Seasons Wit won in blinkers as a two-year-old colt in Australia and Kiwi trainer Jamie Richards hopes a set of shades will help his imported three-year-old gelding get off the mark in Hong Kong on Sunday.
Penalised four points for his city debut runner-up result to Atomic Force in a Class Three sprint over 1,000m at Happy Valley on March 1, Seasons Wit switches to Sha Tin for his second local start in the Class Four Shaw Alumni Handicap (1,000m) that features four speedsters who won last time out.
Richards, whose midweek double improved his personal statistics in his first Hong Kong season to 20 wins from 204 runners, liked not only Seasons Wit’s city bow but also his subsequent barrier trial in which he wore blinkers and thrashed all bar David Hayes-prepared 102-rated speedster Nervous Witness.
“He ran well on debut at Happy Valley,” Richards said of Seasons Wit, whose five Australian starts produced one Morphettville Parks win and four minor placings across four venues in Victoria. “He obviously drew a good barrier and got a soft run. First up in Class Three for a three-year-old is never easy, but he did a good job, and we’ve been happy with him since.
“He wore the blinkers in Australia when he was a colt and I just wanted to sort of see how he handled himself in a trial with them on. We’ve decided to leave them on. He’s having a look down the straight for the first time, but he has trialled down there.”
Richards saddles seven starters at Sha Tin, with his squad also including Sinba, who was the unused first reserve for last weekend’s Hong Kong Derby (2,000m).
“We weren’t sure whether he was going to be a stayer, but we saw at his last start [over 1,800m], when he was ridden a bit more conservatively early, he was able to finish off well,” Richards said of Class Three Wu Yee Sun Alumni Handicap (1,600m) top weight Sinba.
“C+3 is never easy, but the horse is in good form. A month between runs and back in trip suits him.”
One of Sinba’s opponents is Michael Chang Chun-wai’s Ching, who continues his association with Lyle Hewitson following their recent stretch of one fourth sandwiched between two wins.
“In all fairness, he probably shouldn’t have got beaten that one time, but he’s been a horse that’s sort of found some hard-luck stories,” Hewitson said of Ching, who has drawn another good gate, barrier four.
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“He’s matured with every run, and I think I got on him at the right time. He was on the upward curve, and I’ve managed to get two good wins out of him.
“He’s a big boy with a lovely action. He does his times very smoothly. It feels like you’re not doing too much. That’s normally a sign of a decent horse.”
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