Wonderful Journey goes for return trip
– Ricky Yiu’s Wonderful Journey is backing-up following a win last week at Happy Valley and the speedy son of Thorn Park should take all the beating in The Citi Sprint Challenge Cup today.
The winning penalty has been fully negated with the claim of apprentice Kei Chiong and from barrier the budding star should be able to get the run of the race. There is no doubt there is more depth to this field but with the rise in class, Wonderful Journey will carry 8Kg less and looks remarkably well placed to go back-to-back.
Another last start winner Hang’s Decision looks the main danger. He has finished either first or second in six attempts over the course and distance and leading jockey Zac Purton sticks with him.
There should be some market support around for Momentum Lucky with Champion Trainer and Jockey combining with this progressive sprinter. He ventures to the city circuit for the first time and has shown enough potential to warrant respect. Of the remainder, Circuit King won his last outing in a lower grade but has proven quite consistent over this course and distance while Mission Possible is another who can figure in the finish.
Caspar Fownes can win the opening event with Manhattan Striker who also is backing-up quickly, following his third last weekend over 1200m. He should relish the move up to 1600m and considering Fownes has a high strike rate when running at consecutive meetings, he can be followed with some confidence.
Fownes could easily add to that tally with Speedy Wally in the third event. He was a convincing winner for the stable first-up this season and although he takes a rise in grade, the ease of his win in the lowest grade on just his fourth start for the stable suggested there is plenty more to offer. This is not a strong field and he should prove hard to beat again.
Tony Millard and Joao Moreira combine in the fifth event with C P Power who looked desperately unlucky on his resuming run this season. That was over the straight 1000m at Sha Tin, and although he has never ventured to Happy Valley there is no reason why he shouldn’t handle the tight circuit. In addition, Millard has opted to apply blinkers for the first time and with the booking of Moreira and the gear change, he should prove hard to beat.