form around Californiatotality and Hong Kong's four-year-olds in general.
The three horses that finished behind Californiatotality have run well since: fourth-placed Bundle Award followed-up with a Group 3 victory in the Queen Mother Memorial Cup and placegetters Steps Ahead and Pray For Mir placed again next start.
While Bundle Award stepped up to 2,400m, Californiatotality comes back to 1,650m against six rivals and Badel is backing the four-year-old's on-pace toughness – a trait typical of horses trained by Tony Cruz – to come to the fore.
"I think Happy Valley suits him, he is in top form and I trust that he can run another strong race," Badel said. "His previous run at Happy Valley was good, that last-start victory was convincing and it is encouraging to see the horses he beat run well since.
"I think my horse is on a good handicap mark and can go on."
Badel has seven rides and of his other horses he said Leather Master (Race 1) and Joy Of Spring (Race 8) were among his best chances.
"Leather Master is in nice form and is versatile enough to overcome barrier 12 while Joy Of Spring has drawn well and comes back to Happy Valley, he won well there last season," he said.
