Race 1: 7 Plentiful, 3 Speedy Fortune, 5 Strive For Glory, 6 Timestorm

Race 2: 3 Beauty Thunder, 4 Judy’s Great, 11 Draco, 1 Golden Empire

Race 3: 10 Spirit Of Peace, 7 Fortune Whiskey, 1 Golden Luck, 3 Our Lucky Glory

Race 4: 1 Beauty Alliance, 11 Amazing Award, 4 Sturdy Ruby, 6 Amazing Run

Race 5: 5 Sight Happy, 1 King Profit, 2 Perfect General, 3 Motoman

Race 6: 9 Classic Century, 5 Firefoot, 1 Good Luck Babe, 8 Snowalot

Race 7: 8 Aestheticism, 5 Sharpen Bright, 3 Rocket Spade, 7 Stellar Grande

Race 8: 2 Beauty Destiny, 9 Thunder Prince, 8 Righteous Arion, 3 Riding Together

Race 9: 4 View Of The World, 1 Eternal Fortune, 5 California Deeply, 3 Prawns Eleven

Race 1 – Shan Kwong Road Park Handicap

No. 7 Plentiful settled further back than usual when racing down the Sha Tin straight last start, which resulted in him being held up for clear running until after the 150m mark. He shapes as a much better chance returning to this course and distance, where he won his maiden three starts ago. No. 3 Speedy Fortune led at too strong a tempo last start and faded late, as expected. He does not necessarily need to lead here and can take a sit behind the pace. A jockey switch to Matthew Poon is a positive on his encouraging efforts since joining David Eustace’s stable. No. 5 Strive For Glory has been ridden on-pace in his two runs since the class drop, but his past success when ridden quieter suggests this could be the preferred approach here. He cannot be overlooked at this level. No. 6 Timestorm was well supported first-up following a long break last start but clearly needed the run. He has since trialed well and looks primed to improve.

Race 2 – Kowloon Park Handicap

No. 3 Beauty Thunder showed improvement first-up in his first attempt at Class 4, finishing a closing fourth over 1000m despite not having the clearest of runs in the straight. He can take another positive step forward here, as the rise in distance is a definite advantage. No. 4 Judy’s Great scored at big odds last start in a solid effort after racing wide throughout, and starting from barrier 1 is going to give him every chance to repeat the dose. No. 11 Draco will need plenty to go his way from barrier 11 but attracted strong market support last start in his first run for the Ricky Yiu stable. Despite finishing fourth, it was a better performance than it reads, as he over-raced in the middle stages and lost momentum after being steadied at the 700m. No. 1 Golden Empire returns to Class 4, where he holds a respectable record of two wins from four attempts. Some of his recent close finishes in Class 3 also read well for this contest.

Race 3 – Kowloon Park Handicap, division 2

No. 10 Spirit Of Peace gets another chance after encountering plenty of trouble in the run last start, finishing two lengths away in sixth as a heavily-backed odds-on market elect. He struck traffic in the home stretch on that occasion, preventing him from letting down fully, and he is worth another look here. No. 7 Fortune Whiskey has made strides since joining David Eustace’s stable and, after breaking his maiden last start, looks poised to continue his upward trajectory. No. 1 Golden Luck boasts an excellent record in this grade and arrives on the back of a promising placing behind Baby Crystal down the Sha Tin straight. His chances improve back to his preferred track and distance. No. 3 Our Lucky Glory is better suited to 1200m after two outings over the extended mile. The class drop and an inside gate further enhance his prospects.

Race 4 – Morse Park Handicap

No. 1 Beauty Alliance showed promising ability two starts ago with an ultra-impressive victory from barrier 1 under a perfect Zac Purton ride. Subsequently, he drew widest in barrier 14 and was taken back to near-last before finishing a respectable sixth, beaten less than three lengths. He has plenty of upside and looks primed to return to winning ways here, with a better draw and Purton back aboard. No. 11 Amazing Award has thrived since transferring to David Eustace’s stable, highlighted by his promising second-place finish to Firefoot last start. No. 4 Sturdy Ruby encountered a very slow-run race last start, yet still managed a strong closing fourth from seventh in the run, following his maiden victory prior. No. 6 Amazing Run has been dealt another tough barrier but showed plenty of merit last time when held up badly inside the final 100m. He will be storming home late if things fall into place.

Race 5 – Kowloon Park Handicap, division 3

No. 5 Sight Happy finally broke through two starts ago when stepping from barrier 5, and last start he produced a big run from barrier 12, closing strongly into third, just a neck behind, despite the race shape working against him. Drawing barrier 2 and reuniting with Zac Purton, he looks poised to atone. No. 1 King Profit is making his second attempt in Class 4 after a solid sixth-place effort behind Hong Lok Golf, finishing 1.5 lengths adrift after leading too quickly until the 100m marker. No. 2 Perfect General returns after a beaten favorite effort in mid-October where he over-raced and lacked a finishing effort. His earlier all-the-way win over Chateauneuf reads well, and his recent trial suggests he is ready to bounce back. No. 3 Motoman is intriguing on the quick seven-day back-up after a dominant win here last week. Barrier 3 ensures another favorable run in transit.

Race 6 – Morse Park Handicap, division 2

No. 9 Classic Century is edging closer to a win and can be forgiven for his last start when beaten just over two lengths into fifth as the favorite, having vet excuses with blood in the trachea. Given a month’s rest, he looks capable of bouncing back. No. 5 Firefoot broke through impressively last start at his sixth attempt and appears ready to keep the momentum going. With Zac Purton staying aboard and Chris So’s stable in fine form, he is a key player. No. 1 Good Luck Babe has shown little in four Hong Kong starts, but a drop in class and a sharp recent trial suggest he could surprise. No. 8 Snowalot is capable of bouncing back in this grade, with his last-start second a strong effort after racing wide and making a mid-race move.

Race 7 – Hong Kong Park Handicap

No. 8 Aestheticism looks ready to break his Class 3 duck after producing a strong run into fourth from the widest barrier last start. His third to Soleil Fighter two runs back, a form line that has held up well, suggests he is primed to capitalize when things fall his way. No. 5 Sharpen Bright should secure a favorable run from his low draw, while his last start second to Noisy Boy stands out given that rival’s subsequent impressive win at Sha Tin on Sunday. No. 3 Rocket Spade will appreciate the drop back in trip after an adequate fifth over 2,200 eters last start. Expect him to settle back and launch his trademark late charge. No. 7 Stellar Grande can improve second-up in Hong Kong after a debut over 2,200 meters, where he was always likely to need the run. His recent trial indicates progression, and barrier 1 is an added advantage.

Race 8 – Victoria Park Handicap

No. 2 Beauty Destiny saw his winning streak come to an end last start, narrowly missing out by a head to Aurora Lady. He steps into a weaker race here and should be able to return to his winning ways. No. 9 Thunder Prince, now four runs into his Hong Kong career, has been closing strongly in his last two starts from wide draws. A mid-draw here might allow him to adopt a different approach. No. 8 Righteous Arion returns to his preferred Happy Valley after three runs at Sha Tin. He has still performed well, including a third-place finish behind Divano two starts ago, and a wide trip last time compromised his chances. No. 3 Riding Together pulled up with mucus on debut but has since trialed well at Happy Valley. The booking of Zac Purton is promising, and he’s one to watch.

Race 9 – Victoria Park Handicap, division 2

No. 4 View Of The World had the perfect run from barrier 1 last start in a slowly run race, capitalizing on it to win effortlessly. Up 10 points in the handicap here into Class 3, he faces a tougher test but still has plenty of upside for trainer Dennis Yip. No. 1 Eternal Fortune claimed his first Hong Kong win last start in impressive fashion, suggesting he’s well-equipped to repeat the feat, especially with the advantage of a perfect trip from barrier 4. No. 5 California Deeply triumphed in Class 4 two starts ago but found it tough when racing wide without cover in Class 3 last time. A kinder trip should make him competitive.. No. 3 Prawns Eleven, drawn in barrier 2, will enjoy a smooth run. While not a prolific winner, he rarely finishes far off the pace and will be close again.

Luke Middlebrook is a Contributor at Idol Horse. After catching the Hong Kong racing bug, Luke spent several years blogging about the sport before relocating to Singapore in 2016. There, he spent eight years as the resident expert at iRace Media, overseeing all form-related and editorial content for horse racing in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Coverage of the entire Hong Kong Thoroughbred season at Horse Racing Nation is made possible through a sponsorship by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.