The Standard's racing experts give you their selections for today's meeting at Sha Tin. Plus horse, trainer and jockey to watch.
Horse to watch: Jubilant Winner
The Jamie Richards-trained Jubilant Winner smashed the Class Four 1200-meter record at Sha Tin last time out and could have more to offer than his rating of 53 suggests.
Jubilant Winner stepped back to 1200m for the first time in nearly six months on his seasonal reappearance and the five-year-old relished it, quickening smartly to dispatch his rivals by two and a half lengths in a time of 68.36 seconds.
He returns to the same course and distance on Sunday in Race Four and jumps from stall two under Andrea Atzeni, who was on board last time out.
While he will have to defy a nine-pound rise in the weights, Richards’ charge still looks poised to give another bold account.
Jockey to watch: David Probert
Hong Kong’s newest recruit to the jockey roster is yet to return to the winner’s enclosure, but David Probert will be hoping he can capitalise on his seven-strong book of rides at Sha Tin on Sunday.
The rider, who is set to have his first Group-race ride in Hong Kong aboard Sword Point in next week’s G2 Sha Tin Trophy, has had 37 rides since beginning his half-season stint in Hong Kong last month.
He will aim to get his first win on the board this month before French rider Maxime Guyon, Kiwi superstar James McDonald and Hollie Doyle begin their short-term contracts in November.
Of his seven rides on Sunday, Sky Trust is worth consideration after he bolted up in Class Three level last time out. Now into Class Two, the Caspar Fownes-trained five-year-old is set to carry 121 pounds when he jumps from stall nine in Race Nine.
Trainer to watch: David Eustace
There is always interest in which trainer takes the longest to land their first win of the season, and this time that honour goes to second-season handler David Eustace, who remains winless through nine meetings. His 38-race run of outs is not the start many expected from a trainer tipped to climb the ranks, but history shows he’s in good company.
According to stats from Hong Kong racing data expert Sohil Patel (@SohilRacequant), John Size went winless through ten meetings and 39 runners in 2023/24 before rebounding to post 50 winners, while Eustace’s uncle David Oughton endured a similar barren stretch in 1993/94 – he was winless through nine meetings – before charging home for a top-five finish. Last season Frankie Lor Fu-chuen endured a sluggish start, needing 46 runners before Master Trillion finally broke through at the ninth meeting. Despite that, Lor finished the campaign with 46 wins and seventh in the standings — proof that a slow September doesn’t define a season in Hong Kong racing.
Eustace sends out just two runners on Sunday, but all eyes will be on Glorious Success (R6 No. 1), who returns to the turf after a solid 1650-metre effort on the all-weather track and gains the services of Zac Purton. A win would be timely and could mark the start of his climb up the standings.
Expert selections
Luke Middlebrook
R1: 1, 4, 7, 3
R2: 6, 3, 2, 8
R3: 12, 5, 4, 2
R4: 3, 2, 12, 10
R5: 12, 6, 4, 5
R6: 6, 11, 1, 8
R7: 3, 11, 7, 8
R8: 6, 12, 7, 4
R9: 7, 1, 5, 9
R10: 13, 9, 6, 4
Best Bet: R5 Win #12 Elegant Life
Andrew Hawkins
R1: 1, 7, 12, 5
R2: 11, 2, 3, 6
R3: 10, 12, 3, 4
R4: 2, 3, 12, 7
R5: 6, 12, 5, 3
R6: 6, 10, 1, 8
R7: 11, 7, 3, 1
R8: 6, 7, 11, 4
R9: 9, 5, 1, 4
R10: 10, 9, 1, 3
Best Play: R5 Quinella 6 / 5, 12
Jack Dawling
R1: 9, 7, 3, 1
R2: 3, 2, 6, 7
R3: 10, 9, 2, 6
R4: 10, 3, 12, 13
R5: 12, 9, 6, 11
R6: 14, 1, 4, 8
R7: 3, 9, 8, 11
R8: 6, 11, 7, 10
R9: 2, 7, 1, 10
R10: 11, 1, 10, 4
Best Play: R2 Win/Place #3
Gordon Bennett
R1: 1, 7, 3, 12
R2: 3, 9, 2, 6
R3: 10, 2, 3, 12
R4: 1, 2, 12, 3
R5: 6, 4, 5, 9
R6: 6, 1, 10, 8
R7: 3, 7, 11, 1
R8: 7, 6, 3, 4
R9: 9, 7, 5, 1
R10: 9, 10, 1, 11
Best Play: R8 QQP banker 6 with 3, 4, 7
