Enticing Valley closer brings Bogart formlines to bear

28/10/2016

By Andrew Hawkins

One of the hottest formlines in Hong Kong will get a serious test at Happy Valley on Sunday (30 October) as last-start winners Blocker Dee and Turf Sprint clash in an exciting finale to the rare day meeting at the city track.

The Roselle Handicap (1200m) is the culmination of a solid 10-race card, and it is a case of saving the best for last with a deep 12-horse field set to line up in the Class 2 closer.

Consistent galloper Apollo’s Choice (126lb) makes his seasonal reappearance, while Valley specialist Back In Black (123lb) returns to his favourite course and distance for the first time this term, but it is two of the three last-start winners in the race who create the most interest.

Caspar Fownes-trained Blocker Dee (125lb) won at his initial attempt at Class 2 at the first Happy Valley meeting of the season on 7 September, while Chris So’s Turf Sprint (128lb) caused a 50/1 blowout with his victorious return at the National Day meeting at Sha Tin. There was a common factor with both wins, though – in both races, classy galloper Mr Bogart filled the runner-up berth.

The form of both horses looks stellar now after Mr Bogart became the first horse to conquer boom galloper Pakistan Star on 16 October with a runaway two and a half-length victory.

It was this piece of form that gave Blocker Dee’s rider Karis Teetan the most confidence ahead of Sunday’s assignment.

“His form looks good now, obviously, having beaten Mr Bogart and that horse has done well since,” Teetan said with a grin this morning (Friday, 28 October). “I know Blocker Dee hasn’t raced in a while but he trialled well last week behind his stablemate (Gun Pit), and to be close to him on dirt was good I felt.”

Blocker Dee showed a deft turn of foot under Teetan to overcome an outside draw and an awkward position in running to beat Mr Bogart by a half-length last time out, and the Mauritian rider believes it could be a similar story here with the five-year-old drawn in gate 11.

“That could be a horror spot, drawn a little bit out,” he said. “But last time he was drawn out, they went very quick and he had a very good finish. He is the type of horse that does have a little bit of speed so I think from the gate I’ll see how he jumps and if he’s up there I’ll let him use his action and head across. There are options there.”

Turf Sprint’s rider Sam Clipperton also had Mr Bogart – and a bad draw – in mind, but he also believes his horse should be in the mix again.

“His first-up run was huge, not just in the way he did it but in that he beat some quality horses – not just Mr Bogart, but also a few horses that ran well in the dirt Class 2 last week, like Perpetual Treasure and Eroico,” he said. “They obviously look strong formlines now. He should run very well again.”

“It’s an awkward draw in 10, he drew 11 last time at Sha Tin but it’s probably tougher from 10 at Happy Valley. But he is a versatile type of horse, he has sat handy, he has sat well back, so I’m going to wait and see what happens after the gates open and make my decisions from there.”

The third of the last-start victors, John Size-trained Happy Surveys (124lb), makes his Class 2 debut after sitting on the cusp of the grade in recent starts. He finally put Class 3 behind him with a sweeping three-quarter length victory earlier this month under Brett Prebble.

“A lot of horses look like they will be competitive up in class once they break through the top of Class 3, but until they actually get there and prove that they can do it in the class above, it is hard to be sure,” Prebble said.

“But it was a big performance last time out, what he did that day, making a sustained run from near the back and sprinting, horses seldom do that at Happy Valley. They can’t usually come from so far back and be so convincing. Admittedly, there were a couple of unlucky horses in there but it was a good effort with a big weight so it wouldn’t surprise me to see him take the next step.”
Prebble was ruled out of racing on Wednesday (26 October) due to a virus, but he says he will be back fit and fighting on Sunday with a solid book of seven rides.

“Yeah, I’m feeling better,” he said. “It knocked me around, that’s for sure, but I’m ready for Sunday.”

One of his most exciting mounts is David Hall-trained Victory Boys (118lb) as he tackles Class 3 for the first time in the penultimate Hydrangea Handicap (1800m).

Victory Boys has won three of his last four starts over the Happy Valley 1650m since Prebble jumped back aboard the galloper, including a soft two-length victory earlier this month, and the rider was full of praise for the five-year-old as he prepares to step up in trip again.

“He’s a nice horse, I really like him and I have done for a long time,” he said. “I still think there’s a fair bit of upside in this horse, mentally he’s actually not there yet. David has done a fantastic job with him, he’s got him a bit more mentally switched on, he’s physically improved and he has a great body on him now.”

“The ability has never really been the question with him, and stepping up into Class 3, I think he’s there in terms of his progress. He has a great turn of foot, he gets them quick, and that’s a big asset.”

The son of Mastercraftsman has once again drawn awkwardly in gate 10, after drawing gate nine three times and gate 12 once in his last four starts, prompting Prebble to quip: “He just needs a bit of luck, although I think he’s drawn out at every one of his wins so maybe he doesn’t! It’s scary to think what would happen if he drew a gate, he wouldn’t have to be so far out of his ground and he wouldn’t have to do it so tough.”

The curtain-raising Class 5 Aster Handicap (1650m) kicks off the card at 12:45pm.