(Courtesy of http://www.fasttrack.hk)

After the very impressive win of Luger on Sunday and the obligatory winning photo with the horse’s connections, John Size and Dougie Whyte walked away together, chatting and smiling as usual.

It looked like Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy or Butch and Sundance. Or it might have been Sonny and Cher.

Though Whyte’s only ride for the trainer, if there are any cracks in the partnership, it sure didn’t look like it. It was business as usual for the ultra-successful firm.

Tonight, Whyte rides three for Size- Hypersonic, Monte Castello and Sichuan Vigor- whereas Joao Moreira takes over on the trainer’s other runner Super Brother in race 2 whose trackwork has looked pretty woeful and seems to need longer while Olivier Doleuze retains the ride on the honest Forever Ahead.

What’s going on, as Marvin Gaye once asked in song before the poor bugger went outta control on crack and had to be shot by his old man?

I’m unsure anything of any real significance is going on.

The Whyte Man seems to be getting aboard as many horses as he can for other trainers that have winning chances to reach the number of outside rides needed before he gets rid of that albatross around his neck and, possibly, returns to Size for the trainer’s young guns like Luger when they are ready to fire. That’s a punny line.

One thing is certain: Any Size-Whyte combinations these days are getting some realistic odds, something seen with over 2s for “sure thing” Luger.

The two could even be having the last laugh on the conspiracy theorists and the jockeys queuing up to get in the good books of a trainer as good as John Size.

As for tonight’s races, going all the way to Shatin is not for me and my mates- especially for an AWT meeting- with two turf races over 1000 metres being the highlights.

Let’s just hope punters who take a Six Up are aware of these two races as many I have spoken to had no idea of this “mixed” meeting.

Getting back to the meeting, returning all the way back to Hong Kong after a losing night with the other losers talking through their pockets can be extremely boring plus downright depressing.

Even a winning night is not much fun as there is nothing around other than the equally depressing Shatin Grand Hyatt where I see dead people plodding through the hotel’s bars and restaurants.

Why the HKJC can’t keep the usual Happy Wednesday vibes going- and let us know about these vibes apart from a passing mention via some media outlet many don’t watch or visit- and bring in more punters ready to cross-bet- and even cross dress- is beyond me.

It’s thinking like this, after all, and the emphasis placed on engagement that has helped reinvent the face and tone of horse racing here and why Hong Kong has the best racing- all year round- and not a few big meetings once or twice a year.

What do I like forward to tonight? Heading for some Peruvian food at the new joint in Peel Street with Sarika and company during a break in filming and then hitting Peel Fresco, hooking up with whoever is there- there is always something interesting and not the motley Wanchai Amazonian mob- and listening to some decent ‘live’ music.

With the races in mind, IF I were to have a bet as there is a huge triple trio jackpot up for grabs, I’d work things around these- but seldom wasting time on the first two races.

There are other ways to get warmed up PLUS when there are jackpots- AND it’s mainly AWT racing, the strangest things pop up.

Speaking of popping up, as someone named Siemen Mok co-owns the David Hall-trained Boom Baby Boom, I was thinking of making it my longshot for the night- I won’t- though I will keep a spare raincoat pack in my pocket for any emergencies.

R1 POSITIVE ENERGY (1)
R2 LOVELY BOY (2)
R3 K-MOOCHI (4)/PJ HALL (12)
R4 PERFECT JOY (9)/SHIFACHI TRADITION (10)
R5 TURIN PEARL (7) G-ONE LEADER (10)
R6 MONTE CASTELLO(7)/TURIN CHAMPION(8)
R7 BEAUTY SPARKLE(2)
R8 SUPREME ESSENCE (4)/HOLY MAC (14)

Instead of tipping what all of Hong Kong tips and patting myself on the back for that dubious feat, I shall “do a Deane Lester” and suggest some horses offering value- but with actual winning chances.

Tipping value but with no chances?

Duh.

If one is to go down, let’s go down in flames and as Russell Peters would say, BE A MAN!

BEST BET
RACE 4: SHIFACHI TRADITION (10)

NEXT BEST
RACE 8: SUPREME ESSENCE (4)

LONGSHOT OF THE NIGHT
RACE 1: POSITIVE ENERGY (1)

MESSAGE FROM SARIKA

Hi, I’ll be filming with Justin and Nats tomorrow around the Soho and LKF areas.

If around, look for us, come say Hi and be part of the filming.

As for the Six Up, though I know my horse racing pretty well, I am unsure of the Six Up or Quaddie for tomorrow, but here are what I think based on form, dirt track form and barrier draws.

SIX UP

R3- 4-12
R4- 9-10
R5- 7
R6- 7
R7- 1-2
R8- 2-4-14

QUADDIE

R5: 7-10
R6: 2-6-7-8
R7: 1-2-5-10
R8: 2-4-14

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SELECTIONS FROM THE BIG APPLE (@SW064351)

BEST BET
Race 7, No. 1 Amber Sky
Straight track specialist who on class has the measure of these and will be hard to deny.

SECOND BEST
Race 6, No. 6 Danewin Tiger
Lightweights Turin Champion, Loads of Joy, and City Power will likely press forward to ensure at least a good tempo. Gets race run to suit and can storm over the top late.

LONGSHOT
Race 8, No. 12 Born to Win
Surface is a query but will race handy from a good draw and is a danger carrying postage stamp weight.