Schofield to score on Love Shock
Clint Hutchison
– The Happy Valley course is given a rest this week and the eight-race Sha Tin card on the all-weather track should provide leading trainer John Size and Chad Schofield with an excellent opportunity to win the final event, The Egret Handicap, with talented sprinter Love Shock.
This son of Shocking will appreciate the switch back to this surface where he finished a game second to rival California Whip back in mid-January.
Since that outing, Love Shock has been beaten a nose and then was a highly creditable fourth to Hella Hedge at Happy Valley on the turf.
The slow tempo beat him but
Hong Kong
there is little doubt his recent efforts have been outstanding. Schofield should be able to stalk the pace in this event from gate four and with even luck looks hard to beat.
California Whip meets Love Shock 4Kg worse for a 2.75 lengths margin, but has also drawn more awkwardly for this clash. He is on the upgrade and a genuine chance but he will need some luck from the barrier.
A solid case can be made for Archippus who simply should have won his last outing. He was badly checked or hampered several times inside the final 300m and to go down by half a length was a highly creditable performance.
He should relish the fast tempo and will be flying home at the business-end. And with budding apprentice Dylan Mo aboard likely leader Most Beautiful, he could be hard to run down with 48kg on his back.
Conversely, Eroico is bidding for a hat-trick of wins but with the drop in grade he has plenty of weight to carry and may have to settle for a minor spot.
Earlier on the card, Zac Purton teams up with Paul O’Sullivan and they have an excellent chance to break through with Hong Kong maiden Grade One on his third local start. The lightly-raced son of Manhattan Rain created a positive impression on his debut over the 1200m on the all-weather surface when second to Bond Elegance and should appreciate a return to the surface after failing to hit the frame when starting a short-priced favourite on the turf.